ABSTRACT

Conflict over sex districts crystallized in American cities during the post-war era, and since this time cities have struggled with policies designed to concentrate and disperse sexual commerce. The drivers of conflict operated at both the individual club level and within the larger policy realm, and included actions by individuals, groups and organizations. Conflict basically occurred when clubs were perceived to disrupt the socio-spatial order of the local neighborhood by their mere existence, visual appearance, or how staff and customers interacted with other users of the area. The owner of Diamond Dust described to address these neighborhood amenity issues and how neighbors expressed fears in the wake of the opening of the club: Oregons liquor licensing policies also contributed to conflict over strip clubs. These findings about conflict and coexistence across spatial scales, taken with other research, suggest that different types of sexually oriented businesses may affect their surroundings differently.