“Over the years, there has been a great deal of objection by Des Moines area residents to adult uses and the showing of adult movies in the community. The City has hundreds of letters and petition signatures on file objecting to these uses dated from 1974 to the present. These letters and petitions represent over […]
Noted Feminist Andrea Dworkin on the Harm of Porn
Andrea Dworkin testified before the Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography on January 22, 1986. She writes, Numerous civil liberties folks, including pro-pornography “feminists”, had already testified in other cities. I spoke to the Commission because my friends, feminists who work against pornography, asked me to. Every effort was made by the pro-pornography lobby to discredit […]
What You Can Expect to Find in Your Average Peep Show Booth (explicit)
From the report of the Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography (1986). The bracketed numbers refer to footnotes in the report. Inside the booths the viewer may see approximately two minutes of the movie for twenty-five cents.[2159] As the number of sexually explicit scenes or diversity of sexual acts increase, the viewing time decreases.[2160] Tokens or […]
The Condition of Houston Peep Show Booths
From the report of the Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography (1986): As part of the public hearings conducted in Houston, Texas, the Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography toured three of the fifty “adults only” pornographic outlets operating in that city. The Commissioners were accompanied on this tour by several detectives from the Houston City Police […]
Peep Shows: “Generally unsanitary”, “frequent sexual activity is apparent”; Porn industry connected to organized crime
From the report of the Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography (1986): …Increasingly, however, the peep show, often combined with an outlet for the sale of pornographic books and magazines, is a major form of meeting consumer demand. The typical peep show is located on the premises of an “adults only” establishment selling large numbers of […]
Northampton Zoning Maps Show How Near Proposed Porn Shop is to Dense Residential Zones and the Central Business District
Although 135 King Street, the site of the proposed porn shop, is currently zoned for Highway Business, the reality is that it is next to densely populated “urban residential” zones and within a few blocks of the Central Business District. The proposed porn shop site is indicated by the yellow circle with a thumbtack in […]
Satellite Photo Shows Schools, Churches Near 135 King Street
This satellite photo from Google Earth shows numerous schools and churches within walking distance of the proposed porn shop at 135 King Street. These include: Clarke School for the DeafHelen Hills ChapelSaint John’s Episcopal ChurchSmith CollegeAcademy of MusicBridge Street School (elementary grades)Sacred Heart SchoolFirst Church United Church of ChristCollege ChurchValley Christian SchoolNew Directions School Please […]
Satellite Photo Shows 135 King Street Surrounded by Homes
The proposed porn shop at 135 King Street is shown at the center of this satellite photograph from Google Earth. Note the dense residential neighborhoods to the East, West and South.
Towns Across Massachusetts Use Zoning to Regulate Adult Businesses
A quick search of Google reveals how numerous towns and cities across Massachusetts are using zoning to regulate adult businesses. These towns recognize the harmful “secondary effects” that adult businesses often impose on their surroundings. Here is a sample:Fitchburg (PDF)Section 181.6: “It is the purpose of this section to establish reasonable and uniform regulations to […]
Your Stories Northampton Covers Porn Shop Issue
Your Stories Northampton, a citizens’ journalism feature of MassLive, is devoting heavy coverage to the porn shop issue. Go there now.