Sex For Fun News

A moralist councillor has rejected plans for a social club for erotic and fetish enthusiasts. Planning committee chairman, Councillor Qadar Zada, spoke of basing a planning permission on personal morality:

From a planning perspective it was rejected because of the impact on residential amenity ...BUT... for me this is the wrong activity in the wrong place. The potential harm outweighs any benefit. In fact I can't think of any benefit this proposal could have. The applicant described it as an 'alternative interest club' - well they can take their alternative interests elsewhere.

People like me would think twice about going to the leisure centre if the club was in place. We do not want people discouraged from using that facility - we want the leisure centre to thrive. There is also a good chance its users would share the leisure centre car park with people going there. That makes me feel really uncomfortable.

Plans to create the Valhalla club, in Dudley, were blocked by councillors to the dismay of its prospective owners who have invested £25,000 in the premises. Prospective manager, Clive Thomson, vowed to pursue his plans and appeal Dudley Council's planning committee's decision.

The club's website describes the proposal as an alternative lifestyle members club and photo shoot suite. Bosses insist it would not be a swingers club and there would be no sexual acts at the site off Dock Lane, opposite Dudley Leisure Centre. Thomson said he was angry at the council's decision and feels the club has been misrepresented.

The proposals here are for an alternative lifestyle, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender club. I take this decision as an affront on the lesbian and gay communities. This is not a lap dancing club or a private members gentlemen club. There won't be any poles. It is a normal bar like any other pub.

The Law Commission writes about a review of Offences against the Person:

Our scoping consultation on this project is now open until 11 February 2015. The Ministry of Justice has asked the Commission to carry out a scoping exercise as a first step towards a potential project to reform the law on offences against the person

Jane Fae reports on some of the possibilities of such reforms on the BDSM community:

Of course, what they don't mention is the central role this Act has played in shaping the legal landscape in respect of BDSM. For it was under the OAPA that the landmark Spanner case was prosecuted in the 1990s: and despite contrary rulings, it is this verdict that continues to dictate the limits to consensual sex.

Incredible as it may seem to those who have grown up post-Spanner, there was a once-upon-a-time golden age when the prevailing assumption was that pain, inflicted consensually and in pursuit of mutually satisfying erotic outcomes was permissible. That was not an unreasonable point of view. After all, you could -- you may still -- beat an opponent senseless in a boxing ring and, providing all is done in accordance with the rules, and consensually, there is no problem.

Why should a beating of a sexual nature be any different?

...Read the interesting article

A dominatrix has asked Stockport Council for planning permission to allow her sex fetish club to remain open.

Lorraine White has submitted an application asking for a change of use for her unit on the Vauxhall Industrial Estate, Reddish, from a warehouse to a place of photography and mild fetish play . She was previously using the unit without planning permission but following a complaint has submitted a retrospective application.

If the application is approved, Miss White, who beats, restrains and humiliates men for their pleasure, will be allowed to open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 11pm to 7am each day.

Neighbours, who have long known about the club, say they do not object to it as long as Miss White, or Princess Lucina as she is known on her Twitter profile, remains discreet.

The fetish club was discovered when the fire service was called to an incident at the industrial estate in October 2012 and were unable to get inside Miss White's premises.

The Naked Rambler, Stephen Gough, has lost his case at the European Court of Human Rights where he claimed he had a right to be naked in public. He had argued that his repeated arrest, prosecution, conviction and imprisonment for being naked in public and his treatment in detention violated his rights.

The court unanimously found there had been no violation of Articles 8 and 10 of the Convention. Naked Rambler Stephen Gough has lost his challenge in the European Court of Human Rights of the sentence was one year, nine months and 18 days. The ECHR ruled:

The applicant's imprisonment is the consequence of his repeated violation of the criminal law in full knowledge of the consequences, through conduct which he knew full well not only goes against the standards of accepted public behaviour in any modern democratic society but also is liable to be alarming and morally and otherwise offensive to other, unwarned members of the public going about their ordinary business.

The court described Gough's case as troubling but ruled that relevant and sufficient measures had been taken against him by the police and legal authorities which saw him arrested in 2011. They were meeting a pressing social need in response to repeated anti-social conduct by Gough. The ECHR stated:

Even though, cumulatively, the penalties imposed on the applicant undoubtedly did entail serious consequences for him, the court cannot find in the circumstances of his case, having regard in particular to his own responsibility for his plight, that the public authorities in Scotland unjustifiably interfered with his exercise of freedom of expression. Accordingly, no violation of Article 10 of the Convention has been established.

Offsite Comment: Stephen Gough and the European Court

30th October 2014. From bn.org.uk

British Naturism very much welcomes the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that nudity is a means of expression and that Article 10 of the European Convention of Human rights applies to nudity. This is a preliminary analysis of the court's ruling regarding Stephen Gough. The judgement only considers some aspects of the case, and there are no surprises, but it does establish some points of law that are important for Naturism and the fight against prudery and body-shame.

