Although the city of Seattle passed its first regulations on teen dance events in 1967, enforcement was minimal. In 1985, the city’s Teen Dance Ordinance tried to severely tighten up regulations on youth dance clubs and musical events, citing drug use, sexual abuse, and underage drinking. This led to several decades of protest. Opponents pointed to the effect this had on the local music industry, and several groups, including the Youth Defense Campaign, organized to try to repeal these and other laws affecting youth.

This 1987 Youth Defense Campaign handbill invites youth to rally outside Seattle’s Municipal Building to hand Seattle City Council members a petition protesting the Teen Dance Ordinance.

Caption information source: “Beyond sock hops: all-night dance-clubs attract teen-agers inside and trouble outside”, by Patrick MacDonald, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 21, 1985, page L1.
Caption information source: Teen Dance Ordinance, Seattle Municipal Archives. https://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/exhibits-and-education/seattle-voices/teen-dance-ordinance