Joe Redner

Joseph R. "Joe" Redner (b. 1940 in New Jerseycitation |title=He's the ultimate outsider |first=Janet |last=Zink |date=March 25, 2007 |url=http://www.sptimes.com/2007/03/25/Hillsborough/He_s_the_ultimate_out.shtml |periodical=St. Petersburg Times |accessdate=2007-10-23] ) is the owner of the Mons Venus, a nude strip club in Tampa, Florida, and is known as the father of the nude lap dance. [cite web |title=Does nude-club king's cash come dressed like the rest? |url=http://www.cair-florida.org/ViewArticle.asp?Code=CM&ArticleID=533 |publisher=Council for American-Islamic Relations |accessdate=2006-11-12 ]

Redner has been engaged in legal battles with the Tampa City Council, which has tried to place restrictions on the strip club industry for 25 years. Mons Venus and Redner have filed suits that have reached the Supreme Court and have become case law in many court cases. Redner ran for County Commissioner as an independent in 2004. During that run Redner had a chair thrown at him on the Bleepin Truth LIVE in a debate with a republican pundit. The clip from the www.TheBleepinTruth.com was carried on 300 TV stations across the country, giving Redner a tremendous boost in name recognition in the process. Redner's website, The Voice of Freedom, was initially created to inform citizens of his ongoing legal battles with the government, but later expanded to cover other First Amendment issues. He is a host of a weekly, live call-in program of the same name on a local Tampa cable access channel.

In a federal lawsuit filed against Hillsborough County commissioners after they banned the county itself from recognizing gay pride displays, [citation |title=Hillsborough bans county from recognizing gay pride |date=June 16, 2006 |accessdate=2007-03-28 |url=http://www.sptimes.com/2005/06/16/Hillsborough/Hillsborough_bans_cou.shtml |periodical=St. Petersburg Times] Redner included the statement that he is gay.citation |title='Out-front' and now, openly, he's out |first=Jennifer |last=Liberto |first2=Justin |last2=George |periodical=St. Petersburg Times |url=http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/13/Tampabay/_Out_front__and_now__.shtml |date=December 13, 2005 |accessdate=2007-10-23] In an earlier version of the same suit Redner, did not mention his sexual orientation and had previously never mentioned it publicly. His fight against the ordinance has pitted him against local politician Ronda Storms on many occasions.

On March 6, 2007, Redner garnered the number two spot in a six-person race for Tampa City Council, District 1, and faced the incumbent chairperson in a runoff March 27, 2007. Joe Redner lost the election gaining only 44% of the vote. [cite web |url=http://www.sptimes.com/2007/03/28/Hillsborough/Miller_fights_back_ch.shtml |title=Miller fights back challenge by Redner |accessdate=2007-03-28 |date=March 28, 2007]

Redner has appeared on Live Prayer to debate his beliefs and defend his business. ["On my television program one night in May 2004, I deviated from my normal format which is to take live phone calls from viewers, giving them Biblical counsel for their problems and praying for them. I had as my guest Joe Redner, a Tampa businessman who is also the long-time owner of a famous strip club in Tampa. My purpose for having Joe on my program was to allow him to share his beliefs and why he feels owning and operating an adult establishment is acceptable. I am well aware that Joe has been debating this issue legally and morally for over 30 years and has his "talking points" down pat. I am also very aware that he views Christians as his enemy and the people who are "out to get him."" [http://www.liveprayer.com/ddarchive3.cfm?id=2198 Live Prayer Daily Devotional for June 1 2005] ; Accessed 08-23-2007]

References

External links

*MySpace|id=joeredner|user=Joe Redner
* [http://www.voiceoffreedom.com 'Voice of Freedom']