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19
19-Year-Old Exotic Dancer Fights Florida Law That Cost Her A Job In Adult Entertainment Industry
A 19-year-old exotic dancer and her beloved nightclub are taking a stand against a new law that puts a hard stop on anyone under 21 from working in the adult entertainment industry.
Serenity Michelle Bushey filed a lawsuit in a Florida federal court on Monday, July 1, asserting that she wrongfully lost her job at a Gainesville-area strip club after the Sunshine State’s new age restrictions for adult dancers took effect.
Highlights
- 19-year-old Serenity Michelle Bushey filed a lawsuit challenging the new Florida law stopping under-21s from adult entertainment work.
- The exotic dancer, previously employed at Café Risque, claimed the law violates her constitutional free speech rights.
- The new law is aimed at combating human trafficking in the Sunshine State.
- “This is not only taking jobs and livelihoods away from me and other women my age, but violating our constitutional right to free speech,” Serenity said.
The 19-year-old used to work for Café Risque, described as a “24/7 American Restaurant with Naked Entertainment” on Instagram.
RELATED:
Serenity Michelle Bushey used to work for Café Risque, but she lost her job after Florida’s new law took effect
Image credits: Serenity Bushey / Instagram
Located a few miles from Gainesville, the family-owned adult diner offers discounts to truck drivers and military veterans.
Despite not serving alcohol, it still falls under the new Florida regulation that targets adult entertainment businesses.
The law, aimed at combating human trafficking, also forbids adult entertainment businesses from employing individuals under the age of 21 in roles such as performers, cooks, DJs, waitstaff, security guards, and contractors. However, Serenity believes this law infringes on the U.S. Constitution.
The 19-year-old exotic dancer and the owners of Café Risque filed a lawsuit challenging the new law in a Florida federal court on Monday
Image credits: Café Risqué
The teenager—along with Café Risque’s owners and two other adult businesses in Jacksonville—filed a lawsuit challenging the new restrictions in federal court in Tallahassee on Monday.
“As with similar performers around the state, Bushey earned her living through her art while providing entertainment for the benefit and enjoyment of her audience,” read the lawsuit. “Plaintiffs have a clear legal right to engage in protected speech of this nature.”
“This is not only taking jobs and livelihoods away from me and other women my age, but violating our constitutional right to free speech,” said the young adult
View this post on Instagram
The 19-year-old stripper also said she believes the law is simply intended to increase votes for those enforcing the bill.
“I don’t think that the law that they passed is going to solve this issue at hand,” she said in a statement to the Daily Mail. “Instead this is more or so [sic] a political plot to get voters into the booths to vote for the candidates putting these laws in motion.”
“This is not only taking jobs and livelihoods away from me and other women my age, but violating our constitutional right to free speech,” she went on to say. “This law has no evidence behind it when it comes to the reason it was passed. There is no evidence that human trafficking is mainly targeted towards exotic dancers in the state of Florida.”
The new Florida law is aimed at combating human trafficking and protecting “the most vulnerable in our communities”
#BREAKING: Gov. Ron DeSantis signs legislation to crack down on human trafficking
The law raises the minimum age to work at establishments like strip clubs to 21
“This legislation will help better protect the most vulnerable […] We’re gonna continue to stand strong for those… pic.twitter.com/P7O3uGVyTE
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) May 13, 2024
The anti-human trafficking bill, which restricts anyone under 21 from working as a stripper or in other adult entertainment establishments, was signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in May.
“This legislation will help better protect the most vulnerable in our communities, it will ensure that if businesses are not complying with these very modest, reasonable requirements, whether knowingly or unknowingly, they will be held accountable,” the governor said at the time. “And of course, anybody actively involved in human trafficking will have the book thrown at them in the state of Florida.”
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What do you think ?
KillerKiwi 1 year ago
They’re adult dancers. She’s an adult. There’s not even any alcohol being served there, why was this law put into place?
Aline 1 year ago
DeSantis thinks she's too young for dance, but Matt Gaetz thinks she's too old to date. It's tough out there for Floridians.
ginshun 1 year ago (edited)
Old enough to go to war, old enough to take your clothes off in front of strangers. Make up your mind. Either somebody is an adult or not. I don't even care if it is 18 or 21, just pick one and go with it. The whole this age to go to war, that age to buy a gun, this age to buy alcohol, this age to by cigarettes, that age to open a bank account or take out a loan is BS.
David Beaulieu 1 year ago
When did republicans go from "more personal freedom, smaller government" into the Christian right party?
Sky Render 1 year ago
Right around the time that municipal voter support for Republicans started waning. More and more people started voting against the party that has historically worked to stymie progress and uphold systematic discrimination of minorities in the cities, so they took the platform that they knew had a wide reach: Christianity. Which is a real shame since they're actively violating separation of church and state all over the place, as well as violating the first amendment like it's going out of style.
