This is definitely a new one for the city of Raleigh. A domination parloris a place where patrons pay to be dominated and engage in sadistic ormasochistic acts. City and state statutes don't address this type ofbusiness. But when the two women went to apply for a business license,they were turned away and told the city needed to look at the issue firstand decide whether or not it fits the definition of an adultestablishment.
Movies likeExit to Edenhave poked fun at domination, but inreality it is a thriving subculture which has found a home on the Internetand in the form of alternative nightclubs in large cities.
While Raleigh may not be ready for it yet, the attorney for the proposedbusiness owners says it is not illegal. Tom Mansfield says the parlorwould not involve nudity or sexual acts which means by law it is not anadult establishment and should be granted a license.
WRAL'sAmanda Lambtalked to the cityattorney Thomas McCormick shortly before noon. He declined an on camerainterview, but he would say the city's public safety committee is lookingat the issue of domination parlors.
He also says that there is nothing barring the business license officefrom granting the license to the two women. That's not what the businesslicense office says. They have referred it to the city zoning department.
So right now, there seems to be a lot of roadblocks for this business, and no one from the city wants to take responsibility for the roadblocks.
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