A Judge Rules San Diego Strip Clubs Can Stay Open Amid Covid Shutdowns
Source - Two San Diego strip clubs can remain open and make their own determinations about providing a safe environment for dancers and patrons during the pandemic, a judge ruled Wednesday, dealing a setback to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s health order that calls for such establishments to be shuttered.
The scope of San Diego Superior Court Judge Joel Wohlfeil’s preliminary injunction appeared to extend far beyond the two clubs that sued the state to potentially all of the thousands of restaurants in San Diego County, the state’s second-largest county after Los Angeles.
Wohlfiel said it applies to “San Diego County businesses with restaurant services,” including the strip clubs, and that it exempts them from shutdowns and “any related orders” that bar live adult entertainment and go beyond protocols “that are no greater than essential” to controlling the spread of COVID-19.
The judge noted that Pacers International Showgirls and Cheetahs Gentlemen’s Club operated for five weeks during the pandemic under their own safety measures, which included keeping strippers 15 feet (4.6 meters) from tables, allowing no more than one stripper per stage and requiring them and other employees to wear masks. ...
Advertisement
Steve Hoffman, an attorney for Cheetahs, said ...“Cheetahs and Pacers will continue to operate in a manner that takes all appropriate and essential measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while at the same time providing a means for their staff to earn a livelihood."
Bravo, San Diego Superior Court Judge Joel Wohlfeil. It's refreshing to hear some rational thought being expressed in the kingdom of insanity that is California. It's encouraging to know that some leader out there is looking out for the Little Guy in a state where the governor and mayor of San Francisco go out to a $15,000 French dinners without masks, the mayor of San Jose violates his own rules at Thanksgiving and a dozen officials decide to hold a week-long health seminar in Maui while warning everybody else against out of state travel. Not to mention the restaurant owner who had her small outdoor patio shut down by the mayor of Los Angeles,only to see him approve a catering area five times the size in the very same parking lot to feed the crew of NBC's "Good Girls."
Finally, someone out on the West Coast seems to be looking out for the needs of Joe Sixpack and Mary Sexworker.
I'm all about being safe. I abide by the all the rules of my own state, however overreaching and draconian Maskachusetts is being in all this. But you can't tell me that major retailers, supermarkets and home improvement warehouse stores can obey rules that somehow the good people of Pacers International Showgirls and Cheetah's Gentleman's Club cannot. If the CDC says we need to wear masks and stay six feet away from each other, what's the possible harm in someone wearing a mask and staying 15 feet away from an exotic dancer?
If there was some evidence of dancers spreading the 'Vid to customers and vice versa, fine. Let's talk about it. I'm sure they've already eliminated table dances and lap dances. But if there's a verifiable problem, perhaps we need to hit the pause button on the strip club industry. But where's the data on that? Are we following the science or are we just choosing winners and losers in our economy? Worse, are we shutting down nudie bars for the sake of appearance?
Sure, I can already hear people arguing that tittay clubs are not essential. Not to you perhaps. And definitely not to me. But to those young ladies with bills to pay? The bartenders and bouncers and the poor guy who mops up the place for minimum wage? To their sad, loner clientele? The industry is important to them. We can't just tell the employees to just go get jobs teaching at Cal Tech or become Hollywood moguls. Nor can we expect their customers to just suddenly stop being desperate, awkward degenerates and go meet a nice woman. Besides, if TV has taught me anything, big city detectives can't solve a crime until they've walked into one of these establishments and ask the employees if they've heard anything. Times are tough enough in California without increasing unemployment, depression and the crime rate.
So on behalf of America, thanks to Judge Wohlfeil. Or should I say, future Supreme Court Justice Wohlfeil.