Not-so 'Secret' shoppers Pastor to put store's visitors on YouTube By Melissa Murphy Article Launched: 06/06/2008 05:55:53 AM PDT
Click photo to enlarge Jeremy White, of Vacaville, stands outside the Secrets store with his video camera and a sign...
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"Smile - You're on YouTube."
That's the greeting some customers receive as they are about to enter the new Secrets: Lingerie Boutique on East Monte Vista Avenue.
The new lingerie/adult store captured plenty of media attention in opening last Friday, just moments before the City Council passed an ordinance enacting a moratorium on adult businesses and the sale of adult products.
Since that time, however, it is Vacaville resident Jeremy White and a handful of others who have kept a spotlight on the store - literally. The group periodically sets up a video camera in front of the store to tape people walking into the business.
"We are not here because we're against sex or lingerie," White said. "I'm a happily married man and I love both of those things. We're here because the gateway to our city is not the location for a porn shop."
White's "YouTube" sign on a black board with white lettering also says "Sex Good, Porn Bad."
"I'm not trying to embarrass anybody," White said. "If you have absolutely no question of conscience about entering this store, then by all means shop away. However, if even only one of the dozens of customers we've deterred from entering is a married person about to do something shady behind their spouse's back then - mission accomplished."
Secrets District Manager Jim Lukes said Vacaville residents don't have anything to worry about because his store isn't like the Secrets chain stores in Fairfield and Vallejo.
"The reality is we're Advertisement not adult," Lukes said. "We're a lingerie store and we're different than those other stores."
The group against the business has received mixed reactions in regard to its taping - some by people entering while making obscene gestures to the camera, others by those giving thumbs up and honking in support.
On Tuesday afternoon, a handful of Vacaville residents from several different churches gathered together to pray outside the business.
"We live in a blessed community," said Kelly Hamilton. "We want to keep it that way."
Hamilton and others explained that they've been praying and that they don't wish harm on the employees of Secrets, but that they would like to see the business close.
"We hope everybody involved will come out of this with a clean heart," Hamilton said.
Resident Laura Granzella agreed.
"I don't want us to be seen as a threat," she said. "This isn't personal to the employees, but rather we're a concerned community.
"Hopefully the community can grow together through this," Granzella added.
Others believe that an adult store next to the highway could damage Vacaville's reputation.
"Vacaville is one of the few cities to be known as a family oriented community," said Tim Bittle, a youth pastor at The Father's House. "We don't need businesses like this. If we add stores like this into the equation, we'll turn into other cities. The entrance of Vacaville is not a place for this."
White said that although he is a pastor of student ministries at Valley Church, he is peacefully protesting on his own time as a concerned resident.
"I think the video is a fun way to talk about an issue that's important to us," he said. "I am aware of youth that struggle with sexual addiction so there is a personal element of heartache - pornography sends a false message to boys and girls."
White said the tape will take a little while to edit, but will be posted on YouTube soon.
how are they not hurting the employees if they are trying to put them out of a job in a fucked up economy.The fear of being like other citys is pathatic even pensacola has titty bars.
They are'nt the only ones in the country doing shit like this depriving people of there freedom of expression. In Texas there is a pastor taping people coming out of a porn shop the scary part is he works with the police so he finds out what addresses of the customers then sends them mail hoping if they're married they get busted. no one likes a snitch
no one likes a snitch 
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