Strippers & The CCV: Which is Witch?
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Categories: Civil Liberties/Privacy, Consumer and Worker Protection, Corporate Accountability / Workers' Rights, Economic Fairness and Security, Election Reform, Civil Rights and Equality, Peace and Armed Conflict, Social Justice, Religion, Arts and Culture, Criminal Justice Reform, Faith and Religion, Women's Issues, Workers' Rights
Categories: Civil Liberties/Privacy, Consumer and Worker Protection, Corporate Accountability / Workers' Rights, Economic Fairness and Security, Election Reform, Civil Rights and Equality, Peace and Armed Conflict, Social Justice, Religion, Arts and Culture, Criminal Justice Reform, Faith and Religion, Women's Issues, Workers' Rights
The CCV's 'Community Defense Act' was passed this year. It is a law that prohibits touching within strip clubs.
Most people are inclined to indignantly respond: "So? There shouldn't be any touching in strip clubs! We all know what goes on in THOSE places!"
Hmmm. Really? Are you aware that the law punishes women for a handshake? Yes! It's true. A woman working in a club can conceivably go to jail for 30 days over a handshake. Is this the way we want to run our great state? Do we really want to take tax revenue away from our schools and law enforcement so we can make sure adults aren't shaking hands in a strip club? And I have a question: Who is going to enforce this law? Are we going to take officers off the streets so they can sit inside clubs to make sure a woman behaves the way the CCV thinks she should behave?
The CCV claims the law isn't designed to punish a woman or patron at an adult club...Oh, contraire! They know perfectly well that the law does indeed exercise a 'morality police provision' and for them to publicly claim otherwise is un-Christian-like conduct that violates the commandment of "Thou shalt not lie".
This law is designed to regulate adult entertainment into near extinction: no tipping, hours of operation restrictions etc. The bill was being carried to politicians the way a proud parent might take a newborn to the office. The Citizens for Community Values (CCV) showed up every where to coo over the bill and encouraged politicians to hold it close. If an Ohio politician didn't want to smile at the bill, some CCV members decided that these representatives might need "prayer warriors" shadowing them at public events to change their attitude. The CCV got their swadled passage of the law because they scared the hell into Ohio politicians with the threat that they'd run campaign ads for opponents or declare a politician: soft on pornography.
The CCV publicly claimed the usual--that our industry is responsible for every social ill that plagues this potentially great state--everything from blighted property to gambling, drug use, prostitution and affiliation with organized crime. Almost every politician was willing to jump into this tired foxhole of falseness and it got so crowded in there that the Buckeye Association of Club Executives (BACE) felt out gunned.
BACE and their lobbyists have battled the Goliath that is the CCV daily.
We have been engaged against the CCV for seven years over this stupid law, which by the way, was already passed last year as House Bill 23, a little fact the CCV keeps neglecting to mention to the public.
Two years ago, a reporter for one of the largest newspapers in Ohio wrote an objective feature piece about this yearly struggle and cited adult businesses economic impact on a state that sits 49th out of 50th in job growth and boasted an indicted governor as well as some pay to play politicians. The CCV President wasn't happy with this reporter.
It is alleged that she was reduced to tears by CCV President Phil Burress and the newspaper was threatened with a lawsuit for her stories, that he claimed tried to discredit the CCV.
Here are some of the positives about adult entertainment in Ohio that the CCV didn't want Ohioans to hear:
Ohio clubs generate over $250 million dollars into the Ohio economy. The average income of an Ohio dancer is approximately $44,000.00 per year which is above the national average of $38,000.
Ohio adult clubs create almost 20,000 jobs above minimum wage. 12,000 jobs are directly linked to adult clubs while the rest are comprised of attendant jobs such as accounting, babysitting, laundry services, distributors, delivery drivers, florists etc.
The state of Ohio directly receives over $50 million in liquor sales tax revenue per year from adult clubs.
Ohio clubs launched a nonpartisan voter registration drive in 2004 that registered almost 25,000 new voters. Perhaps that is what REALLY scares the CCV...the fact that we might be a threat to that important swing state vote, which would mean a serious loss of influence and power for their agenda...and Phil's almost $200,000 yearly income...and his property holdings in Hawaii and Florida...oh, and the incomes of both his wife and kids who also get paid by the CCV...its a family business.
Some senators began to question the need for the Community Defense Act because Ohio already has over 70 laws on its books that can be used to regulate adult entertainment. The CCV didn't appreciate a politician exercising circumspection. It might be dangerous. They expected politicians to simply take their word for it…or else!
