Feminist strippers

A feminist stripper is a professional exotic dancer who does not conform to the stereotypes associated with exotic dancers, and instead identifies positively with the identity of stripper. Feminist strippers are sex-positive feminists who view their profession as a choice and a career field. Feminist strippers interact with their profession in a positive manner and view it as a female centric form of power. They receive this sense of power by asserting their autonomy and by making informed decisions in regard to the regulation of their bodies.

The autonomy used by feminist strippers is seen through their ability to choose who they perform for, when they will perform, and how long it will last. They chose which types of performances they will perform. According to Meyer's "since one must exercise control over one's life to be autonomous, autonomy is something that a person accomplishes, not something that happens to persons. But freedom is precisely a combination of self-creation and what happens to you”. There is liberation in the free expression of their sexuality. Becoming a stripper can give a "curious kind of control over those who watched".Roberta Perkin's work with sex workers [location] showed that sex workers "exerted a significant amount of control over their working lives, felt empowered by their work and most were not arrested or subjected to violence."

Feminist strippers find benefits from their work, including but not limited to, the ability to create their own hours, and work on a pay scale that is a direct reflection of their skills and talents. Feminist strippers receive a sense of empowerment from performing for an audience on stage. Feminist strippers exercise their freedom of sexuality, that is their freedom to choose how to use their bodies in interaction with their environment, through their performances, and this freedom contributes to a feeling of power and control. The amount of pay received can place strippers in an economic position of superiority over women in other occupations.

Being a stripper subjects these women to criticism from many sides. They are commonly perceived negatively by society and by working in their field are subjected to surveillance, arrest, detention, forced venereal disease testing, extortion, violence and rejection from family and friends. The type of work and the place of work can hamper or make impossible negotiation of workplace benefits such as sick leave, disability leave, or pension plans.

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