City officials in Dallas voted Wednesday to ban an erotica convention after some said it would be a detriment to the city’s image.
Supporters of the Exxxotica Expo, which features porn stars, sex toy sales and a whipping dungeon, say the event has been touring major cities for years without incident, reports Reuters.
A divided City Council in Dallas, however, blocked the convention in a 8-7 vote on a resolution by Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to prevent the Exxxotica Expo from returning to the city after being hosted there in 2015. “I do not believe this event is good for our city’s brand,” Rawlings said. “This is a business that participates in the commerce of sex, pure and simple.”
The event’s organizer J. Handy said he would fight the decision in court, according to Reuters, and seek a temporary injunction. Other stops for the Exxxotica Expo include Illinois, Ohio and New Jersey.
“Today Dallas officials acknowledged our First Amendment rights. And then voted against them. There will be an @EXXXOTICA in Dallas in ’16,” the expo said in a Twitter post following the decision.