One asked, "Could it be possible that adult entertainment is so popular because it might appeal to a healthy interest in normal adult recreation rather than an addiction to obscenity?"
Another senator defended the legislation based on all the studies he received from the CCV until Dr. Daniel Linz testified that most of those studies were unscientific and not peer reviewed. "I see," he would later comment. "It's like a doctor using someone else's X-ray to diagnose your own health," he shared with a colleague.
The publisher of the Cleveland Plain Dealer did not appreciate a fine reporter being threatened for doing her job. The paper wrote an OP ED piece that encouraged politicians to study exotic dance mores and customs on their own clock rather than the taxpayer's dime. And the Senate President seemed to agree a couple of years ago. Why the change of heart?
About one year ago, Senate leader Bill Harris stripped HB 23 from the Judiciary Committee and put it in his rules committee angering Christian activists, especially Phil Burress who argued the controls would curb crime and urban blight. During an intensive lobbying battle over the bill, Burress vowed in an e-mail to supporters to run ads and launch primary challenges against Republicans who voted to squash his "baby".
Harris said, "…I'm very possessive, being the president of the Senate, of my members," And when I feel my members are in the position of being challenged inappropriately, I want to make sure I stand up for them." He also claimed that he and at least two other senators were threatened by the CCV.
An angry Burress declined to comment on Harris' actions - accusing BACE lobbyist Neil Clark of sabotaging HB 23 and conspiring with the Plain Dealer reporter.
What did Clark do? He filed a complaint against Burress and the CCV with the Ohio Elections Commission and the Legislative Inspector General. Then a former Cincinnati mayor and a gay rights group followed his lead and filed a separate suit alleging that the CCV illegally concealed campaign contributions.
"We believe Cincinnatians and Ohioans deserve to know the truth about who is paying millions of dollars for ads to sway their votes," said Gary Wright, chairman of Equality Cincinnati and one of the parties filing the complaint. Ken Blackwell's office found no wrongdoing. Perhpas that's because many of the CCV supporters were also supporting him in office...seems like a serious conflict of interest to me.
Burress, one of the named defendants, said the complaint was baseless and politically motivated. The complaint says that of the $2.4 million raised and spent by the campaigns last year, only about $13,000 came from named donors. The rest came from nonprofit groups such as Citizens for Community Values. Nonprofits are allowed to give money to campaigns as long as they follow IRS guidelines. But those who sought to donate money on the Ohio Committee to Protect Marriage campaign Web site were directed to the site for the nonprofit Citizens for Community Values, the complaint said.
Burress quickly filed the paperwork to become a registered lobbyist who also happens to hold office over a very large tax-exempt nonprofit organization. He's banking that he'll win this referendum because it is a show he can carry on the road to a state near you...and I suspect it could be a great revenue stream for his pockets...
The battle will no doubt continue to rage in Ohio as the pulpit becomes the seat of politics here. What a shame. I certainly didn't want to be here. I think the whole fiasco is an insult to the people of Ohio and the adult entertainment industry is the target being used by the CCV because they beleieve Ohioans will buy it.
I smell a rat being covered by a ruse...Burress can't even decide exactly how he became addicted to porn. Over the years he has publicly told three or four different stories about how this "addiction" came to fruition. He also says that he is the proof of the harm a lady like me can do to him. Hmmm...if that is the case then perhaps we should close up all the bars and nightclubs because some people are alcoholics. Perhaps we should lock up all the pharmacies because some people become addicted to prescription drugs.
And my research showed that he had his divorce records sealed in Brown County...now that doesn't bother me so much in terms of his right to privacy, but what does bother me is that he wanted them sealed not because he was cheating on his wife with his current wife while in Christian marriage counseling...but because he wanted the records sealed with regard to CCV finances and expenses! Why?
Do we need the government to intervene in matters of personal taste that is safe, legal and consensual between adults? Whatever happened to the idea of personal responsibility?
I'm not opposed to regulation of this industry. I am opposed to unfair regulation that is being touted before Ohioans as a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. And let's say it does exist...then why in the world haven't the clubs committing all these supposed crimes been closed up under the 70 laws already written on Ohio's books to regulate them?
Like I said, I smell a rat...what we need is a return to some sensible government that seeks solutions to real problems like teacher salaries, unemployment, health care benefits, school funding, higher education and job growth.
I'm not here to change your mind about this industry or force you to see my point of view...In fact, I appreciate the feedback whether positive or negative from Ohioans because I might be missing something.
