Why a Teen Stripper Is Suing Florida

19-year-old says she and others unfairly lost their jobs due to new law on adult venues
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 5, 2024 2:44 AM CDT
Updated Jul 7, 2024 11:00 AM CDT
Stripper, 19, Sues Florida Over New Law on Adult Venues
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers questions from the media, March 7, 2023, at the state Capitol in Tallahassee.   (AP Photo/Phil Sears, File)

As of Monday, adult entertainment businesses in Florida are not allowed to employ anyone under the age of 21, thanks to a law intended to fight human trafficking signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May. As a result, nude dancers like Serenity Michelle Bushey, who is 19, lost their jobs. Bushey is now suing, arguing the law infringes on her constitutional right to free speech, NBC News reports. Strip clubs and a lingerie store also joined her lawsuit, USA Today reports; the lingerie store argues it's unfair for it to be subjected to the new law despite not offering any live entertainment or nudity.

Bushey says the law violates her right to perform her art as well as earn a living, and the plaintiffs say there is no link between their establishments and human trafficking. They also say it's unfair to bar legal adults who are not yet 21 from any and all jobs at adult establishments, even those that do not involve nudity. The new law also does not include any sort of "grandfather clause" for those who were already employed at adult venues. "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," the suit says. (More Florida stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X