Topless dancers in Alabama aren’t really topless. Dancers are spraying themselves with skin-colored latex, and in doing so, redefining the legal limits of nakedness.
Alabama has strict law regulating exotic dancers, and any skin that would normally be covered by a modest bikini must be swathed in an opaque covering. But the law doesn’t specify what kind of material must be used. So, based on most legal interpretations, a nylon swimsuit and spray-on latex are virtually the same.
The state, which already was defending against a lawsuit filed by strip clubs challenging the law, says it reluctantly went along with the clubs rather than having a federal judge follow through on his threat to throw out the entire statue as unconstitutional.
Fred Patterson, who works on the Birmingham’s vice and narcotics squad, said some clubs were covering dancers with latex long before the agreement was filed.
"You can get it that matches your skin color," said Patterson. "The only thing I hear from the girls is that it can be kind of irritating."
Via WTOP radio
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