Pole Dancing Instructor Challenges Studio Ban with ACLU’s Help
The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania has filed a First Amendment lawsuit on behalf of a suburban Pittsburgh pole dancing instructor who was denied an occupancy permit for her new studio.
Adams Township, Pa., classifies Stephanie Babines’ proposed dance studio as an adult business that cannot be located within 1,000 feet of a bar or a residential area, the New York Times reports. She had planned to locate next to a bar and grill in a shopping area about 25 miles north of Pittsburgh.
There would be no nudity and no spectators, Babines told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “This is about bringing out the power that women have,” she said. “That comes out of being more confident and more sexy.”
She also teaches classes on striptease, hoop aerobics, power lap dance, belly and salsa dancing, Stiletto Strut and SeXXXercise, described as an abdomen and core workout. Her website says her dance lessons are “for fitness, fun or just to feel sexy.” Babines says she went from a size 14 or a 16 to a 4 or a 6 after she started dancing. Her day job is in information technology.
“Why is the ACLU here?” asked the Pennsylvania ACLU’s legal director, Witold Walczak. “The simple reason is this involves teaching, and that is expression protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution,” he told the Times.
