St. Helena--Sin Parish

Hopefully this will offset the more serious posts below: I'm watching the rebroadcast of Channel 9's 6 o'clock news...checked the website, alas, no link (yet--I'll update if I find it).

The courts have ruled that you can't stop nude dancing in St. Helena Parish--you can only hope to contain it, I guess. Here's a link to an earlier court opinion regarding just what constitutes legal erotic dancing in St. Helena Parish. In summary:

St. Helenda Parish tried to redefine legal erotic dancing:

On August 28, 2001, the St. Helena Parish Police Jury reconvened and voted to adopt Ordinance Number 216 of 2001. The new ordinance included provisions, designated Section 14-43, to supercede the existing Section 14:16. Section 14:43 (a) prohibits the holder of a retail or wholesale dealer license from permitting "any nude or partially nude person" on the premises. The word "nude" is defined as "a person who is less than completely or opaquely covered such as to expose to view that person's genitals and/or pubic region, all of the buttocks area or the female breast area below a point immediately above the top of the areola."

The plantiffs, who own Oak Ridge Lounge (Hwy 16, Pine Grove, for those interested) have been in litigation over whether the above definition is overly restrictive, especially considering the amended ordinance replaced Parish Ordinance Section 14:16 which

permitted live entertainment which would include erotic female dancers on any licensed premises. However, the displaying of the pubic hair, anus, vulva, genitals or nipple of the female breast was prohibited. In addition, Section 14:16 requires that the dancers perform on a stage at least eighteen inches above the floor level and three feet from the patrons.

Well, I'm glad the parish set that straight. Imagine if this had been left to chance. Would there have been an outcry? People marching in the street, petitioning the Police Jury?

"What do we want?!"
"Definition of erotic dancing!"
"When do we want it?!"
"NOW!"

Additionally, Christy Barber (is that REALLY her name?), a dancer at Oak Ridge Lounge, joined the request for injunction because

[she] has worked for the Vaughns as an erotic dancer at the Lounge. She is not currently employed by the Lounge because she is pregnant. Once she delivers her baby and recovers sufficiently, however, Ms. Barber plans to return to work as an erotic dancer at the Lounge. She testified that she enjoys her job because she feels that erotic dancing is her form of art, and that erotic dancing is her way of expressing her innermost feelings and emotions. She does not believe that she can sufficiently convey her artistic message without displaying more of her body than Ordinance 216 will allow. She also depends on her well-paying job as a dancer at the Lounge for the support of herself, her three children and her fourth child that will soon be born.

Now, I'm not certain which court made the ruling, but it was clear that the plantiffs prevailed. So, here's to erotic dancing in St. Helena Parish, here's to you Christy, and your chosen form of expression, and here's to the court that made the ruling--Rock on, St. Helena! Between erotic dancing and video poker, I see great things in the future!