Colo. Town Tries to Tie Up S&M Club
 

May 22, 7:31 AM (ET)

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - City officials in a Colorado town want to keep an S&M
club tied up for good.

The city has shut down a sex club, known as "The Labyrinth," featuring
nudity and bondage, and officials are seeking an injunction to keep it
closed.

"Every member of (City) Council was shocked when they heard about it," Mayor
Steve Burkholder said Tuesday. "We plan to pursue this with a great deal of
effort. It does not reflect the moral value of the city or its citizens."

Police received an anonymous tip in March from a resident who saw a flier
for a rave party with live sex acts.

Police investigated, and a Jefferson County judge issued a restraining order
against The Labyrinth last week. The judge found that the club violated
zoning codes and was operating as an unlicensed cabaret, defined under city
code as an establishment featuring live adult entertainment.

But Susan Wright, spokeswoman for the New York-based National Coalition for
Sexual Freedom, contends The Labyrinth is a private club where people who
practice alternative sex can socialize.

"This is not adult entertainment. It is not a strip club," Wright said.
"It's very important that there are zoning categories that allow for a space
like this where people can get the education they need to do SM
(sadomasochism) and fetish safely. They need to get lessons."

An undercover detective who visited the club twice said in an affidavit that
nude or seminude participants there engaged in sexual activities and
sometimes whipped, pierced or tied each other.

Trenton Gary, owner of Exotic Ventures, which operates The Labyrinth, could
not be reached for comment.

The city's request for the injunction was expected to be heard May 28.

Here's what little I know, from talking to someone who is a member. (For those of you who know I'm in the Denver area, Lakewood is just one of the many surrounding towns.)

It most definitely IS a private club. As in, they don't advertise, and the fact they exist isn't common knowledge. Plus, they don't let in just anyone off the street--you have to be a guest of someone who is already a member. So from where I stand, I don't think the city really has much room to maneuver.