Stripper’s demand backed

A BEHAVIOURAL expert has backed a stripper’s call to ban touching in the city’s men’s clubs to protect the dancers’ safety.

Keep them to yourself: Stripper “Cherry” refuses to work in Cairns strip clubs which allow patrons to touch the dancers.

Cherry, 27, said she was disgusted and appalled on her return to Cairns to find both the city’s clubs allowed punters to grope the dancers above the waist.

She said there was enough stigma attached to being a dancer without the public thinking she allowed men to touch her breasts.

Addiction Help Agency director Margaret Renfrey, who is a behavioural and mental health professional, said the touching rules allowed punters to get too close, taking the performance to a whole different level.

“Touching a person’s body breaks down a psychological and physical boundary.

“Once you touch someone, that barrier is broken,’’ Ms Renfrey said.

She suggested the rules also allowed men to get too aroused.

“It’s about the safety of the strippers.

“If someone is so highly aroused, where do they take it when they leave?”

While Queensland legislation allows touching of the body, but not the genitals, in strip clubs, Cherry said the clubs should show more respect for professionals.

“I’ve been doing this for 10 years. But this takes the power away from the girls.’’

Covergirls and Toybox both feature touching and non-touching dancers.

Cherry walked off the job after one night at Toybox and wants dancers to know they can perform in cities like Townsville or Mackay without the threat of being touched.