A 19-year-old nude dancer has filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida, arguing that a new law restricting the age limit for employment in adult entertainment businesses violates her constitutional rights, particularly her freedom of speech under the First Amendment.
Serenity Michelle Bushey, represented by two adult entertainment businesses including the corporation that owns Café Risqué where she worked, filed the lawsuit on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. The legal challenge targets HB 7063, signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in May, which went into effect recently.
The law, aimed at combatting human trafficking, prohibits the employment of individuals under the age of 21 in adult entertainment venues without any grandfather clause. As a result, Bushey and at least eight other performers aged 18 to 20 have been terminated from their positions at Café Risqué.
The lawsuit contends that HB 7063 restricts Bushey’s ability to perform her art and earn a living, arguing that the state failed to consider less burdensome alternatives that would still achieve its objectives without infringing on constitutional rights.
According to the lawsuit, the law categorizes businesses like Exotic Fantasies, which sells adult products but does not feature live entertainment, under the same restrictions. Despite operating as a “percentage store” with only a small portion of its inventory categorized as sexually oriented, Exotic Fantasies is subject to the same regulations as venues where live nudity occurs.
Kylie Mason, communications director for the state attorney general, indicated that the office plans to defend the law, although specific comments were not available due to the holiday.
The lawsuit marks a legal challenge against HB 7063, questioning its constitutionality and its impact on free speech rights in the context of adult entertainment employment.
NBCnews
