Suburban Porn

The battle rages over a new porn shop in Milford, Conn.

Unlike the older sex shops, which are dark and dingy, [Penthouse Boutique] is big and brash and brightly lighted. Offering a ladies' night and marketing itself as a fun place for happy couples to shop, the store is part of a trend that has been spreading in suburbs from Louisville to Los Angeles in an attempt to take the industry out of the shadows and make it mainstream.

It has touched off a swirl of protests. Classical nude sculptures that were put up outside the store have been smashed. Pickets paraded at the gala grand opening, and the shop had to be emptied of much of its merchandise for several days as the government tightened its regulations on pornographic businesses…

The problem ? one similar to those faced by towns like Forest Lake outside Louisville or Avon outside Indianapolis or Jefferson near Charleston, W.Va. ? is that the local government is limited in restricting such businesses because of court rulings offering them some protection under the First Amendment.

Big problem, that First Amendment.