Please, vote NO on proposed ordinance 17-59 classifying male or female impersonators as "adult cabaret."
This ordinance likely violates the First Amendment by restricting artistic expression. It may run afoul of equal protection by the way in which it regulates gender. And it is an unnecessary restriction on business, inhibiting the ability of promoters and performers to earn a living. That may not be your intention, but it is important to look at the effects as well as the intention of the proposed ordinance.
The ordinance draws Portland into unnecessary legal battles and embroils the city in controversy.
For all these reasons, I urge you to reconsider your action and abandon this ordinance. Thank you for considering my views.
