SHARONVILLE, Ohio — A new billboard for Dustin Flynt’s adult store shouting “End Boring Sex” is causing a local Cincinnati kerfuffle.
The 70-foot sign next to Interstate 71 is reportedly the latest battle with anti-porn advocates Citizens for Commuity Values (CCV), a long-time nemesis of the Flynts.
Flynt, nephew of Hustler founder Larry Flynt, has the sign hawking his store in Sharonville and said he deliberately chose the suburban location — close to Butler and Warren counties' upscale West Chester and Mason neighborhoods — for his second Jimmy Flynt Sexy Gifts store (named after his father).
"I'm attracted to conservative areas," Flynt said. "There is money in 'burbs and I'm central to our Cincinnati market."
Flynt said he's received no complaints about the billboard.
CCV president Phil Burress, a nationally known anti-porn crusader who has butt heads with the Flynts before disagrees and said, "This is wrong and kids are seeing this.” He’s asked for his supporters to flood Flynt with emails and phone calls demanding that the ad be taken down.
Burress maintains that the strategy works on area and national billboard companies that normally will not run ads for sexually oriented businesses.
"Billboard companies know they are being watched and we have brought pressure on them," Burress said.
But Flynt and billboard owner Todd Helton said they are within their rights and will not bend to pressure. Flynt said Burress has his own personal agendas, is a fundamentalist, his thinking is "so 20th century," and he needs to accept the change. "If you don't like my business you have a choice to not come to my store," Flynt said.
Helton told the Enquirer, "I'm not trying to make a statement and I'm not trying to be a renegade. But businesses have a right to advertise if they want to."
Over the years, Burress’ group — that’s reportedly donated more tan $400,000 to political campaigns in the last two years — has tried numerous tactics to shut down the Flynts from expanding adult businesses in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and nationwide.
