Museum of Sex bus ads spark free speech vs. public sensitivity debate at MTA board meeting

A debate over what's appropriate for public transit is taking center stage at the MTA.

Several speakers at Wednesday's board meeting took issue with advertisements for the Museum of Sex appearing on city buses, arguing children shouldn't be exposed to them on their daily commute.

Speakers voice ad concerns

"These ads demean us. They cheapen the public space, and they are harmful to children," Bernard Fishman said. "We plead and we beg with you, please, please don't put such ads that offend and hurt thousands of law-abiding citizens."

"It needs to be taken off," added Alexander Kemp, with TWU Local 100. "It's extremely offensive to children."

But MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said the issue isn't that simple.

"Number one, I'm very sympathetic to those folks. Inevitably, in the world we live in, there are going to be people who have different standards," he said.

"We have limitations on control"

This isn't the first time the issue has come up. Back in 2018, there were complaints about the ads. Those ads only ran for about a month, while the current ads have been running for six months.

Some commuters who spoke to CBS News New York weren't as concerned as those at the board meeting.

"Honestly, I don't pay it much mind," one rider said.

"This is New York, you know?" another rider said.

Lieber said the MTA has an advertising committee that reviews campaigns, but says the agency is limited in what it can reject under the law. He also revealed the MTA previously pushed the Museum of Sex to modify its ads.

"For a long time, they just said 'Museum of Sex.' We insisted that they at least add the address so people weren't misunderstanding what the message was," Lieber said.

The Museum of Sex has locations in New York City and several other cities. CBS News New York reached out to the museum for comment about the controversy but has not heard back.

For now, the ads remain on MTA buses, and so does the debate over where free speech ends and public sensitivity begins.