Chicago's Iconic Admiral Theatre Suing SBA Over 'Prurient' Clause

Chicago's Iconic Admiral Theatre Suing SBA Over 'Prurient' Clause

CHICAGO — A popular Chicago adult entertainment venue is suing the Small Business Administration (SBA) over the “prurient clause” in its loan application for pandemic relief.

The Admiral Theatre is a legendary venue currently operating as a strip club, whose facade bears the Larry Flynt quote, “The greatest right a nation can afford its people is the right to be left alone.”

The Admiral is suing the SBA and Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin alleging that its First Amendment rights are being violated because their loan application has been stalled.

The theater’s lawyers claim that the application for a PPP loan to help with their payroll is not being approved because of a clause preventing “prurient” businesses from receiving federal funds.

The “prurient” clause on the loan application form, as XBIZ has been reporting, replicates mid-1990s language designed to discriminate against sexually oriented businesses.

The form compels applicants to declare that they do not “present live performances of a prurient sexual nature or derive directly or indirectly more than de minimis gross revenue through the sale of products or services, or the presentation of any depictions or displays, of a prurient sexual nature.”

The word “prurient” is an imprecise, obscure word that means “appealing to unhealthy sexual interests” and was used by the U.S. Supreme Court in a landmark 1973 ruling. Several members of the adult entertainment community and First Amendment lawyers have pointed out that people who do not consider their sexual expression “unhealthy” are exempt from application of the “prurient” clause.”

The Chicago theater’s lawyers allege that “all of the entertainment provided by the Admiral is non-obscene (and thus cannot be deemed prurient).”

“No entertainer performing at The Admiral has even been charged with, let alone convicted of, the crime of obscenity,” the lawsuit states.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, “the Admiral provided a loan application to its bank on April 4, and the bank submitted the application to the SBA on April 15, the lawsuit states. The SBA hasn’t approved or denied the application as it is still determining the club’s eligibility.”

The lawsuit argues that in the event the theater is “unable to obtain PPP loans, it may lack the staff and/or funds to reopen following the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the permanent ruination of its business, the inability of Plaintiff to engaged in protected First Amendment activity, and the inability of Plaintiff’s staff, entertainers, and customers to continue engaging in or viewing protected First Amendment 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

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

Nadia Jay Stars in Latest From Brazzers

Nadia Jay stars with Mick Blue in the latest release from Brazzers, titled "Fucking the Bath Voyeur."

Blush Introduces 'Splash' Vibe

Blush has debuted its new duck-themed Splash vibrator.

SVibe Debuts 2 New Vibrators

SVibe has introduced two new vibrators.

Tommy Gunn Reflects on His Legendary Past as He Looks to the Future

Tommy Gunn is wearing an eyepatch. It’s not an homage to the classic "Pirates" porn parody franchise, in which Gunn takes on the Johnny Depp role. The eyepatch is a temporary measure to help him deal with a nerve palsy that came out of nowhere several years ago and affects his vision from time to time. Gunn needs his vision. As one of the adult industry’s longest-serving male stars, he still has plenty to look forward to.

Rocco Siffredi Directs New Rebel Rhyder Showcase

Evil Angel has released Rocco Siffredi’s Rebel Rhyder showcase title, "Rebel Meets Rebel."

JuicyAds Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

JuicyAds has won its World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the company's site and defraud customers.

Shalina Devine Toplines 'Thr3e #7' From Dorcel

Shalina Devine headlines the latest release from Dorcel, titled "Thr3e #7."

Chloe Amour Headlines 'Unfaithful Betrayal 3' From Bellesa Films

Chloe Amour toplines the third volume of “Unfaithful Betrayal” from Bellesa Films.

ProDx Health Introduces 'Power Femme' Test

ProDx Health has introduced its new Power Femme Home Collection Kit.

Show More