During tomorrow's Dallas city council meeting, officials will finally conclude whether or not to allow the return of the Exxxotica Sex Expo to the convention center.

It does not appear likely that the council will be able to legally block the event.

“This is foolishness and a potentially unconstitutional action,” said the North Oak Cliff council member and attorney Scott Griggs. “Every couple of years we have to have a federal judge remind us about the First Amendment.”

The Exxxotica Sex Expo is a legal business and many liken the mayor's desire to squash the event as political and moral grandstanding.

"I do not believe the Dallas City Council should take a position on which events we like and don’t like and condemn or criticize our citizens for attending," Griggs continued. "I’d rather we fix our potholes.”

A spokesman for the Civic Center said that the facility does not discriminate lessees based on the content of their events.  Exxxotica is often referred to as the "Comic-Con of Porn".

Council member Phillip Kingston said that the push to ban the event is contradictory to what the stated goals for the event center really are.

“If the mayor wants us to chase convention business, this is what it looks like,” he said.  "If we’re going to compete with Vegas, we have to be prepared to get a little Vegas on us.”

Exxxotica features an array of porn stars signing autographs and a number of adult themed products and presentations.  Last year, the convention did make a stop at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas and enjoyed successful attendance, attracting con-goers from throughout the region.

There were no reported incidents or complaints from residents regarding the event last year.

Over the weekend, billionaire Ray Hunt, who owns more than 30 acres and properties in downtown Dallas emailed the council asking them to prohibit the event.

In a statement, Hunt said that the Exxxotica convention “constitutes an activity that runs totally counter to the values, mores and beliefs of the vast majority of the citizens of the City of Dallas.”

In 2008, the city of Secaucus, New Jersey cancelled a previously scheduled Exxxotica event.  The presenters sued the city and settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

 

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