Seattle Bans Strip Club Lap Dances

SEATTLE — Imposing tight regulations that one adult club lawyer said would make strip clubs “less fun,” Seattle’s City Council voted late yesterday to require dancers at adult nightclubs to stay at least four feet from customers while dancing, and have told night club owners they must install “parking garage-style” lighting throughout their premises.

Lap dances are out. Private rooms are out. Tips go in a tip jar.

In what some consider a contradictory attitude from a city known for its liberal attitudes towards sexual freedom, the City Council voted 5-4 to approve the new rules. The new regulations follow a recent ruling by a federal judge that struck down a 17-year ban on new strip clubs in Seattle.

“It's wiping out an entire industry in Seattle,” said Gilbert Levy, a lawyer for Rick's gentleman's club, of the new regulations.

Despite their passing, however, many councilmembers had serious issues with the new regulations.

“I keep having the sense that the Council is engaged in shadow boxing with ourselves,” Councilman Nick Licata said. “Talk on the street is people would rather have us dealing with other things, and polls tend to go the opposite direction of where our gut reaction tends to be. Only a third of people in a recent poll, for example, said [the City Council] should have the right to set standards for the community.”

Licata, like many of his peers, said the real issue with adult entertainment regulation comes down to zoning.

“Most cities the size of Seattle don’t have a four-foot rule,” he said. “So the question is, ‘How do other cities wrestle with this problem?’ The answer is zoning. You place restrictions on where these places are located.”

Councilwoman Jean Godden agreed, refusing to support the legislation as a whole.

“We need to focus on protecting neighborhoods through appropriate zoning, not by telling businesses how they should operate.”

Councilman Tom Rasmussen, another dissenter, told the City Council that even the most unpopular legal businesses deserve legal treatment and protection by the Constitution, and predicted the new rules could open the city up to major legal battles.

“All of our concerns are essentially land use issues,” Rasmussen added. “I will support land use regulations, but the proposed regulations go way too far.”

Despite the objections, calls by Councilman Peter Steinbrueck and other supporters were enough to get the new rules through. The brunt of Steinbrueck’s argument for the new regulations focused on preventing illegal activity he said takes place in adult nightclubs.

“It seems to me that if there’s illegal activity occurring, and we know there has been a history of illegal activity in these places, then the patrons share responsibility for the activity there,” Steinbrueck said. “Just as the arrests and efforts to tackle prostitution include holding the ‘Johns’ responsible, this establishes a code of conduct for the patrons to keep their hands off and abstain from any illegal activity.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

NC Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Adult Industry, Override Possible

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein today vetoed a bill imposing new regulations that adult industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

25,000 Sign Petition to Legalize Pornography in Ukraine

An OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine has amassed the 25,000 signatures required for official consideration by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

FSC Unpacks SCOTUS Age Verification Ruling in Webinar

The Free Speech Coalition conducted a public webinar Tuesday to help adult industry stakeholders understand the Supreme Court’s recent decision in FSC v. Paxton, and its potential implications.

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect in South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Show More