I have a bit of a dilemma. Perhaps some of y'all can help me sort it out.
Dr. Judith Lynne Hanna was in my club about two weeks ago. She's a senior research scholar with the University of Maryland, published several times over and has given expert testimony in more than 80 court cases involving exotic dance. There's a brouhaha brewing between my club's owner and the local city council, and the legal eagles have hired her to do the same for their case. She popped in to the club and had a very brief talk with a couple of us (Velvet fetched me, actually). She gave me her email address. I emailed her and she liked what I said. She asked a couple of questions and I emailed the answers, and she liked those too. Long story short, she has asked if I would be willing to testify on the club's behalf or at least write an affidavit.
First thought? Not only no, but hell no. Might as well paint a ginormous bulls-eye on my arse. Do I look stupid?
I haven't answered yet; still thinking it through. Several things concern me.
1. The club didn't ask; SHE did. She didn't even say she would run it by the club, she said that she would request the lead attorney put me on his witness list. Not sure how the club would feel about one of their walking sides of beef showing up to testify; pretty sure it wouldn't be favorable though.
2. I would SO go straight to the top of the list of Strippers To Be Arrested ASAP. This is clearly the best way to determine how long the local yokels take to get the retaliation ball rolling.
On the other hand... grow some balls, Lil. Everything I was telling her was in regards to the "constitution-schmonstitution" attitudes and moronic inefficiency of all these ordinances. The laws don't work, either to decrease genuine criminal activity (as opposed to getting someone on a technicality) or to inhibit normalized strip club behaviours. The clubs don't care - we're replaceable, expendable resources. The strippers don't care - we're going to jail no matter what so most think they might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. Even the locals don't care - there is no public outcry here and they'll forget that nifty newpaper article in a week anyway.
I dunno. Someone has to be the voice of reason but I'm not that hot about volunteering for the position. My friends who aren't in the business say I should do it. If I had to take one for the team, as it were, I suppose I could always quit and lie low for a while, my husband makes enough. Call me a cynic but I don't think it would stop at harassment in the workplace though. Then again (yes, I have been ping-ponging back and forth exactly like this) the thread I read just now where a Tampa dancer was arrested for saying, "I'm thirsty" (Solicitation of a drink. What. The. Fuck.) is EXACTLY what I was telling her and someone needs to point out the obvious - this is stupid, counter-productive, bullying via a badge and a waste of taxpayer dollars.
Feh. What do y'all think? Further, if you had the opportunity to testify before the courts, what would YOU say? Whether it was heard or ignored, would it still be worth it?




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