Cheerleaders Strip Club say they deserve access to federal COVID funds, lawsuit – By Ryan Deto (Pittsburgh City Paper) / May 21 2023
Pittsburgh strip club Cheerleaders and several other strip clubs across the country recently filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Small Business Administration in a Pennsylvania federal court, claiming the federal agency is freezing them out of COVID-19 relief funding for bars and restaurants.
In the suit, seven companies who own a total of eight strip clubs throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina, and California argue that the Small Business Administration rules unfairly denied them access to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund because these strip clubs were classified as “prurient,” or arousing too much sexual desire.
“The SBA determines whether a business presents live performances of a prurient sexual nature without having ever visited the establishments or having viewed the live performances at the establishment,” reads the complaint. “Plaintiffs do not present live performances of a prurient sexual nature on their premises. All of the performances on plaintiffs’ premises appeal to normal, healthy, sexual desires.”
