Sign outside Las Vegas club: ‘Now auditioning Ukrainian strippers’

LAS VEGAS (KVVU/Gray News) – A sign outside of a Las Vegas strip club is turning heads, but the club’s manager is standing behind it.

For at least two weeks, hundreds of thousands of drivers have passed by Little Darling’s sign that reads, “Now auditioning Ukrainian strippers” with the Ukrainian flag in the background. In smaller letters, the sign reads, “We stand with Ukraine.”

One of Little Darling’s managers, Pete Dottore, said the club hasn’t received much pushback from the sign – if anything, he said, the sign has caught the attention of three Ukrainian dancers. He even hired one of them.

“We’re standing by them, it’s not anything derogatory towards them, so we feel like if we can help out in any way, the best way we can do it is maybe help put someone to work,” Dottore said.

Mary Grace Yniguez, a Las Vegas business owner, said she understands what Little Darlings is doing but doesn’t agree with the execution.

“As a woman of color, like someone who’s Asian and as a woman – I think it hits me like, well why aren’t there other alternatives?” Yniguez said. “Why couldn’t we offer an executive position within Little Darlings, why couldn’t we offer her a management position?”

Yniguez owns Social Register Network, a business development service that aims to empower men and women in business. On the side, Yniguez and her best friend launched Powertribe Women, a group that meets once a month that creates a space of support.

“There are so many other alternatives to make money, to pay for your life and (dancing) isn’t the only alternative. And I think instilling confidence and empowering women that you can do more than that is of importance,” Yniguez said.

As for the sign, Dottore said he’s not sure how long it will stay up. He does not think it exploits Ukrainian refugee women.

“It’s a job – we don’t exploit women. If anything, we exploit men,” Dottore said.

This is not the first time Little Darlings posted a controversial sign outside the club. In 2015, the strip club turned heads for posting a sign that read, “Now auditioning the class of 2015.”

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