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ACLU urges Council to stand firm on ABC Bill 01/16/01 GLAA to Council and Mayor: Don't Give In to Puritanical Hysteria (The Washington Post) 01/13/01 Rosendall to Council: Hold the line on ABC Bill 01/10/01 Barrett Brick responds to The Washington Post on ABC bill 01/09/01 Washington Post editorial: Veto the ABC Bill 01/09/01 Terrance Lynch: Green Light For a Red-Light Zone (The Washington Post) 01/07/01 Colbert I. King: Watch Out for Scores (The Washington Post) 01/06/01 Affiliate of Famed N.Y. Strip Club Planned Downtown (The Washington Post) 01/06/01 GLAA to Council: Oppose last-minute changes to ABC Bill 12/18/00 GLAA fights Brazil amendment against nude dancing establishments 12/05/00 GLAA defends nude dancing establishments 10/20/00 |
Brick responds to Current on nude dancing
via email to current@erols.com
Wednesday, January 17, 2001, Page 8
Letter to the Editor:
Naysayers shouldn't block nude dancing
It is disappointing to see that The Current has joined the chorus of hysteria urging Mayor Williams to veto the Alcoholic Beverage Control reform bill. The Curren'ts sole objection to this comprehensive and carefully crafted bill is that it permits bars that wish to offer nude dancing in the downtown business district the opportunity to seek licenses on a case-by-case basis.
The Current complains, in the face of evidence to the contrary, that "respectable merchants will not want to locate their stores nearby." A simple walk along Connecticut Avenue or M Street or other downtown locations demonstrates that this is simply not so. Existing strip bars and "gentlemen's clubs" have not had a single negative effect on these neighborhoods.
The Current makes mention of the removal of the sex trade from the "Block" on east Baltimore Street in Baltimore. The bill as passed contains numerous new restrictions on nude dance clubs alone that are designed to ensure that a "Block" will not develop in downtown D.C. The council members who voted for this measure clearly understood that any particular establishment that may be shown to cause problems, or that has a demonstrated potential for doing so, can be dealt with individually, as is currently the case for all Alcoholic Beverage Control-licensed establishments, without prohibiting an entire category of licensure.
The Current may consider bars that offer nude dancing as entertainment not to be "respectable," and it is The Current's prerogative to do so. Those who don't choose to go to bars offering nude dancing need not patronize them. But in a free society, it is not the prerogative of those who disapprove of a particular form of entertainment to foist their dislikes upon the rest of the city.
Barrett L. Brick
Adams Morgan