The owner of a Brooklyn sex store “had to get a little creative” to get federal government financial help to stay afloat during the pandemic shutdown.

“We applied as a bookstore because of course we sell books,” said Sid Azmi, 37, owner of Please in the slope of the park. “We had to play this game.”

Some of the more printable titles from the cozy Fifth Avenue store include “The Big Book of Bondage.” The store also sells a variety of sex toys, harnesses, and handcuffs.

Azmi’s doubt about getting help under the Paycheck Protection Program was not unfounded. Congress created the Small Business Administration program under the CARES law to disburse 530 billion dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses during the COVID-19 crisis, but declared businesses of a “lascivious sexual nature” ineligible.

The SBA did not immediately return emails or calls seeking comment on why sex shops aren’t deserving of love, either.

Mike Johnston, spokesperson for the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, noted that while 84% of small businesses in the borough surveyed were denied funding in the first round of PPP funding, 92% received assistance with the PPP funding. second turn.

The Chamber also noted that 46% of businesses reported missing May rent payments and more than a third were at risk of shutting down permanently.

Pleasant surprise

Mark Caserta, executive director of the Park Slope Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District, said he had “no idea” why Please ‘s request was granted when other businesses in the area did not. no federal relief.

“I’m really glad she did it and they didn’t keep these rules against her. Sid has a great story and we’re thrilled for Please, ”said Caserta, who represents 520 local businesses.

Azmi was surprised to receive federal aid on Friday, although she said the amount “was not enough to cover the rent” during the three months of her store’s closure.

“I never thought we would get anything because we are seen as a prohibited business,” said Azmi, who grew up in a conservative Malaysian Muslim family in Singapore. “We applied the thought, ‘What have we to lose? I really think they were so overwhelmed that we kind of slipped under the radar.

The nature of her business has created additional hurdles and red tape, she said. She had to get out of state and pay more for commercial insurance, for example, because insurance companies in New York would not compensate Please. She also had difficulty obtaining merchant credit card services.

Last month, Azmi launched a GoFundMe fundraiser that has generated over $ 4,100 from 81 donors, with donations as small as $ 10.

“We are a minority, women-owned company that hires people from the LGBTQ community; dedicated to providing an inclusive environment where ALL can come, ask and share their sexual inquiries, ”the GoFundMe page reads. “This funding request covers our costs but more importantly, your contribution helps us fund the projects we have planned for the future.

Trained as a radiation therapist, Azmi stressed that the five-year business has never been “a lucrative business, but a labor of love and an act of fucking to all who are ashamed of sex and sexuality.” .

Not a “love” moment

Please don’t look like a typical sex shop.

“We don’t feel shady,” Azmi said. “There are no pink neon signs. We would have made more money if we had sensationalized sex, but I sincerely and sincerely think of us as a pleasure store.

“We’re diverse, but we want to look as vanilla as possible because the material itself is so remarkable,” she said.

Not everyone in the community welcomed the store, Azmi conceded.

“Of course we had opposition, even from liberal New Yorkers,” she said. “But maybe it’s 1% – less than 1%. And hey, everyone has the right to have an opinion.

While reports have reported a increased sales of sex toys Amid the pandemic, Azmi downplayed the importance of any increase in online sales.

“People can be curious and maybe bored, but I don’t think society is feeling in love right now,” she said. “People are anxious, depressed, deprived of both companionship and income, and just don’t feel excited.”

The store is now only open a few days a week with limited hours for curbside pickup during Phase 1 of the city’s reopening. Azmi is eager to open the doors of Please to buyers once the COVID threat subsides.

“It’s all about this individual human interaction,” she said. “You don’t get these online purchases. “