Some interesting news out of Salem, where a judge ruled Friday that lap dances are protected speech under the Oregon Constitution. The case revolves around Cheetah’s. Despite spending a fair amount of time in our state’s capital, I’ve yet to set foot inside Cheetah’s. And I’m not likely to either.
Most clubs in Oregon prefer to stay relatively nondescript within their neighborhoods. They don’t draw too much attention to themselves. Oh sure, there are plenty of “girls, girls, girls” signs around, but thats about it. Cheetah’s, however, prefers to send girls out on the street to hold signs and otherwise beckon customers. Not unlike the girls you might see in downtown Vegas. While this might fly on Fremont Street, it ain’t gonna work in Salem. And I can’t support a business that’s going to go out of its way to upset the neighbors.
So good for Judge Norblad for allowing the humble lap dance to continue. Here’s hoping Cheetah’s can take advantage of this decision and clean up their act.