The boss of a swingers club in Blackpool who has failed in his bid to overturn a ruling ordering him to shut down has vowed to chain himself to the town hall in protest.

Chris Maher has been given four months to comply with an enforcement order forcing him to stop using his premises on Egerton Road as a swingers club.

He hit out at the unfair decision to target his business, Blackpool Connections, saying he will keep on trading right up until the deadline:

I am being totally singled out. I have never denied there is sexual activity going on in my premises but my facilities are identical to those in other places. I am not going to take this lying down. I am going to chain myself to the doors of the town hall.

Planning inspector David Brier upheld Blackpool Council's decision that the use of the building was in breach of its planning permission -- which was for a spa and sauna:

I do not find they offer good reasons for permitting another activity that is likely to be problematic in its own right.

He claimed that by opening until 3am, Maher was going beyond the accepted use and opening hours for the premises.

A naturist picnic planned in a Nottingham park has been refused by the local council which claimed that nudism is not suitable in a family environment .

Nudists hoped to hold an event at Wollaton Park in the city attracting up to 400 people. But Nottinghamshire City Council turned down the request, offering instead to discuss hire of areas where it could take place in an appropriate, private setting . A spokesman for the council objected to the naturism:

We have no objections in principle to naturism,... BUT ...we don't think it is suitable in a family environment such as a park for people to be present without any clothes on, as there's a risk of offending other park users.

Andrew Welch, from British Naturism, told The Independent a member of the organisation had tried to organise the event to celebrate its 50th anniversary:

Nobody is offended by nudity, although they might be a little bit surprised.

Although being naked in public is not a criminal offence in itself, people are prosecuted under the much abused, catch-all law, the Public Order Act.

Update: The newspaper story was not the whole truth

5th July 2014. See article from strangethingsarehappening.com

The council's ability to ban such an event seemed a bit dubious. I was curious to find out more, so I called British Naturism, the organisation behind the event to find out more. I spoke to PR man Andrew Welch and unsurprisingly, it seems the newspaper story was not the whole truth.

It must have been a slow news day, I think... we're a national membership organisation, and one of our members approached the council about what their view would be about a picnic in the park. So it wasn't an event -- in fact, the approach was made last year, just testing the water, to see what would they say. Because the answer was 'no', and because some of the things they said in their answer were not good, our member then followed up with a Freedom of Information request to get details as to why they said what they did. That's what the paper had picked up and unfortunately reported it as an event being cancelled.

...Read the full article

A Sunderland councillor has whinged at a swingers club in Sunderland.

Vivente Club promises late-night sex swapping parties five nights a week and organisers offer to open by appointment only between 10am-4pm.

The swinging club will cost couples £25 for a 12-month membership, allowing them access to six playrooms , three lounge floors and a couples-only area. It also has an 11-room bed and breakfast.

It is located near Hudson Road Primary School and directly opposite Christian media outlet, God TV.

Sunderland Councillor Barbara McClennan, spewed:

The particularly sordid nature of this club makes me - backed by local residents - even more determined to block this blatant attempt to cash in on people's sexual interests.

If someone wants to live a "swinging lifestyle" let them do it in their own homes - not on the doorsteps of Hendon residents, around the corner from a local school and near places of worship [a blatant attempt to cash in on people's spiritual interests].

Swinging is not illegal, but Sunderland City Council said the club needs planning permission to operate, which Vivente's owners do not have.

Vivente said:

We are a private members club who offer a safe discreet environment for professional people to meet like minded people. We do not promise sex swap parties, that has been hyped up.

About 30 protesters stripped off and staged a naked rally outside the Royal Courts of 'Justice' to support, The Naked Rambler , Stephen Gough.

The protest saw around 30 people take off all their clothes to campaign for Stephen Gough - who has spent most of the last decade in prison for refusing to wear clothes.

Stephen, of Eastleigh in Hampshire, was most recently jailed for 16 months earlier this month for breaching an order after he was spotted rambling in the buff.

His story is the subject of a TV documentary, titled The Naked Rambler , which will be screened on BBC1 at 10.35pm on Tuesday night.

Protest organiser Richard Collins hopes the demonstration will help change people's attitudes towards nudity:

I strongly feel that everybody has the right to be naked. We are born that way and I fully intend on dying that way. Nudity is normal, and it should be a freedom. Naturism doesn't necessarily involve sex or sexuality.

It's a freedom of expression and should not be persecuted in the same way that people who express themselves in the way they dress should not be persecuted.

People like Stephen are being persecuted for being clothes-free in public, and under current laws, it's only a crime if someone complains.

The creator of a fake swingers website defrauded more than £200,000 from people looking for casual sex.

Andrew Harris conned hundreds of victims for four years by charging them £40 to access titilating but fake profiles. The scam continued as victims thought better of exposing their sexual interests to the authorities.

