NPN appreciates all of you who turned out on a hot night to attend our August 2 public meeting. As The Republican reports in today’s paper, we heard from several people concerned that our materials could be perceived as anti-gay. This is not our intention. Our goals are to be accurate and comprehensive in discussing […]
Porn Myths: “Porn is a private experience that works for me; don’t restrict it or make me feel bad about it”
Some people have argued that porn is a private experience that they enjoy, so they should be left alone. As oneangrygirl points out, there is more to the story….…[P]orn: it might enhance your masturbation or finally convince your wife to try anal sex, but every dollar you spend on porn…and escorts…and strip clubs…helps to feed […]
Porn Myths: “Porn is an outlet or safety valve for men who might otherwise do Bad Things”
Some people have suggested that porn shops are a safe place to help people relieve their impulses. Research suggests that, on the contrary, porn can “decrease sensitivity to the crime of rape” and “increase the acceptance of violence against women”. Here is information adapted from oneangrygirl.net. “The relationship between particularly sexually violent images in the […]
Northampton Worth Fighting For: “Greetings from Lesbianville”
Northampton’s long traditions of caring for the vulnerable and advancing the cause of women continue to this day. Leslea Newman writes here for The Advocate in “Greetings from Lesbianville U.S.A.: grrrls, goddesses, and Gloria Steinem! Northampton, Mass., is the Sapphic center of America, tucked away among New England academia”: In 1851 the famed diva Jenny Lind, […]
Northampton Worth Fighting For: Sojourner Truth
From “Who was Sojourner Truth?” at noho.com:Sojourner Truth came to Northampton in 1843 to live at the Northampton Association of Education and Industry, a utopian community in Florence. Born a slave in upstate New York in approximately 1797, she labored for a succession of five masters until the Fourth of July, 1827, when slavery was […]
Northampton Worth Fighting For: Smith College
Northampton is the home of Smith College, founded in 1871 with a bequest from Sophia Smith. Smith is the nation’s largest liberal arts college for women.In her will, Sophia Smith wrote:“I hereby make the following provisions for the establishment and maintenance of an Institution for the higher education of young women, with the design to […]
Northampton Worth Fighting For: Awards and Recognition
Northampton has received widespread recognition as a good place to live. Here is a selection from recent awards listed on the city’s website:“Top 10 Family Friendly Towns” by Parenting Magazine, May 1997“100 Best School Districts in the U.S.” by Offspring: The Magazine of Smart Parenting, September/October 2000“Number One Best Small Arts Town in America” by author […]
USA Today: “Sex shops infiltrate small towns”
Some people have wondered why Capital Video chose Northampton for a porn shop. A USA Today article from 2003 suggests a reason…Until the 61-foot-tall sign appeared one morning along Interstate 70, no one from Abilene, Kan., knew that the former Stuckey’s truck stop just outside of town had been remade into an “adult superstore” that […]
NPN Calls Public Meeting of Concerned Citizens
NoPornNorthampton invites all citizens concerned about the proposed King Street porn shop to attend a public meeting. ServiceNet has graciously agreed to provide an air-conditioned conference room at their 129 King Street offices. This location is at the corner of King and North Streets in Northampton, across the street from Dunkin’ Donuts. The meeting will […]
Substantial Traffic at the Kittery Porn Shop
Earlier in July, NPN visited Kittery, Maine and spoke with the town manager and the police chief. Kittery (population 10,000) is smaller than Northampton (population 29,000). Its Capital Video porn shop, Amazing.net, is estimated to be about 4,000 square feet in size. It contains 16 viewing booths. The proposed site for Capital Video’s shop in […]