Most people are inclined to indignantly respond: "So? There shouldn't be any touching in strip clubs! We all know what goes on in THOSE places!"
Hmmm. Really? Are you aware that the law punishes women for a handshake? Yes! It's true. A woman working in a club can conceivably go to jail for 30 days over a handshake. Is this the way we want to run our great state? Do we really want to take tax revenue away from our schools and law enforcement so we can make sure adults aren't shaking hands in a strip club? And I have a question: Who is going to enforce this law? Are we going to take officers off the streets so they can sit inside clubs to make sure a woman behaves the way the CCV thinks she should behave?
The CCV claims the law isn't designed to punish a woman or patron at an adult club...Oh, contraire! They know perfectly well that the law does indeed exercise a 'morality police provision' and for them to publicly claim otherwise is un-Christian-like conduct that violates the commandment of "Thou shalt not lie".
This law is designed to regulate adult entertainment into near extinction: no tipping, hours of operation restrictions etc. The bill was being carried to politicians the way a proud parent might take a newborn to the office. The Citizens for Community Values (CCV) showed up every where to coo over the bill and encouraged politicians to hold it close. If an Ohio politician didn't want to smile at the bill, some CCV members decided that these representatives might need "prayer warriors" shadowing them at public events to change their attitude. The CCV got their swadled passage of the law because they scared the hell into Ohio politicians with the threat that they'd run campaign ads for opponents or declare a politician: soft on pornography.
The CCV publicly claimed the usual--that our industry is responsible for every social ill that plagues this potentially great state--everything from blighted property to gambling, drug use, prostitution and affiliation with organized crime. Almost every politician was willing to jump into this tired foxhole of falseness and it got so crowded in there that the Buckeye Association of Club Executives (BACE) felt out gunned.
BACE and their lobbyists have battled the Goliath that is the CCV daily.
We have been engaged against the CCV for seven years over this stupid law, which by the way, was already passed last year as House Bill 23, a little fact the CCV keeps neglecting to mention to the public.
Two years ago, a reporter for one of the largest newspapers in Ohio wrote an objective feature piece about this yearly struggle and cited adult businesses economic impact on a state that sits 49th out of 50th in job growth and boasted an indicted governor as well as some pay to play politicians. The CCV President wasn't happy with this reporter.
It is alleged that she was reduced to tears by CCV President Phil Burress and the newspaper was threatened with a lawsuit for her stories, that he claimed tried to discredit the CCV.
Here are some of the positives about adult entertainment in Ohio that the CCV didn't want Ohioans to hear:
Ohio clubs generate over $250 million dollars into the Ohio economy. The average income of an Ohio dancer is approximately $44,000.00 per year which is above the national average of $38,000.
Ohio adult clubs create almost 20,000 jobs above minimum wage. 12,000 jobs are directly linked to adult clubs while the rest are comprised of attendant jobs such as accounting, babysitting, laundry services, distributors, delivery drivers, florists etc.
The state of Ohio directly receives over $50 million in liquor sales tax revenue per year from adult clubs.
Ohio clubs launched a nonpartisan voter registration drive in 2004 that registered almost 25,000 new voters. Perhaps that is what REALLY scares the CCV...the fact that we might be a threat to that important swing state vote, which would mean a serious loss of influence and power for their agenda...and Phil's almost $200,000 yearly income...and his property holdings in Hawaii and Florida...oh, and the incomes of both his wife and kids who also get paid by the CCV...its a family business.
Some senators began to question the need for the Community Defense Act because Ohio already has over 70 laws on its books that can be used to regulate adult entertainment. The CCV didn't appreciate a politician exercising circumspection. It might be dangerous. They expected politicians to simply take their word for it…or else!
One asked, "Could it be possible that adult entertainment is so popular because it might appeal to a healthy interest in normal adult recreation rather than an addiction to obscenity?"
Another senator defended the legislation based on all the studies he received from the CCV until Dr. Daniel Linz testified that most of those studies were unscientific and not peer reviewed. "I see," he would later comment. "It's like a doctor using someone else's X-ray to diagnose your own health," he shared with a colleague.
The publisher of the Cleveland Plain Dealer did not appreciate a fine reporter being threatened for doing her job. The paper wrote an OP ED piece that encouraged politicians to study exotic dance mores and customs on their own clock rather than the taxpayer's dime. And the Senate President seemed to agree a couple of years ago. Why the change of heart?
