The Erotica porn shop in Chelsea filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court against the city, in hopes of heading off enforcement of a Giuliani-era statute aimed at curbing porn stores.
The shop argues that even though porn can be easily found at the click of a mouse, consumers still have a sacred right to get their kicks in private booths like those provided at The Erotica,
according to the company’s lawsuit.
“The booths provide an old-school means by which a patron can watch erotica without anyone knowing his or her personal predilections, fetishes and sexual fantasies,” the lawsuit reads.
The regulations in question date back to 2001 when then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani went after smut shops in his effort to clean up the city.
The zoning regs would force smut shops away from residential areas and into predominantly manufacturing areas.