Stripping vs. pole fitness

With the recent drama surrounding the breast cancer charity turning down a donation from the American Pole Fitness Association, it brings up the difference between stripping and pole fitness.  Or the lack thereof.  Depending on who you ask, of course.

I've heard both sides, and I get it for the most part.  Pole fitness girls (and boys) want to be taken "seriously" so they try to distance themselves from the "dark and dirty" strippers.  Strippers are offended because they're busting their ass on the pole too.  I can't speak for anyone else, so let me give you my opinion.  I know I've vaguely touched on this before but I want to write more specifically about it. 

I don't hate on strippers.  One blogger put it beautifully...(paraphrasing here, and probably badly at this point, since its been so long since I read the quote)...there are a million ways to get into shape so if you're doing this for fitness, you have to ask yourself why you chose to wrap yourself around a pole. 

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Side note:  That "quote" is from The Pole Story...GREAT BLOG...and she talks a lot about this subject:

http://polestory.blogspot.com/2010/01/sensual-sexual-side-of-pole.html

http://polestory.blogspot.com/2010/01/pole-dancers-guide-to-anti-poler-part-1.html

http://polestory.blogspot.com/2010/02/pole-dancers-guide-to-anti-poler-part-2.html

Heather also touched upon this subject before:

http://thatshowipole.blogspot.com/2010/01/sadly-stigma-remains.html

Jennifer from PoleSkivvies too!

http://poleskivvies.com/2009/05/strippers-and-pole-dancing/

And Yannori from Express the Sensual:

http://www.expressthesensual.com/2010/02/24/pole-dancing-isnt-just-about-the-tricks/

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But I digress...

I understand that the general population thinks stripping is essentially the same as prostitution.  And I get that some strippers get into prostitution, but I don't think they all do.  In fact, I know not all do.

I think some women consider stripping an empowerment thing.  They are controlling what the men see and touch.  Others consider that selling your body, even if you aren't having sex with anyone.  To each his own.

I know that in my own class, I am learning to be fit and I am learning to be sexy (and more comfortable with myself -- and with my body and how it looks right now, not 10 pounds or 50 pounds lighter than it is right now).  So, for me to look down on stripping and call myself only a pole fitness enthusiast would be almost disrespectful to the roots of my sport.  I have said on many occasions that if I had a better body and a little more rhythm, I wouldn't be opposed to making some money as a stripper!

I imagine it can be easy to get sucked into drugs or prostitution, making more and more money, etc.  But that is a whole other subject.

So anyway, at the end of the day, I don't care if pole fitness was born from stripping.  It is what it is.  I enjoy what I do, and I can't change history.  If you haven't tried it, before you judge, get on a pole for just one class.  Then come tell me that you don't have just a tiny bit more respect for a stripper who can work the pole!