About one year ago, Senate leader Bill Harris stripped HB 23 from the Judiciary Committee and put it in his rules committee angering Christian activists, especially Phil Burress who argued the controls would curb crime and urban blight. During an intensive lobbying battle over the bill, Burress vowed in an e-mail to supporters to run ads and launch primary challenges against Republicans who voted to squash his "baby".
Harris said, "…I'm very possessive, being the president of the Senate, of my members," And when I feel my members are in the position of being challenged inappropriately, I want to make sure I stand up for them." He also claimed that he and at least two other senators were threatened by the CCV.
An angry Burress declined to comment on Harris' actions - accusing BACE lobbyist Neil Clark of sabotaging HB 23 and conspiring with the Plain Dealer reporter.
What did Clark do? He filed a complaint against Burress and the CCV with the Ohio Elections Commission and the Legislative Inspector General. Then a former Cincinnati mayor and a gay rights group followed his lead and filed a separate suit alleging that the CCV illegally concealed campaign contributions.
"We believe Cincinnatians and Ohioans deserve to know the truth about who is paying millions of dollars for ads to sway their votes," said Gary Wright, chairman of Equality Cincinnati and one of the parties filing the complaint. Ken Blackwell's office found no wrongdoing. Perhpas that's because many of the CCV supporters were also supporting him in office...seems like a serious conflict of interest to me.
Burress, one of the named defendants, said the complaint was baseless and politically motivated. The complaint says that of the $2.4 million raised and spent by the campaigns last year, only about $13,000 came from named donors. The rest came from nonprofit groups such as Citizens for Community Values. Nonprofits are allowed to give money to campaigns as long as they follow IRS guidelines. But those who sought to donate money on the Ohio Committee to Protect Marriage campaign Web site were directed to the site for the nonprofit Citizens for Community Values, the complaint said.
Burress quickly filed the paperwork to become a registered lobbyist who also happens to hold office over a very large tax-exempt nonprofit organization. He's banking that he'll win this referendum because it is a show he can carry on the road to a state near you...and I suspect it could be a great revenue stream for his pockets...
The battle will no doubt continue to rage in Ohio as the pulpit becomes the seat of politics here. What a shame. I certainly didn't want to be here. I think the whole fiasco is an insult to the people of Ohio and the adult entertainment industry is the target being used by the CCV because they beleieve Ohioans will buy it.
I smell a rat being covered by a ruse...Burress can't even decide exactly how he became addicted to porn. Over the years he has publicly told three or four different stories about how this "addiction" came to fruition. He also says that he is the proof of the harm a lady like me can do to him. Hmmm...if that is the case then perhaps we should close up all the bars and nightclubs because some people are alcoholics. Perhaps we should lock up all the pharmacies because some people become addicted to prescription drugs.
And my research showed that he had his divorce records sealed in Brown County...now that doesn't bother me so much in terms of his right to privacy, but what does bother me is that he wanted them sealed not because he was cheating on his wife with his current wife while in Christian marriage counseling...but because he wanted the records sealed with regard to CCV finances and expenses! Why?
Do we need the government to intervene in matters of personal taste that is safe, legal and consensual between adults? Whatever happened to the idea of personal responsibility?
I'm not opposed to regulation of this industry. I am opposed to unfair regulation that is being touted before Ohioans as a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. And let's say it does exist...then why in the world haven't the clubs committing all these supposed crimes been closed up under the 70 laws already written on Ohio's books to regulate them?
Like I said, I smell a rat...what we need is a return to some sensible government that seeks solutions to real problems like teacher salaries, unemployment, health care benefits, school funding, higher education and job growth.
I'm not here to change your mind about this industry or force you to see my point of view...In fact, I appreciate the feedback whether positive or negative from Ohioans because I might be missing something.
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Thank you Angelina for providing such a thorough and complete background and history surrounding CCV and Phil Burress as well as the considerable negative economic impact upon the State of Ohio if this band of morality police is allowed to prevail in this matter.
I learned a lot from your post.
We need to Stop Phil Burress and CCV Now or else they will continue to bully our legislators into other similar decisions that in the bigger picture hurt Ohio.
This is the American Taliban in action.
That being the case, if one really wanted to support strip club owners, it would be best to advise them to cut their losses and give up this legal fight.
Why the "Peace and Armed Conflict" label, Angelina? You're scaring me.
As for peace and armed conflict, I am allegorically referring to being "intellectually armed" enough to find true solutions to pressing problems in the hope it will lead to "socioeconomic peace of mind."
