A man is looking to erect a 300-pound statue of a 6-foot-high pink penis in a local park.
Chaz Stevens, from Boca Raton, wants the unusual statue on display in a public park at Fort Lauderdale’s famed corner at Las Olas, as part of a 'religious display'.
He has been firing off emails to Fort Lauderdale and eight other cities in a bid to gain permission to erect a 6-foot-high custom-made penis statue at various local town squares.
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So far, Stevens says he’s gotten a no from Deerfield Beach and a possible maybe from Fort Lauderdale.
Stevens is still waiting to hear from seven other cities, including Miami Beach, Wilton Manors, Hallandale Beach, Deerfield Beach, Margate, Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Baltimore.
If given permission, the atheist plans to display his phallic statue on April 2 at Fort Lauderdale’s Las Olas Oceanside Park, where the city recently showcased a Christmas tree and menorah display.
Stevens argues that his statue is a religious display, just like a Christmas tree or menorah.
The controversial activist says his latest quest was inspired by Japan’s Shinto Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the Steel Phallus), an event held yearly in Kawasaki in celebration of love, fertility and the male genitalia.
The project will be very costly to the man, with each statue costing around £8,000.
He also plans to hire an off-duty cop to protect his investment from theft and vandalism.
Robert Walsh, a Fort Lauderdale activist, says he hopes the city tells Stevens no.
He said: “Let him sue us. It’s beyond vulgar. It’s not art. Children are going to see that.
"It’s just not appropriate for Las Olas. He’s just doing this for his own narcissistic tendencies, so everyone is looking at Chaz again.”
The cities that put up holiday displays at the end of the year might find themselves in a bit of a pickle, said Bob Jarvis, a constitutional law professor at Nova Southeastern University.
He said: “The First Amendment says the government cannot censor speech but it does not protect obscenity and pornography.
"You could make the argument that it’s a piece of artwork. And this penis statue clearly has redeeming social value because it celebrates this Japanese holiday celebrating fertility and the coming of spring.”
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He suggested Stevens may need to install a visual barrier around the statue along with signs warning the public that an R-rated statue is up ahead.
The professor said: "It doesn’t stop you from exercising your First Amendment rights but it does protect others from seeing it.
"As long as all that is done, I don’t see how the city can stop him.”
Deerfield Beach has given Stevens a definitive no, citing concern for children and also drivers who might be distracted by the display.
City Manager David Santucci told Stevens: “The city finds that your proposed display is obscene.
"Additionally, the city believes that permitting such [an] installation would create a safety hazard, significant driver distraction, and interference with the free flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic."
"Further, based on our research, the Shinto Kanamara Matsuri festival and the inclusion of a phallus appear to be considered more of an aspect of Japanese culture rather than a religious ceremony.
"Accordingly, your request is hereby denied.”
Stevens hit back as he said: "Pally, Shinto is the national religion of Japan. You’ll be hearing from our attorney.”
He has since set up a GoFundMe page with a goal of $25,000 to help him raise money for the pricey penis statues.
On Friday (January 13), his goal shot up to $250,000 to help raise money for a possible lawsuit against Deerfield Beach and other cities that deny his request.
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