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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNew Virginia Bill Would Make Oral Sex Between 17-Year-Olds A Felony
A new Virginia bill would bring back much of Virginias infamous Crimes Against Nature law, months after federal courts struck down the law as unconstitutional. The proposal, which ostensibly would change the law to make clear that engaging in consensual sodomy is not a crime if all persons participating are adults, are not in a public place, and are not committing, attempting to commit, conspiring to commit, aiding, or abetting any act in furtherance of prostitution, would restore felony penalties for minors engaging in oral sex and treat public sodomy differently from other public sex acts.
In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Courts Lawrence v. Texas ruling held that states may not ban private non-commercial sex between consenting adults. Virginias Crimes Against Nature statute, which made oral and anal sex (even between consenting married couples) a felony, was clearly the sort of legislation the Court was referencing. Efforts to amend the law to bring it into compliance with the Supreme Courts ruling were blocked by anti-LGBT legislators who preferred to keep the unconstitutional law on the books. When a prosecutor used a provision of the law to convict a 47-year-old male for asking a 17-year-old female for oral sex, the defendant successfully challenged the conviction by arguing the statute wholly unconstitutional. After a series of unsuccessful appeals by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R), the law remains on the books but unusable.
Senate Bill 14, authored by State Sen. Thomas A. Garrett (R), would amend and reenact the law, attempting to use the old laws language to continue prosecuting cases of anyone who commits crimes against nature in public, with minors, with animals, or for money. As a result, this bill would allow oral and anal sex between consenting adults (in the privacy of their own homes) but would still treat any oral and anal sex in those categories differently from vaginal intercourse, thereby continuing to unfairly distinguish same-sex sexual behavior for harsher punishment.
Back before the courts ruled the old language unconstitutional, LGBT and civil liberties advocates backed the incremental step of amending the law to protect consenting gay and straight adult couples from prosecution for their sexual relationships. But now that the Crimes Against Nature statute has been rendered unenforceable, this new version would represent a step backwards.
full: http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2014/01/08/3133011/virginia-sodomy/
mindwalker_i
(4,407 posts)pangaia
(24,324 posts)mindwalker_i
(4,407 posts)genuis rectus
pangaia
(24,324 posts)mindwalker_i
(4,407 posts)Well, having a job is cool (and this job is really cool).
RoccoR5955
(12,471 posts)from here it sucks!
mindwalker_i
(4,407 posts)Now if you take the square root of it all, then you've got problems.
William769
(55,147 posts)Theres a new sheriff in town.
Katashi_itto
(10,175 posts)Packerowner740
(676 posts)Back then though I was more worried about a pregnancy. I wasn't ready to be a father at 17.
Tx4obama
(36,974 posts)Inspired by Cuccinelli, Virginia Lawmaker Wants to Outlaw Oral Sex Between Teenagers
http://www.mediaite.com/online/inspired-by-cuccinelli-virginia-lawmaker-wants-to-outlaw-oral-sex-between-teenagers/
pangaia
(24,324 posts)Why when I was a kid............
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)really makes a blowjob seem so nasty.
Bjorn Against
(12,041 posts)Sometimes I think some of these crazies must secretly be working for the Democrats, they sure do like to give us material to use against them in campaign ads.
bluestate10
(10,942 posts)a State Senate seat and win it, the bill will die in the Virginia Senate.
Bigmack
(8,020 posts)... I dunno....
Dull?
jmowreader
(50,562 posts)DemocraticWing
(1,290 posts)This will never become law anyway.
ohheckyeah
(9,314 posts)like teenagers never do anything illegal. Sometimes it's so embarrassing to live in Virginia.
BootinUp
(47,186 posts)17 year olds. Lets just cut out the BS and get right to the problem, lol.