As for telling club owners to give up the fight because they have no chance of winning based on previous votes to ban smoking or gambling...that certainly would be a slam dunk capitulation for the CCV...It makes me wonder: Would you tell our troops to lay down their weapons in the face of the enemy in Iraq based on what happened with the Vietnam War?
The gay marriage ban was fear-inspired. I'm a hopeful Ohioan who thinks this Issue 1 will go down in flames.
Vote NOOOOOO on Issue 1.
Tell the pro-big government social conservatives to mind their own business.
For all the problems in the country/state (including a war, in case anyone forgot) the government should not be wasting taxpayer dollars and time to legislate morality.
I would rather have cops on the street fighting CRIME then sitting in clubs making sure two consenting adults don't brush against one another.
If Dancers for Democracy can frame the debate as "taxpayers' money will be funneled into strip club oversight rather than neighborhood crime patrols or better law enforcement training," I think Ohioans will vote in favor of the dancers. Strip clubs don't affect the daily life of an average Ohioan, but law enforcement does.
I don't worry about the people who step inside of strip clubs as they are consenting adults who CHOSE to do so. Government funding seems to be stretched thinner and thinner these days which makes me worried about issues that don't involve moral judgment, like first responders and police protection.
I especially love your line about the real problems this state is presently facing. All the time and money that was put into passing this bill rather than fighting to improve such things as health care and unemployment (to name only a few of the issues) leads me to believe that someone has extremely confused priorities!
I often view adult entertainment as being on the front line for freedom. Why? We are usually an easy target during an election year for mediocre politicians looking for a fast ride into power and what begins here in terms of censorship inevitably continues into other forms of art, media, film, music, fashion, science and women's rights.
The last time I was in Columbus over this issue, I was accosted by a man claiming victory for the CCV.
After deriding me for my stance on this issue, he laughed and said, "If your issue could even get to the ballot, church people will come out in droves to vote and defeat you. Your problem is not the religious right. your problem is that most of the people you need to get up and vote are too dumb or lazy to do so. We'll win. Hands down."
Here's my prediction: If Ohio wins and this law is repealed, the CCV will claim it was because of a "deceptive campaign" by the California "sex businesses". If Ohio loses on this issue they will claim to the press that the people have spoken. They will claim in church that this was "God's will."
A victory for the CCV will infuse them to move onto to their next target, "gay adoption". In fact, if you visit their website: www.ccv.org you can conclude that they are opposed to gambling, adult entertainment, birth control, single parenthood, homosexuals, stem cell research, science, evolution, etc.
Oh, and if anyone in Ohio cares to look up the "Arlington Group" on google ( a club of social conservatives who meet regularly in D.C. to take meetings with this administration, you will discover that Phil Burress is a member). This group is comprised of approximately 2 dozen social conservative organizations.
I learned about this when I saw some small print in my research which said that "Colorado Family Values" gave the CCV $300,000 for their gay marriage amendment in Ohio.
It is my personal opinion that there is a major investigative Scoop here for any reporter who can dig deep enough...and that the adult industry is merely a vehicle being used to drive the general public away from a closer look at the CCV.
I read portions of your powerful legislative testimony at Progress Ohio. It's nice to hear more from you.
What's the status of the lawsuit? I hear CCV is suing your team and alleging that you all wanted to cause "confusion.'' I saw your website and their website. No confusion at all -- if one has a brain.
But here's my real question: Given all the pro-dancer editorials and PD columnist Thomas Suddes' decision to call CCV Citizens for Cult Values, does anyone really think you all would want to be confused with those censorship-promoting bigots?
Get real Mr. Burress. You're not in Cincinnati any more.
The only confusion in on your side of the fence.
169 Ohio clubs are listed on what appears to be a comprehensive website I found. (I won't name it because it's pornographic and appears to sell the names, addresses and "resumes" of girls who apply online for strip club jobs. This website is a stalker's paradise.)
Here's a breakdown of strip club locations by city:
Columbus -- 25
Cleveland -- 19 (more if you count Brookpark, etc)
Akron -- 17
Dayton -- 12
Cincinnati -- 2
According to your figures, the average Ohio strip club employs about 71 people -- an obvious exaggeration.
What you call "attendant" jobs such as babysitting and laundry services have nothing to do with the strip business. Kindergarten teachers spend money on these services too.
You've offerred no evidence that the strip club business will be creating any new jobs in the future. To say "Ohio adult clubs create almost 20,000 jobs above minimum wage" is ridiculous.
