A Jacksonville sex store and strip club are among several plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed against Florida state officials after a new law went into effect this week, News4JAX sister station WKMG in Orlando reported.
HB 7063 is aimed at cracking down on human trafficking efforts in the state, requiring certain treatment centers and massage parlors to post phone numbers for the Florida Human Trafficking Hotline.
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But the law also sets age limits for those working in an “adult entertainment establishment,” such as strip clubs, adult bookstores and sex shops.
Per this law, no one under the age of 21 is allowed to work in these venues — a rule that prompted the lawsuit, according to court records filed on Monday.
The four parties that are bringing the lawsuit are as follows:
- Sinsations — Strip club in Jacksonville
- Exotic Fantasies — Sex shop in Jacksonville
- Café Risque — Strip club in Micanopy
- Serenity Bushey, 19 — Stripper at Café Risque
According to the lawsuit, Bushey lost her job at Café Risque thanks to HB 7063, along with eight other adult performers who were under 21 years old.
“Bushey has been a professional entertainer who regularly performed at Cafe Risque,” the lawsuit reads. “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.”
In addition, the lawsuit states that Sinsations is already engaged in a federal suit against the city of Jacksonville over a similar ordinance that was passed back in 2020.
The plaintiffs claim that hiring adult performers who are under 21 years old can help these sorts of businesses cater to younger adult audiences, increase the supply of available performers, and promote performances of “particularly skilled” performers with a devoted fanbase.
Alongside those arguments, the lawsuit says that these types of performances are an expression of First Amendment rights.
“Plaintiffs maintain that the human body is a thing of beauty, which, when combined with music and rhythmic motion in the form of dance, conveys an important message of eroticism. Plaintiffs believe that providing this form of expressive communication to the public is a beneficial social activity which enhances individuals’ conscious ability to assimilate and consider various issues involving sexual candor and the interest in human sexuality that all human beings have to a greater or lesser degree.
Plaintiffs further believe that this expression enhances the appreciation of the human body, with an emphasis on the consideration of popular contemporary concepts of physical attractiveness and the stimulating and entertaining aspects of same, which are clear characteristics of a normal and healthy interest in human sexuality.”
Aside from strippers, these businesses have also hired adult workers under 21 years old in the past for many other positions, including clerks, cooks, waitresses, barbacks, DJs and security, the lawsuit shows.
Thanks to HB 7063, the lawsuit says that the three businesses are no longer able to employ these workers, either.
The lawsuit argues that HB 7063 is overly broad in its application, unconstitutionally vague, and violates the plaintiffs’ First Amendment protections.
As a result, the plaintiffs are seeking to overturn that law, as well as recover costs associated with the lawsuit.
The full lawsuit has been attached to this story and can be read by scrolling down to the media viewer below.