Load More Replies... Aline 1 year ago
Florida is showing that the argument that women shouldn't have control over their own bodies has nothing to do with a fetus. There's no protecting a potential baby here, just telling an adult they can't dance for money because Ron Desantis knows better than her what course is best for her life.
Justin Smith 1 year ago
Problem is that it also stops men from working there if under 21.
Load More Replies...
Leah Brown 1 year ago
Alternate establishment names: "Ta-Tas and Tater Tots" "Supper and Skin" "Diner's Delight" "Beef and B00bies"
Apatheist Account2 1 year ago
Some people don't think 19 is an adult. Others think 16 is okay to vote and buy guns.
MP 1 year ago
It is kind of gross to think about literal teenagers who can’t even drink working in the sex industry. But when I was her age I was doing the same exact thing and it opened so many doors for me. So I don’t blame her for pushing back. She won’t win though. Might as well just work at a club that doesn’t check age, or go out of state.
Bec 1 year ago
An exotic dancer isn't really in what I would categorize as the 'sex industry'.
Load More Replies...
Lee Lee 1 year ago
This law seems kind of ridiculous but it's a violation her constitutional right to free speech? I thing we can safely assume she's not dancing to pay her way through law school.
Aline 1 year ago
Why would it matter why she does it? That's none of our business. To your point, I know a psychologist and a astronomer who financed college and grad school by stripping. They both graduated with no debt and some savings. I worked in publicly funded education and am still in debt. I wish I'd had the confidence to take the higher paying job to invest in my future.
Load More Replies... Pyla 1 year ago
More garbage content from Binitha Jacob. I am amazed she has the gall to put her face up on the articles she "writes"
Aline 1 year ago
This is an actual news story, I'd rather read this than 59 women who didn't think marriage meant commitment or 10 new products from apple that will surprise you.
Load More Replies... KillerKiwi 1 year ago
They’re adult dancers. She’s an adult. There’s not even any alcohol being served there, why was this law put into place?
Aline 1 year ago
DeSantis thinks she's too young for dance, but Matt Gaetz thinks she's too old to date. It's tough out there for Floridians.
ginshun 1 year ago (edited)
Old enough to go to war, old enough to take your clothes off in front of strangers. Make up your mind. Either somebody is an adult or not. I don't even care if it is 18 or 21, just pick one and go with it. The whole this age to go to war, that age to buy a gun, this age to buy alcohol, this age to by cigarettes, that age to open a bank account or take out a loan is BS.
David Beaulieu 1 year ago
When did republicans go from "more personal freedom, smaller government" into the Christian right party?
Sky Render 1 year ago
Right around the time that municipal voter support for Republicans started waning. More and more people started voting against the party that has historically worked to stymie progress and uphold systematic discrimination of minorities in the cities, so they took the platform that they knew had a wide reach: Christianity. Which is a real shame since they're actively violating separation of church and state all over the place, as well as violating the first amendment like it's going out of style.
Load More Replies... Aline 1 year ago
Florida is showing that the argument that women shouldn't have control over their own bodies has nothing to do with a fetus. There's no protecting a potential baby here, just telling an adult they can't dance for money because Ron Desantis knows better than her what course is best for her life.
Justin Smith 1 year ago
Problem is that it also stops men from working there if under 21.
Load More Replies... Leah Brown 1 year ago
Alternate establishment names: "Ta-Tas and Tater Tots" "Supper and Skin" "Diner's Delight" "Beef and B00bies"
Apatheist Account2 1 year ago
Some people don't think 19 is an adult. Others think 16 is okay to vote and buy guns.
MP 1 year ago
It is kind of gross to think about literal teenagers who can’t even drink working in the sex industry. But when I was her age I was doing the same exact thing and it opened so many doors for me. So I don’t blame her for pushing back. She won’t win though. Might as well just work at a club that doesn’t check age, or go out of state.
Bec 1 year ago
An exotic dancer isn't really in what I would categorize as the 'sex industry'.
Load More Replies... Lee Lee 1 year ago
This law seems kind of ridiculous but it's a violation her constitutional right to free speech? I thing we can safely assume she's not dancing to pay her way through law school.
Aline 1 year ago
Why would it matter why she does it? That's none of our business. To your point, I know a psychologist and a astronomer who financed college and grad school by stripping. They both graduated with no debt and some savings. I worked in publicly funded education and am still in debt. I wish I'd had the confidence to take the higher paying job to invest in my future.
Load More Replies... Pyla 1 year ago
More garbage content from Binitha Jacob. I am amazed she has the gall to put her face up on the articles she "writes"
Aline 1 year ago
This is an actual news story, I'd rather read this than 59 women who didn't think marriage meant commitment or 10 new products from apple that will surprise you.
Load More Replies... You May Like
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