“Censorship in any form is the enemy of creativity, since it cuts off the life blood of creativity: ideas.” – Allan Jenkins
Ah yes…once again, censorship has reared its ugly head here in Albuquerque. And as an artist (and I’m sure I’m not the only artist who can say this), I am no stranger to censorship. Who is the target of censorship this time? None other than your friendly, neighborhood sexuality resource center, Self Serve Toys.
For over three years now, Self Serve Toys has hosted Pornotopia. And each year has been met with controversy and censorship from the city of Albuquerque. After three years of this, Pornotopia worked extra hard for this year’s (the fabulous 4th!) to be the very best and to follow restrictions set down to do it legally. After months of researching into the zoning laws and searching for a location, Self Serve was ready to hold Pornotopia at The Sunshine Theater. Being the diligent people that they are, the organizers of Pornotopia checked not once, not twice, but three times to make sure that the Sunshine Theater was properly zoned and suitable for the erotic film festival. It was not until the third time, one month prior to the festival opening, that the organizers were told that there was a “downtown corridor plan” that forbids adult entertainment downtown. Pornotopia is once again censored.
But fear not….Pornotopia is moving forward. The focus now moves to censorship and free speech. Want to Save Pornotopia? Here’s how you can help: