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Wednesday, 17th March 2010

VIDEO: Worthing lap dance club bid halted by protest

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Published Date: 27 March 2008
WORTHING'S self-appointed moral guardian Steve Stevens forced the council's licensing sub-committee to close its meeting to the public after shouting out from the public gallery this morning.
The 89-year-old war veteran submitted a 600 signature petition to the council against plans for erotic dancing at the Liquid Lounge in Chatsworth Road.

Click on the green play button to see video of campaigners protesting outside Worthing Town Hall and an interview with Mr Stevens after he was escorted from the meeting by two security guards.

The prospect of fully-nude men and women had helped fuel protests, but yesterday (Wednesday, March 26) the club's general manager James Lanz told the Herald: "One of the conditions we have agreed does state that genitalia will be covered at all times."

Conditions

Sussex Police withdrew its representation to the committee after the club agreed to several conditions.

• No audience participation, and no physical contact between customers and the dancer during or after the performance.

• No person under 18 be allowed on the premises while striptease/lap dancing is taking place, and clear warning notices be displayed at entrances.

• All dancers/performers must be aged at least 18 and legally entitled to work at the club.

• That performances of pole dancing/lap dancing end by 3.30am.

Those against

Objections to the application included a letter from Mark Weeden, pastor at The Worthing Tabernacle, in Chapel Road, who spoke at the meeting.

His written objection stated: "Married men stirred up in this way are more likely to batter their wives, push them to 'perform' as the strippers did, or to commit adultery.

"Allowing lap-dancing will mean an increase in prostitution, whether with the dancers themselves, or prostitutes in surrounding areas."

Mr Stevens started to call out his views after Mr Weeden spoke to the committee.

Click here to see the committee's decision.

What do you think?

Did Mr Stevens do the right thing?

Share your views, comment in the space below or email sarah.booker@worthingherald.co.uk.

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  • Last Updated: 28 March 2008 9:01 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Worthing
 
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Worthing's "think for yourself" guardian,

Worthing 27/03/2008 13:46:41
That was a fantastic video. I especially liked
Mark Wheeden's comment: "Married men stirred up in this way are more likely to batter their wives, push them to 'perform' as the strip^pers did, or to commit adultery."

I mean for crying out loud. How out of touch can you be?? That ranks up there with his insinuation that anyone who has porn etc is a paedophile/rapist/murderer!!!

Worthing does not need a "Moral Guardian"!!!

Ha ha ha, this story has made my day.
2

Tony S,

Worthing 27/03/2008 23:29:16
Dear "think for yourself" guadian
I have just watched a Panorama report on under age teenage girls being pimped by older men for sex with other men. I do not think anything which displays women as sex objects is a laughing matter. Please "think" again.
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Cherubman,

28/03/2008 12:47:26
Equating child prostitution with semi-naked dancing by trained, well-paid, willing adult performers is exactly the kind of innacurate, reactionary rhetoric we have come to expect from the moral mafia in this town. The dancing at the Liquid Lounge will not be to everyone's tastes, but people who don't fancy it have the right and choice not to go. Tony S's comments are symptomatic of the attitudes of moral bullies in dog collars who persist in trying to tell people what to think and do. And please remember that it will be displaying men as "sex objects" too, it's an important point that is being curiously ignored by the moral brigade, probably because it doesn't fit into their skewed crusade.
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I only speak the truth,

Worthing 28/03/2008 13:09:29
Dancer=prostitute? Are we still living in the 18th century?
It's not to my taste but if men and woman want to watch other men and women dancing, albeit with skimpy clothes on, then fair enough. However, prostitution it isn't. The moral panic brigade need to wake up and smell the coffee.
5

Neil S F,

Worthing 29/03/2008 08:31:28
Lap dancing fuels prostitution,sex abuse,hard core,people trafficking and more. Crime impact studies in america show when thay close down lap dancing clubs the sex crime rate goes down.
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I only speak the truth,

Worthing 29/03/2008 20:41:44
Maybe women should wear burquas because men just can't control themselves.
7

is_it_me,

somewhere_out_there 30/03/2008 14:52:04
Well this report and video has cheered me up no end for various reasons, among which includes:

1 - Steve Stevens showing himself up as the bigot he truly is – how dare he interrupt part of the democratic process with the intention of preventing freedom of speech of those taking part in this hearing? My father and grandfathers went to war to protect the right of free speech and democracy and not for bigots to be allowed to impose their views on the majority in the manner demonstrated by Mr Stevens.

2 – The woman in the video, on the demonstration, saying ‘I am here on behalf of women to say no to using US in such a way’ – believe me, madam, if you were to appear lap-dancing at the club I am sure there wouldn’t be any customers!

3 – All these ridiculous comments that such dancing will encourage rape just beggars’ belief – especially as they basically come from ‘sky-pixie worshippers’ that attend churches with a history of covering-up the abuse of children by their priests and vicars. Just what planet are these people on?

4 – What is likely to take place at this venue is very mild compared to what can be seen on certain satellite TV channels and websites, thus demonstrating the protesters are clearly totally out of touch with reality!

Still, I would like to thank them for making me laugh out loud.

Bless them. :-)
8

Teapots R Us,

worthing 30/03/2008 21:06:34
It's not a sky pixie up there. It's a celestial teapot. There are people out there who worship it.
9

TreeMan,

Worthing 01/04/2008 17:38:51
I can't understand how this club, which I believe will be open post 9pm will affect most of the people in this video. As a regular visitor to many of the bars in Worthing on a Friday and Saturday night I can't say I see many over 60s there so how can it possible affect them? I have also worked in Brighton, Reading and London as a barman at various venues and can honestly say I have never seen or heard of alcohol/drug fuelled rapes/sexual assaults by males on leaving these types of establishments? How out of touch can these people be. Lets see some hard facts that venues like the proposed can cause all these problems.

Also Mr Stevens states he was outside the bar / club at 4.15am "last night" which was a Wednesday night, but I am led to believe only part of the Lite Bar is open on a Wednesday night and that shuts at 2am, so quite how he can even BLAME the club for this is beyond me.

By all means have your own opinions but to inflict these on other people, especially when the matter does not directly target or affect you is beyond belief!
10

Sparkymarky,

Toronto 01/04/2008 17:45:32
If dancer = prostitute then catholic priest = paedophile. In the US it was reported that 100% of children not attending a catholic church did not get assaulted by a catholic priest. And perlease, I have seen the behaviour of women at hen parties!
It's all too much for me - off to join the pothead pixies.
P.S I bet Last Tango in Paris and The Exorcist are STILL banned in Worthing cinemas - thankyou the moral guardians of Worthing you saved my soul.
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