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WAGGA City councillors who are upset over a display in an adult shop window should stop being "wowsers" and move with the times, says the president of the Australian Sex Party. President Fiona Patten is also the chief executive officer for the Eros Foundation, the national adult retail and entertainment association. She said yesterday she was dumbfounded by a battle between Wagga City councillors and adult shop Simply Risque which could still be headed to the NSW Land and Environment Court. Six councillors have voted to refuse a permanent window display of lingerie despite a 12-month trial which attracted no complaints.
WAGGA City councillors who are upset over a display in an adult shop window should stop being "wowsers" and move with the times, says the president of the Australian Sex Party. President Fiona Patten is also the chief executive officer for the Eros Foundation, the national adult retail and entertainment association. She said yesterday she was dumbfounded by a battle between Wagga City councillors and adult shop Simply Risque which could still be headed to the NSW Land and Environment Court. Six councillors have voted to refuse a permanent window display of lingerie despite a 12-month trial which attracted no complaints. Ms Patten said a survey conducted by Eros in 1997, before Simply Risque made its debut in Wagga, showed 7.5 per cent of adults in the Riverina electorate subscribed to an X-rated video mailing list. The average nationally was 5 per cent, she said. "Since that time, the internet had taken over from mail order subscriptions and most places in Australia have moved with the times. There is a far greater acceptance," said Ms Patten. "I absolutely support Simply Risque. So often our local government is influence by a vocal minority. If they (Simply Risque) have got nothing in the windows that couldn't be seen in a lingerie or novelty store, then I think the councillors should stop being wowsers. I think their letting their imaginations run away with them." A national survey of Eros Association members in 2008 showed the number of women visiting adults stores had surged to 35 per cent, up from 10 per cent in 1997. One person who found this unsurprising was 25-year-old Krystle Hawe of Wagga. Ms Hawe recently launched You'll Blush adult toy and novelty parties after she worked for a similar company for 12 months. "It's definitely a growing industry. I think it's about women coming out of their shells and becoming more comfortable with their bodies and needs. Women know what they want," she said. "The majority of women who book parties are in their 40's and 50's. Hen's nights are usually for a laugh and bit of a giggle but most of my orders definitely come from that age group. It's a bit different to your average Avon and Tupperware party." Co-owner of Simply Risque, Ian Conway-Powels, said talks with council had reached a stalemate. A petition in support of a window display has attracted more than 600 signatures, he said. "The matter is basically in limbo. (Legal action) is still a possibility," he said. INDUSTRY BOOM: Krystle Hawe, 25, recently launched You'll Blush adult toy and novelty parties in Wagga in response to a growth in interest for adult products. Picture: Glenn Henderson Source: http://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/
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