FOX CINEMA FATE TODAY
Oldtown News
Vancouver, BC
FOX CINEMA FATE TODAY
So a Vancouver Police officer went into the Fox Adult theatre on an underground mission to gather evidence that the place was being used for casual hook-ups between Men and while there he noticed a pungent smell to the Theatre. The officer also took to the Internet observing ads on Craigslist which has a casual encounter section where adults place advertisements looking for other like minded folks to hook up with. The constable found a few ads where men advertised asking others to join them at the Fox.
Oh my all this information that the City's finest acquired and I wonder why?
It appears that some residents of the Mount Pleasant area have their nose out of joint because they live in an area which has a soft porn theatre and so they embarked on a campaign to rid the community of this old whore.
Interesting is that the Fox has been operating as a soft porn theatre for twenty-five years without any problem. Suddenly there is this purported problem and the City is being drawn in to determine its fate.
It will be interesting to see how the City handles this situation.
The major complaint appears to revolve around acts of indecency, according to the police who had one undercover officer there for one hour on one day and now the Police want it shut down.
It is interesting how the City will license gay steambaths where you can hook up and escort agencies also provide hook-ups and are licensed by the City yet this is apparently forbidden at the Fox.
If the City revokes the license of the Fox there possibly could be grounds of appeal especially on constitutional grounds.
Councillors Suzanne Anton, Heather Deal and Kerry Jang are expected to deal with this issue today and perhaps they might want to refer it to the whole of Council so there can be a proper community debate about kink activities in this City.
Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com
posted by Jamie Lee Hamilton @ 10:34 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
40 shootings, 17 fatalities, no arrests or charges. But VPD can spare the manpower to spy on theatre patrons. Replacing Graham with Chu has really made a difference to public safety.
Hi, Jamie:
I'm just wondering, what is the difference between the now-demolished Venus Theatre and the Fox Theatre? I seem to remember you ran an impassioned campaign describing the Venus as a front for the squalid exploitation of sex workers. The Fox is only a few blocks to the north - it sounds like the same thing might be going on in there. Does the fact a store-owner complained publicly instead of a community activist make this a NIMBY conspiracy to suppress "kink"? I'm asking you in all sincerity - I was very impressed with the courage of your convictions regarding the Venus Theatre in the past.
Hi Rock the Boat
There was a big difference in that the Venus was located in the Downtown Eastside where drug addicted girls were routinely being exploited in the Venus.
At the Fox which is in the Mt Pleasant neighborhood, by the way more that just a few blocks away from the DTES, drug addicted survival sex trade workers are not in that neighborhood plus they are not attending the Fox.
Even the businesses on the block of the Fox and surrounding blocks have stated publicly they have NOT seen any increase in prostitution in their community since the Venus closed. I personally have not seen that either and I was keeping an eye on things.
In the one year since the the Venus closed there has only been one complaint to the Police/City. The complaint involves some activity in the back alley behind where the Fox and other businesses are located.
I think those in opposition to the Fox are using the closure of the Venus and the marginalized survival sex workers who attended there to make their case for closure of the Fox.
I think they are exploiting marginalized women by using them to further their efforts to close the Fox. This is wrong because marginalized survival sex workers are nowhere near the Fox and if those people who want the Fox closed because it offends them than they should state that clearly instead of using poor victimized women to further their aims.
Thank you for this article Jamie!!
I live in the area, as you know, and I personally have never had a problem with the Fox Theatre. I also hope to raise children in this area one day and would NOT have a problem with the Fox Theatre being in a neighbourhood where I raise my children... I, unlike some people out there these days, know how to explain to children what is and isn't appropriate for them and why... just as my parents knew how to explain such matters to me. When I was growing up (in the Mt. Pleasant Area) I always knew what sex was, and always in an age-appropriate way, and I also knew that there were certain types of films (and other types of media) that had things which were not age appropriate in them. When something isn't taboo, but simply explained as "not appropriate for right now"... children lose all interest in these things!!! Parents have to learn that it's their own job to raise their children and not societies job to censor everything. I'd rather have porn theatres out on the streets in friendly middle-class neighbourhoods like my own, than hidden away or in so-called "bad neighbourhoods" as if there was something dirty about sex and pornography... the more normal we make sex, the less perverse it becomes!! It's when sex becomes taboo that it becomes perverse... and when it becomes so hidden away that no one is allowed to talk about it, well that is when people start keeping secrets... and it is when our children start keeping secrets that we have to start worrying about our children!!!
I fully support nice neighbourhood porn theatres being in nice neighbourhoods! But... that's just my opinion.
Hi Merilee,
Thank you for your well thought out analysis. You articulate very well your reasons why this theatre isn't hurting anyone and I applaud you!
I think the City sometimes gets overly stuffy regarding adult-themed businesses.
The Odyssey relocation effort is another example of this stuffiness.
Keep well Merilee!
Post a Comment
<< Home