Banning stripclubs might not be a feminist win

Iceland became the first country to shut down their sex industry, banning prostitution last year, and now, stripclubs. Guardian's Julie Bindel hails Iceland as "the world's most feminist country" as a result:

Iceland is fast becoming a world-leader in feminism. A country with a tiny population of 320,000, it is on the brink of achieving what many considered to be impossible: closing down its sex industry.

Even more impressive: the Nordic state is the first country in the world to ban stripping and lapdancing for feminist, rather than religious, reasons.

The news is a real boost to feminists around the world, showing us that when an entire country unites behind an idea anything can happen.

I'm not so sure it is such a big win for feminism. I think it is symbolic, and a legislative accomplishment that should not be diminished by the high representation rates of females lawmakers, along with a lesbian Prime Minister, but I think symbolic wins are no more useful to feminists than real strides made to close the gaps between men and women. It is a well-intentioned message, but it might be one with real economic consequences for women who choose to strip.

Jill Filipovic chimes in, expressing this far better than I can:

It seems less immediately problematic than outlawing paying for sex, primarily because prostitution bans drive sex work underground and put sex workers at risk.

But: Stripping, for better or worse, is one of the better-paid jobs that low-skilled (and hey, sometimes high-skilled) female workers can get. And no, it’s not a sustainable career, and it’s a job that traffics in discrimination — it’s primarily for the young, the thin, the able-bodied, etc, and once you don’t fit into that framework it’s no longer an option. But it does offer paid work that can be significantly less unpleasant than a lot of other jobs.

I’d be willing to bet that most strippers strip because it pays pretty well. Removing that option, even if it does send A Message, doesn’t seem like a great victory to me. Because, sure, dudes will be sad that they don’t get to male bond over seeing naked ladies anymore. But the ladies will be the ones who are dead broke because of it.

And before my feminist (and non-feminist) friends bite down, I'll just clarify my stand: I disapprove of discriminatory practices, and one that discriminate based on station, sex or sexual orientation disgusts me. But I will defend the rights of those who choose to take this job. It is their right, no matter how much we turn up our noses at it.

Tracy Clark-Flory is right when she wrote:

It may not be a religiously motivated move, but it sure is a dogmatic one.

(h/t: Andrew Sullivan)