A recent story reported that Oldham, England city councilors have given the go ahead for a public underwear display in a town center sex shop.
The adult shop, continued the story, which has sold underwear, books, sex toys, and DVDs of a graphic nature since June of 2002, applied for permission to display lingerie in order to attract more customers.
Deborah Love, area manager of sex store business Simply Pleasure Ltd who own the shop, told the Oldham Advertiser that they are really pleased. “We are trying to raise the profile of the business and attract couples in their 30s with disposable income.”
Simply Pleasure Ltd also run the two-story, 3,000-square-feet Simply Pleasure Warehouse, which the report said is thought to be the second largest sex shop in the world, beaten only by the famous Hustler shop on Sunset Boulevard.
Cllr Mohammed Masud, who was the sole objector to the application, finally accepted the decision. “I opposed it,” Masud told the Oldham Advertiser. “Now it has been passed and that is democracy for you. My view has nothing to do with any faith or religion, nor is it related to any particular community. I do not feel it is in the best interests of my constituency, and it is not in the best interests of nearby shop owners.”
The report said that in reply to Masud's accusations that the display may have a negative influence on children, Love said, “We don't want to influence children to come into the shop. The shop has cameras and a door entry system.”
“If we don't want people in we don't let them in. The door is locked and we have a buzzer through which we let people in.”
The story concluded by sayind that Cllrs Derek Heffernan, Philip Rogers and Tony Brownridge agreed to the change in license with the condition that other non-lingerie items are not displayed in the window and more graphic items are kept well within the shop. The front door will also be blacked out with vinyl to prevent passers by from looking inside.
