The city of North Miami Beach has long turned a blind eye toward a law prohibiting bars with fully nude performers from serving alcohol. In this now-bygone era, female titty bars Deanâs Gold and G5ive lived harmoniously alongside male ding-dong-danglinâ joint Swinging Richards.
It was Swinging Richardsâ bursting (literally) onto the scene in November 2011âreplacing a female strip club with one catering to the male homosexual crowdâthat caused city officials to start cracking down and following the letter of the law, reports the Miami New Times.
And Swinging Richards isnât taking this one lying down (these puns are too easy, I apologize). Theyâre suing the city bastards for discriminating against gays who have a healthy appreciation for all parts of the male body.
Writes the New Times:
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Last week, the owner of Swinging Richards sued the city in federal court alleging that North Miami Beach officials are discriminating against the club because of its name and because it features all-nude male dancers. City Attorney Darcee Siegel notified Swinging Richards that the city would begin enforcing its law banning booze sales at fully nude strip clubs on May 16.
Councilwoman Barbara Kramer says she couldnât comment specifically on Swinging Richards, but she believes the city should also apply the law to Deanâs Gold and G5ive, the two strip clubs featuring nude female dancersâŠ
According to Swinging Richardsâ lawsuit, the city grandfathered the clubâs predecessor âMiami Goldâ and the other adult entertainment venues when the law banning liquor sales and nudity in the same place was enacted in 1989. Five years later, the city amended the law to include other prohibitions, but again the three strip clubs were protected, the complaint argues. But when the new ownerâwho owns a male strip club also called Swinging Richards in Atlantaâbought the space and changed the name, city officials have been trying to find any way to shut it down.
Guess weâll have to make a quick trip to Miami before Swinging Richards (which looks superhot in the ad above) closes at the end of May.
Is there a way for the North Miami Beach officials to back down in their quest to disenfranchise a gay strip club? The whole adult erotic entertainment industry in the area might crumble now that itâs getting press attention.
Alternatively, can this joint survive without the booze? Probably notâthatâs where the money is. The eye candy is just a mere draw, and doesnât provide much in the way of revenue. Plus, musclebound models writhing on poles probably cost a lot more than cute bartenders.
andy
Its Florida!!!! WHAT DO YOU ALL EXPECT????
Hyhybt
Is shutting down entirely really a better option than thongs? (I know it ruins the name, but still.)
J Stratford
Thongs? Pfft.
red_headed_stepchild
Also of interest: When the location housed a club featuring female strippers, it was known for consistent police activity- guns, fights, etc. The city never tried to crack down on the club then. Since the male strippers arrived catering to a gay male client base, no more fights, no more guns, no more cops.
The city of North Miami Beach is apparently more threatened by a penis than they are by an unlicensed handgun. If given the option of which I’d rather see pointed in my face, I’m gonna have to go with the penis.
jason
This double standard is interesting. You thus have a scenario where officials turn a blind eye to naked women but crack down hard on naked men. It’s also an example of how women exploit double standards in order to get preferential treatment over men.
Hyhybt
@J Stratford: Take your pick of coverings, whatever the legal minimum is.
stevoj
lol i’ve been to Richards in Atlanta and it was the first time i’d ever been to a strip club of ANY persuasion. little did i know they operate on a three song rotation
first song, clothes. second song, underwear, third song… *crosses my legs for the next 3.5 minutes*
Matt
We will not be closing in May. We have the best attorneys in Flordia. The city let females dance nude for 22 years before we came along. We’ve also have been threatened by the city with promise of a fine if we flew the gay flag on our building. Stating that it’s not a government issued flag and that its a form of advertising. This city has gay issues.
Matt Colunga
General Manager
Swinging Richards
DrewSF
Strip clubs are boring and most strippers both men and women are drug addicted prostitutes.
