| UNFAIR PARK | Dancers at clubs like Tiger Cabaret could see a big loss in income if Dallas’ ordinance limiting hours holds up. Mike Brooks Dallas’ move to cut hours for strip clubs and others spells hard times for their workers. BY JACOB VAUGHN AND SIMONE CARTER SKIN IN THE GAME I n the end, Dallas’ latest move to regulate strip clubs, adult arcades and sex-toy shops wound up where similar efforts have gone before: in federal court, with the owners of sexually oriented businesses suing the city, claiming their rights have been violated by a law that singles them out for marketing sex. That always seemed the likely outcome despite the efforts of dozens of people who gathered outside City Hall early last week to protest a proposal to require SOBs to close between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. Some protesters worked for places like Tiger Cabaret and XTC. Others had come out to support them. “Crime knows no time,” they chanted, holding up placards that said slashing the hours was an “attack on women.” But the Dallas Police Department and several members of the Dallas City Council had been pushing for new hours of operation. The police told the council that cutting the businesses’ hours would reduce crime, and nearby homeowners complained their neighborhoods were suffering, so the SOBs never stood much of a chance politically. The council unanimously approved the new restrictions just hours later. Ahead of the meeting, the protesters made their way through a security screening to get inside City Hall. Officers at the security screening at one point said there wasn’t any more room in the council chambers for everyone waiting to get in. Some were directed to a small auditorium in the building where they could watch a live video of the meeting. There were 50 registered speakers. Those who spoke in favor of the change said it could reduce violent crime in the city and help law enforcement better use its resources. Opponents, some who work at the businesses, expressed doubt that cutting hours would lower crime, but they’re certain it will slash profits for owners and cut jobs and wages for the people they employ, people like Avi Colunga. Colunga was home and had just finished feeding her infant last November when she saw the “horrify[ing]” news. Since 2018, Colunga, 25, has worked at XTC Cabaret in Dallas as an entertainer. Before that, she had bartended. Scrolling through Instagram with her daughter in her lap, Colunga came across an article about a proposed Dallas ordinance that could upend her life. Early mornings after other bars close are peak hours for an industry fueled by night owls. Soon, Colunga reposted the piece and sent it to a couple dancer friends, who seemed in disbelief that the city was considering the measure. Many Dallas dancers are also young mothers, she said, and some attend school during the day. Others work nights to make a living as they attempt to get their own businesses off the ground. Colunga said she might have to go back to bartending. She’s also spent some time working for Amazon, but those hours are long, draining and hard to keep up. Aside from having more freedom, Colunga also makes more dancing than she does in an hourly job. She can work three nights and spend the remainder of the week caring for her daughter, who’s around 8 months old. She feared the ordinance’s passage would cause her work hours to be slashed. “I feel like we have a right to work at night; it shouldn’t be taken away from us,” Colunga said. “We are just working,” she added. “That’s all we’re trying to do, is make a living and work.” Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia and some City Council members have argued that the proposed ordinance would work to combat crime, but Colunga doesn’t buy that. When revelers come to XTC or the other SOBs, they can get “wild and crazy” in a fairly controlled environment, she said. Shuttering clubs for those hours won’t necessarily cure late-night disturbances. Rather, she suspects, it’ll just push them further out into adjacent areas, such as quiet neighborhoods. Most of XTC’s clientele arrive after they’ve already spent a night out at other places, Colunga said. Sure, there might be an occasional fight between club-goers — a couple punches thrown or a shouting match outside — but after that, everyone just goes home. Still, SOBs earn a bad name for >> p4 33 dallasobserver.comdallasobserver.com | CONTENTS | UNFAIR PARK | SCHUTZE | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | MOVIES | DISH | MUSIC | CLASSIFIED | CLASSIFIED | MUSIC | DISH | CULTURE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS DALLAS OBSERVER DALLAS OBSERVER MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2014 FEBRUARY 3–9, 2022