Eventually a man contacted trading standards and this led to charges and conviction. The man known as TB - told Birmingham Crown Court he and his partner were surprised at the number of open-minded people on the remote island of Anglesey. Anglesey is not renowned for its swinging scene, the court heard. After exchanging a few messages with a number of contacts, the couple were blocked and ordered to pay a subscription fee to continue. They did - but the interested users suddenly disappeared without trace.

Fearing a scam, TB set up a different profile and received exactly the same messages from the same people. He contacted Birmingham Trading Standards, who followed up and verified the complaint.

Harris was jailed for 2 years and ordered to pay about £60,000 in fines and costs.

A selection of awards:

• Best feature film of the year: VENUS IN FUR directed by Roman Rolanski

• Best actress: Emmanuelle Seigner in VENUS IN FUR

• Best actor: Mathieu Amalric in VENUS IN FUR

• Best trans performance: LOOPS

• Best documentary film: INTERIOR LEATHER BAR

• Best short film: PROMETEO piopiostories.com/en/prometheus

• Best actress in a short lilm: Mia Gimp in KRUTCH

• Best actor in a short film: Roger Batalla in PROMETEO

• Best trans performance in a short film: Grace Towers in LEATHER & GRACE

• Best short documentary film: SAINT AND WHORE directed by Anne Zohra Berrached

• Best music video: DEFINED LINES by Law Revue Girls

• Best trans performance: Eva Lin in EVA LIN'S FANCY (tsseduction)

The Naked Rambler has been jailed for 16 months for public nudity after a trial in which he was denied access. The Jury took two minutes to find Stephen Gough guilty of breaching order designed to prevent him appearing nude in public

Stephen Gough was not allowed into court to address the jury because he refused to put on any clothes. Recorder John Williams told Gough:

I'm afraid there is going to be a revolving door in and out of prison, because you are intent on flouting these orders and there is absolutely no way you are going to comply with them.

Your refusal is that you genuinely feel that it is some way in breach of your rights, but unfortunately the courts are of the view that they are not. I would like to hope that when you leave prison you will not leave in the state that you are today, but I know that is a vain hope.

The judge had earlier told the jury:

He would like to address you as naked as the day he was born, but I will not let him do that.

Comment: Good on the Naked Rambler, more public nudity would be a good thing

10th January 2013. See article from theguardian.com

We're continually being exposed to sexualised nudity, but it's rare to see a middle-aged man naked in public. During the day, before the watershed, we see hundreds of advertisements for gorgeous, semi-nude women moaning in ecstasy because they are enjoying their yoghurt or shampoo. Go and stand in any gym, cafe or shop with a TV on, and count the seconds until you see cleavage. For more than 40 years, the Sun newspaper has been publishing pictures of nipples that readers can gaze at over breakfast. Why is it OK to hint at highly sexualised nudity all day long and then persecute a normal man for getting naked as he goes about his business?

...Read the full article

A 19-year-old aspiring porn star who got in trouble with the law by sneaking onto the campus at Lincoln Pius X High School and posing for naked pictures on the football field got jail time for the stunt.

Lancaster County Judge Thomas Fox gave her 45 days in jail. Last month, he found her guilty at a bench trial of trespassing and public nudity for the May 13 late-night photo shoot, during which she posed with her breasts exposed outside Aldrich Field, lying nude on the turf and sitting naked on a concrete bench. Fox handed down the 30-day sentence for trespassing, plus 15 days for public nudity.

But Valerie Dodds filed notice of appeal soon after her sentencing hearing and was released on a $75 bond later in the day.

Dodds, who performs under the name Val Midwest, posted the photos on the Internet and said on her website it was revenge for students, alumni and teachers of the school who criticized her when she announced her porn career.

Christine Loseke of the City Attorney's Office said Dodds has shown absolutely no remorse for what she's done and that giving her a fine would be a slap on the wrist. She said: I think she deserves jail for what she did.

Her case next will go to Lancaster County District Court where a judge will consider her appeal.

Update: A couple of thoughts

1st January 2013. From Alan

It seems to me that the woman from the prosecutor's office wants Valerie Dodds punished for thought crime - a certain feistiness in defending her action and a failure to be remorseful : a bit like the inquisition demanding that a heretic recant. There's also no sign of any curiosity about what motivated Ms Dodds to pose on the school playing field and outside various Catholic churches. let alone to insert a rosary into a bodily orifice. I suspect there may be some unhappiness behind the bravado, and 45 days' porridge isn't going to help her.

Another aspect of this case is that only Valerie Dodds was prosecuted. At least one other person must have been equally guilty of trespassing, or there could have been a crew of photographer, video cameraman. The moving spirit behind the Midwest sites is known to be Shane Harrington, ex-husband of Melissa Harrington, AKA Melissa Midwest. The worst case scenario is that this hapless young woman doesn't really control the website and that its boasts about the site landing her in jail are dropping her deeper into the shit. In any case, for the prosecutors to come down like a ton of bricks on a girl of nineteen, while making no apparent effort to identify or prosecute the people making the films has about it a nasty whiff of misogyny.