Is lap dancing harmless fun that provides entertainment for men, as well as well-paid, self-empowering work for women? The lap-dancing industry has long argued that it offers an everyday service within free market guidelines, but in 2010 the UK government legislated that lap-dancing venues in the UK should be classified as "sex establishments."

So, are lap dancers sex workers rather than exotic dancers? What attracts so many women to work in that industry? Are women being sexually exploited and their bodies used as objects for male gratification?

Media depictions of lap dancers often...