Striptease Exercise too Sexy for Tennessee

From gun stores to smoke shops to adult video stores, city governments have banned certain types of stores ever since someone first realized that this stuff sells. Based on moral grounds or to “protect the children,” some of these laws are there for a good reason, and have helped to “clean up” neighborhoods that were going downhill.

However, some cities take these laws too far. One of the best examples of this is in Bartlett, Tenn., where the city won’t allow an exercise studio to open because code enforcement says it’s an “adult business.”

Eccentric Studio planned to offer "Strip to Fit” classes, which use stripper poles and striptease dancing techniques. But the city of Bartlett did not approve of the studio, and issued a stop work order on the business.

Studio owner Rachael Vint rightly says that her facility is not a sexually oriented business. No men would be allowed, and women would remain clothed at all times.

Striptease exercises classes are growing in popularity across the U.S., and anyone who is unsure about what it is can surely find this type of class in a near-by fitness center or on DVD. The powers that be in Bartlett took their “moral ground” too far, and are hurting Bartlett citizens by denying them what could be a successful business — both financially and in the way it could help women get fit.

When Vint tried to explain her business to the city, mayor Keith MacDonald told her that it would take a court order for her to be able to open.

This whole thing seems like a joke to me. I don’t know anything about Bartlett, but I’m sure its citizens wouldn’t object to a small fitness studio opening — even one that offers a new type of exercise that includes stripping-type moves. Heck, many traditional group exercise classes could be thought of as provocative! (In fact, in some places, they are.)

So, as the common argument goes, where will this stop? Will the city of Bartlett outlaw all fitness centers that have “suggestive” classes? Will children be barred from fitness facilities? Bartlett leaders need to get off their “moral” high horse and allow its women the option of getting a great workout — even one that involves holding onto a pole.