Matt
@DrewSF: Apparently you’ve never come to Richards
red_headed_stepchild
@DrewSF : Okay, the first part of your comment is an opinion, which you’re entitled to, but the second part is an aggressive blanket stereotype that does nothing to advance the conversation.
Or, to put it another way: Dude. What the hell?
It's true
DrewSF is correct most strippers both male and female are into sex for pay and do or have used hard drugs.
red_headed_stepchild
Wow- I really didn’t expect to be speaking out on behalf of exotic dancers today, but I guess it’s my little Thursday surprise. This “most strippers” generalization is really working my nerves. You don’t KNOW “most strippers,” because that would be an impossibility. You’re basing it either on your own limited experience (either as a stripper, or as a patron, I don’t know your life), or on multiple viewings of “Showgirls,” or that story you heard from that guy that time.
The fact is, you can’t support your claim. And it’s as infuriating as when people say “Most gay men are promiscuous,” “Most lesbians hate men,” or “Most black gays are on the DL.” It perpetuates a stereotype, reveals your own prejudice, and is the exact reason uninformed people discriminate against businesses like these which harm no one.
Think. Then speak. In that order.
B
Re No 13 – just to add some data, once while chatting with some random person, he mentioned that he worked at a strip club, adding something like “someone’s got to do it.” He also said he had a boyfriend. Don’t think he was a prostitute. Actually, he seemed like a genuinely nice person.
Flex
Ok I have been to alot of strip clubs and Swinging Richards is one of the most classy male strip clubs I have been in. and to the person who said that all strippers are strung out. Plz take a logic class that way you can present your argument better without sounding totally silly!!!
Desi
To DREWSF comment. Fuck u dude. I go to school full time and have asecond job and do NOT do drugs.
john
@ Drew… at swinging richards we are the one club male or female where you can see that our entertainers are athletes and scholars.. not drug addicts.. i am a dancer(straight man) of seven yrs in the gay community and currently at this facility.. if it wasnt for places like this i wouldnt have been able to get as far a long in my schooling as i have and recently just got accepted into UT Southwestern… a medical school which my GF aslo attends… who is a female stripper and one of the sweetest girls in the world.. we dont sell sex
.. we sell tentalation..their is plenty of websites for prostitution…but for your opinion to matter someonr who have to value you as a person.. and based on this blog clearly no one respects any of your credentials..
come to swinging richards!!
john
@ drew… your pernicious attacks at the adult entertainment industry makes you soun fridgd remedial and fridgid…. big words from a drug addict strripper huh? lol you might wanna wikkipedia that sh!it genius
john
typo from phone grammatically but hey your a smart guy, so you can figure it out đ
Mykelb
Put the dancers behind the bar to serve in microscopic jocks.
Shey
Hello, I found your site online and I’m interested in buying a small text ad and we want the link to be inside the tag.. If you are not interested in selling, then maybe we can work out an exchange from one of our other related sites. Thanks in advance and look forward to hearing back.
Mike Morgan
Cooter power I say. Long live the cooter!
Dave
Anytime a neighborhood goes gay the property values sky rocket and no one complains. Gay owned businesses and resteraunts are usually always sucessfull. They write the movies, books, child stories, art, music, acting and pretty much anything we all come to love and enjoy. I was in total shock the first month swingin richards opened with parking lot packed all the way where people had to park on greynolds park. I think its just jealousy that the city officials and business owners were so infuriated that they were so madly sucessfull. I have not seen that kind of sucess for a business in over 30 years. Miami prime down the street bankrupt, deans gold flandering, beach cabaret closed, mario the baker north miami closed but moved, bermuda niteclub closed, waterfront club where duffies is now bankrupt, duffies soon to follow etc etc. Who cares? if they pay there taxes and people are making money in this economy whats the problem. 25 years ago crazy horse GAY REVUE was just down the street for years and no problems. I guess its the nudity. oh well I always said why can women get totally nude spread there holliness and not a prob? homophobes is the answer. STRAIGHT MALE.