Joe Redner, 1940 – 2026

Strip-club owner and political gadfly Joe Redner, 86, died on Oct. 16. Redner was called “The Father of the Nude Lap Dance” (take that, “Father of Our Country” George Washington!), running the Tampa-based Mons Venus club from 1982 till he sold it last year. Redner began running “go-go clubs” in the 1970s, before hitting the big time with Mons Venus. He was constantly fighting off efforts to close him down; he also ran for office seven times, and campaigned for gay rights (though he himself was straight) and marijuana legalization (he needed it after a bout with cancer). “I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m on the side of right,” Redner said. “And I’m comfortable with myself. Is there true freedom in this country when we can’t do what we want even when it doesn’t hurt anybody? What’s the American flag all about?” Tampa City Council Chairman Alan Clendenin wrote, “Joe Redner was a Tampa original, a successful entrepreneur, a defender of individual liberties, and a man who was never afraid to stand up for what he believed was right. His willingness to challenge government, advocate for equality, and defend our constitutional freedoms made him a towering figure in Tampa’s history.”