City council has been asked to loosen its strict no-touch bylaw in Toronto strip clubs, allowing for “innocuous” contact such as a handshake, but the industry’s national advocacy body wants the laws scaled back even further.

“They haven’t listened to us properly. What they’re supposed to be prohibiting is sexual contact,” said Tim Lambrinos, executive director of the Adult Entertainment Association of Canada.

“The recommendation still says a dancer can’t sit (on a patron’s lap). People are sitting on legs and laps at weddings. It’s not considered an indecent act.”

Following a seven-month review of Toronto’s strip club regulations, city staff is recommending that a bylaw that currently forbids all physical contact to be changed to prevent dancers from sitting, touching or resting on patrons, or from making any physical contact “with breasts, buttocks, genital, pubic, anal and perineal areas of a patron.”

Staff say the proposed change maintains the intent of the original regulation but allows for benign contact. The licensing and standards committee will review the findings Friday.

In preparing their report, city staff consulted with adult entertainers, club owners and the Adult Entertainment Association of Canada.

Dancers told staff the current no-contact rule — which carries a $250 fine for violators — is unrealistic and can actually make it more intimidating to file a complaint.

Of those surveyed, 92 per cent said the current no-touch provisions do not prevent unwanted touching.

Mississauga is the only major Ontario municipality that spells out specific off-limits areas — breasts, buttocks, genital or pubic areas — while allowing for some touching. London, Ottawa, Windsor and Hamilton all operate with strict no-touch rules.

The report also recommends that private rooms and booths must have an open side, or that the walls may not be higher than 4 feet, which Lambrinos said is standard in Toronto clubs anyway.

Lambrinos’ major concern with the report is that staff ignored the industry’s request to end the licensing requirement for dancers. The AEAC pitched a one-year pilot program whereby entertainers would merely register with the city, providing proof of age, ability to work and a criminal background check.

Lambrinos said dancers are uneasy about the licensing requirement, because it requires them to officially register with the government as an adult entertainer. He said dancers have reported instances to the AEAC of border officials quizzing them about their exotic jobs.

There is no evidence or suggestion the City of Toronto has handed over private information.

Committee chair Cesar Palacio said he supports the recommendations.

“I don’t think there’s any evidence that the licensing system will have any negative impact on the entertainers at all … but jurisdictions without the licensing system have higher instances of human trafficking,” he said.

Dozens of dancers’ comments on the issue were included in the report. In general, the entertainers interviewed appeared to be in favour of the current system.

“It’s best if the city control this to keep prostitutes out of the club,” one said.

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“The AEAC is not a union and does not speak for all industry stakeholders. Licensing provides me with safety and security of knowing the other women I am working with are legal to work in Canada and not convicted,” said another.

“Licensing requirement doesn’t make any sense … it’s for the city to make money, no other reason,” said another comment.