The Rabbit Hole

Occupational requirements

The Ottawa Citizen

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Sometimes, discrimination based on age or race, gender or religion is perfectly acceptable. A church can demand that its ministers be believers, because that’s a fundamental part of the job. A director can turn away white actors who want to play Othello.

Physical appearance is relevant to some jobs, but not others. It would be unjust to fire a teacher or a pilot because of the size of her breasts or the length of her hair. But what about an exotic dancer?

It’s an unusual job, in that the appearance of the dancer is at least as important as any of her skills. It’s true that women of all shapes, sizes and ages can be sexy. But the owners of strip clubs have to cater to their audiences.

Kim Ouwroulis is a 44-year-old exotic dancer in Toronto. She says she was fired because of her age, and is taking a complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.

The tribunal shouldn’t waste its time trying to determine whether Ms. Ouwroulis is still sexy. That’s a matter of taste, and her employer’s taste is as valid, and subjective, as anyone else’s.

It’s too bad that our culture tends to use a narrow definition of what makes a woman sexy, but a strip club is in the business of selling fantasy, not changing culture.

Ms. Ouwroulis herself has been quoted saying she still looks the part: “The boobs and the blond hair, usually you can’t go wrong in a strip club with those two things.”

If (as she implies) the club would be justified in turning her away based on her figure and the colour of her hair, it’s probably within its rights to turn her away on any other aspect of her appearance.
© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

Occupational Requirements – Standardized Form
1. Sometimes discrimination based on age or race, gender or religion is perfectly acceptable.
2. The appearance of an exotic dancer is at least as important as any of her skills.
3. Women of all shapes and sizes can be sexy.
4. The owners of strip clubs have to cater to their audiences.
5. Kim Ouwroulis is a 44-year old exotic dancer who was fired because of her age, and is taking a complaint to the human rights tribunal of Ontario.
6. ‘Sexiness’ is a matter of taste.
8. Culture tends to use a narrow definition of what makes a woman sexy.
Thus…
7. Her employers taste is valid.
9. A strip club is in the business of selling fantasy, not changing culture.
Therefore…
10. If the club would be justified in turning her away based on her figure and the colour of her hair, it’s within its rights to turn her away on any other aspect of her appearance.