And here's another obvious exaggeration: The CCV is scoffing and telling the public that its ridiculous to think that women will be arrested and charged or fined for "incidental" touching like a handshake or a hug...when the law clearly states they can be.
And oh, contraire about the attendant jobs not being affected by this legislation...tell that to the beer distributors and the guys and gals delivering beer to our establishments...and tell it to the people babysitting the kids for the women who dance that they won't see less hours or less money...tell the cleaning companies for these establishments that they won't lose money because the hours to turn profit have been cut. tell the hair stylists and beauty spa owners that they won't be seeing the ladies as much, and therefore their appointment books and bank accounts will suffer as a result of this law...tell the landlords they won't be affected when the retail book operator or dancer or club operator can't pay the rent because patrons are terrified to visit the establishments under fear of being leveled with jail time over a handshake. tell the advertisers that they won't see a drop in revenue as a result of this oppressive law, Jane. tell the tax collectors and office workers in Ohio that they won't see a drop in tax revenue, which will inevitably result in a drop in services, law enforcement, education and jobs...
The adult entertainment industry provides thousands of jobs in Ohio...our former club alone employed, yes LEGALLY EMPLOYED over 150 wonderful ladies who made a conscious choice to work as an exotic dancer. Some clubs offer work to many more than ours and some clubs offer work to many less. when you average it all out across the state, you get thousands of jobs for floor men, security personnel, cleaning, house moms, dancers, inventory control specialists, bookkeepers, accountants, lawyers, bartenders, servers, cooks, chefs, hostesses, valets, restroom attendants, floral designers, managers, assistant managers, shift managers, DJ's, costume makers, seamtresses, make-up artists, hair stylists, lighting specialists, designers, advertising specialists, etc.
Now, PLEASE answer questions for me: let's say that the CCV is absolutely correct that these clubs need to be regulated in order to lower Ohio crime...why with this particular law? Why haven't the 70 plus other laws on Ohio's books been used to enforce such supposed magnets for crime? And How will this law be enforced?
Do Ohioans want to make more budget cuts on health and services and street police in order to allow our local law enforcement to spend time monitoring handshakes at adult clubs?
Think about the true intent of the law as it is written. Is it written to curb crime? or is it perhaps written to appease the egos and spiritual hypocrisy of a group wallowing in so much pomposity and righteous indignation that it would rather ignore the true needs of Ohioans? A true need in Ohio is job growth! We stand 49th out of 50th in job growth! Thank God for Michigan...
If you have no stake in this law it means you have no stake in Ohio for good government, job growth, education, free will or the proper expenditure of our tax dollars and the use of our law resources.
You seem like a sagacious individual who certainly has the abililty to be circumspect and questioning...THAT's GREAT! it tells me you're thinking and some of my most beneficial teachers have been worthy opponents...let me have it, Jane!
I'm not a patron of these strip clubs, but it seems obvious that CCV's ultimate aim is to impose their will and rules onto everybody else regardless of the consequences and turn Ohio into a police state. As a Christian and a human being, that is extremely offensive to me. If I were campaigning against them, I would go after what the group actually stands for and expose it for what it truly is.
Regular nightclubs and Victoria's Secret do not meet the legal definition of adult entertainment, according to Ohio attorneys I spoke with. Massage parlors and escort services are also not considered adult entertainment and are not afforded the same First Amendment protections granted to clubs and book stores. We have no escort services or massage parlors as members of ACE, BACE or Dancers for Democracy...as far as regulating massage parlors and escort services, i say let the laws on Ohio books and law enforcement do their jobs..
I spent numerous hours, voluntarily, collecting and gathering signatures....and myself and the people I worked with were meticulous in our efforts; we took extra strides to inform citizens to speak out and protect their first amendment rights before it is too late for their voice to actually be worth a damn.
I am very irate with this organization. All of Ohio's real problems....the homeless, the starving, the unemployed....real crimes like murder, kidnaping and rape....and all they care about is what I am doing between midnight and 6? If they succeed in their conquest, there is going to be some serious ramifications. Many lives disrupted. This bill is supposed to help our communities? All I see is a slower economy, mothers and fathers with smaller incomes and unemployment, not to mention college students.....this will be the beginning of an enormous snowball if we fail to stop it in its tracks.
Sexuality is a natural part of humanity and is used by some as an artistic form of expression. Sexuality should be respected and celebrated at the individual's discretion, and it is my right as a free American to do so. Because if it wasn't for sexuality, the human race would not have gotten passed Adam and Eve.