Rock Springs City officials recently threw a wet blanket over plans to hold a ladies night out featuring male dancers at Porky's Bar.
Ladies out drinking, watching male dancers and potentially making bad decisions don't necessarily violate any of the city's rules. The reason the city pooped the party has more to do with where the event was planned, not what was planned.
Billed as “Girls Night Out,” a San Francisco-based traveling troupe of male dancers featuring yoked dudes in various uniforms are performing in bars throughout the region. On their way to Denver, the company — called Eventbrite — reached out to Porky's owner Porky Jones to ask if he was interested.
Jones scheduled the event for Aug. 21, but soon found out that two city ordinances would not allow the show to go on.
‘Let The Girls Have A Little Fun’
Jones, who's owned Porky's for 24 years, got the news when a Rock Springs police officer stopped in the bar and let one of his bartenders know that if the event were to happen, the police would shut it down.
"I was just doing it for the fun of it," Jones told Cowboy State Daily. "I knew it wouldn't be a big money-maker. It was just to let the girls have a little fun on a Monday night."
He said he wasn't trying to start a fight with the city, and he understands why there are rules in place and why they need to be followed.
Location, Location, Location
Rock Springs City Attorney Richard Beckwith said city officials aren't being fun haters, but there are two ordinances the event would have violated.
First is a zoning ordinance stating sexually oriented businesses (SOBs) are only allowed in a specific zone. Rock Springs has three bars where topless women dance. The Bare Back Saloon, The Gentlemen's Club and the Astro Lounge are all located on Pilot Butte Avenue, which is zoned for that activity.
Porky's is located on Dewar Drive, which is near a residential area and isn’t, Beckwith said.
The second ordinance requires SOBs to be licensed with the city.
"Essentially, adult entertainment can only be provided in certain zones in Rock Springs," Beckwith said. "I think it's a possibility that we can amend the ordinance so they (Porky's) can hold adult entertainment shows."
Beckwith said Rock Springs Mayor Max Mickelson has directed him to look into the possibility of amending the ordinances to allow occasional events like this.
"It wasn't a matter of the city not liking the idea of male strippers, it was just in the wrong zone, basically," Beckwith said.
Jones said he's not out any money because of the cancellation, but the bar did sell numerous tickets and that money is being refunded. He said there's nothing nefarious about the Girls Night Out show and the men don't dance nude.
"I don't want to start a big fight," Jones said. "If those are the rules, I'll follow them. It's not a big deal."
