In Lafayette, CA, the "Purple People" is a group that lives in purple houses and travels in purple limousines. The highly controversial community, officially called Lafayette Morehouse, formed in 1968 and has since been labeled a sex cult. The members of this cooperative community engage in experimental sexual research and believe in a life of pleasure. Lafayette Morehouse members teach sex practices and techniques, and the group even used to offer college degrees on the subject.

Some claim residents of the hedonistic co-op are free to come and go as they please and that Lafayette Morehouse is simply a community that encourages pleasurable living. Others say the group uses intimidation tactics to keep members closed up behind purple doors. The “free love” commune faced public criticism in 1994 when authorities arrested founder Dr. Victor Baranco and his wife for possession of LSD. The arrest led credence to former allegations that the Morehouse founder coerced students into taking illegal drugs.

Lafayette Morehouse - which employs its own security guards to protect the property - reportedly has ties to the alleged pyramid scheme and cult OneTaste, a San Francisco business that offers “orgasmic meditation” for women. Since 2001, OneTaste has set up locations across the world, including London and Melbourne.

