Ohio Anti-Adult Bill Goes to Extremes

[mongo]

Ohio Anti-Adult Bill Goes to Extremes
By: Mark Kernes

You can't say that religious conservatives haven't learned from their mistakes – and ours. Ohio House Bill 23, dubbed the "Community Defense Act of 2005," painstakingly incorporates the worst parts of just about every anti-adult ordinance that's been passed (and in many cases upheld) anywhere else in the country, as well as portions of the most adverse U.S. Supreme Court decisions affecting adult, in the past 30 years.

Overall, this is a very bad bill. For one thing, it permits zoning regulation on a township-by-township basis, allowing township attorneys or their hirees to "abate as a nuisance," and to thereafter sell the business' contents and apply the proceeds to their own attorney fees! (Can you say "Fifth Amendment taking"?)

Ohio women who use tampons can now rest easy that they're engaging in "sexual conduct," which is now defined under Sec. 2907.01 as "vaginal intercourse between a male and female; anal intercourse, fellatio, and cunnilingus between persons regardless of sex; and, without privilege to do so, the insertion, however slight, of any part of the body or any instrument, apparatus, or other object into the vaginal or anal cavity of another. Penetration, however slight, is sufficient to complete vaginal or anal intercourse."

Likewise, office workers will want to take care who they bump into at the water cooler, since "sexual contact" is now "any touching of an erogenous zone of another, including without limitation the thigh, genitals, buttock, pubic region, or, if the person is a female, a breast, for the purpose of sexually arousing or gratifying either person." And violators of either standard will also find that they have engaged in "sexual activity."

More - work friendly version - http://www.avn.com/index.php?Primary_Navigation=Articles&Action=Print_Article&Content_ID=226719

This bill could seriously jeopardize my business and your right to purchase adult materials in Ohio. Under this bill, even a Spencer's Gifts could be construed as "adult"

This has already passed in the house. http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=126_HB_23

Here is the Senate version
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=126_SB_0027

I know that most of you don't care about the rights of adults to enjoy sexually oriented entertainment, but don't forget I am at the top of the list of the religious rights targets - any number of things that effect you could be next.

Don't also forget that even though you may find adult entertainment objectionable, this law would also restrict your access to sex toys, any lubricant you can't find at your local drug store, etc.

Please contact your Ohio Senator/write LTTE's about this. Don't let a small minority of theocrats dictate what you can enjoy in the privacy of your own homes - or more specifically, the right to go to a store and buy these items.

If you enjoy strip clubs this - look at what this legislation would do to them. No more tipping strippers directly, no more lap dances and your local strip clubs would have to close at 11pm.

I'll have my LTTE's written by mon night and will post them here. I'm still digesting all the legalese.

Thanks DU!

[Midnight Rambler]

1. Next thing you know

They'll be *gasp* dancing!

[iamjoy]

2. What About OB/GYN And Prostate Exams?

"...the insertion, however slight, of any part of the body or any instrument, apparatus, or other object into the vaginal or anal cavity of another."

[mongo]

3. There is an exception for a "bonafide medical purpose"

[Tux]

4. Arrested for using a tampon?

Ohio resients, let these fools know what you think, flood the newspapers with LTTE, and vote these morons out next time. Sheesh, you'd think basic sexual activity wouldn't be regulated.

[Imperialism Inc.]

5. I'm pretty sure that is hyperbole.

It says "without privilege to do so" and "of another". I'm certain that a woman has the privilege to do that. Not that it makes the law ok.

[mongo]

9. There's a lot of hyperbole in the article

but the author was trying to emphasize how ridiculous and vague the law is.

[Dee625]

12. Looks to me...

like all you have to do is get cetified as clergy and make sure your business is in a church.

That would be funny if it were fiction.

[mongo]

13. Hallelujah!

Chorus
Give me that old time religion, Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion and that's good enough for me.

We will pray to Aphrodite, Even tho' she's rather flighty
And they say she wears no nightie, And that's good enough for me.

Chorus

We will pray with those Egyptians, Build pyramids to put our crypts in
Cover subways with inscriptions, And that's good enough for me.

Chorus

O-old Odin we will follow, And in fighting we will wallow
Till we end up in Valhalla, And that's good enough for me.

Chorus

Let me follow dear Old Buddha, For there is nobody cuter
He comes in plastic, wood, or pewter, And that's good enough for me.

Chorus

We will pray with Zarathustra, Pray just like we useta
I'm a Zarathustra booster, And that's good enough for me.

Chorus

We will pray with those old Druids, They drink fermented fluids
Waltzing naked through the wo-ids, And that's good enough for me.

Chorus

Hare Krishna gets a laugh on, When he sees me dressed in saffron
With my hair that's only half on, And that's good enough for me.

Chorus

I'll arise at early morning, When the sun gives me the warning
That the solar age is dawning, And that's good enough for me.

--Pete Seeger

[Kolesar]

16. that was very entertaining

I am usually not a big fan of lyrics on the DU, but those were great.

[Ian David]

6. This law bans tampons? Satan's little cotton fingers?

Tampons: Satan's Little Cotton Fingers

Landover Baptist battles the Tampax Corporation, vow to remove satan's fingers from the shelves!

http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news0999/cotton.html

[realisticphish]

7. boy

gotta love our fearless leaders in the general assembly

[CatholicEdHead]

8. I found this link intresting

http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=1486057

[mongo]

10. My letter to sen Joy Padgett

Dear Sen. Padgett,

I am very disappointed to see that you are a co-sponsor on SB 27 – Regulate Adult Establishments. Your sponsorship of this bill shows that you do not respect the rights of other adults to live their lives as they see fit.

All other bad portions of this bill (the stripper – 6ft rule for example) aside, I would like to specifically address the portions of this bill that would directly affect my business.

My wife and I own and operate Private Desires Lingerie & Erotic Boutique in Zanesville, OH. We are a strictly a retail establishment that sells products for adults to enjoy in the privacy of their own homes. We do not have viewing booths, or provide any nude or semi-nude entertainment.

First of all, under Zanesville zoning law our store is NOT an adult establishment. It is a lingerie shop with a back room that happens to sell adult products. Zanesville defines an adult establishment as “a business where minors are always prohibited by virtue of their age”. Since the business has a front room where we sell lingerie, hosiery, costumes, lotions and oils, and a minor-restricted back room where the adult products are kept, it is not zoned as adult. This is similar to various video stores and other retail outlets in the city that offer adult products. Private Desires is currently a legally operating business with all necessary permits, is current on its taxes, is an employer to three people, and is a contributor to various charities within this community. In short, our store is no different from any other local business that is supporting the needs of its customers and the community.

Under SB 27, the city can, after the fact declare that the shop is now an “adult business” and create all sorts of new licensing regulations and fees specific to our business. In fact, the wording of the law is so vague that the local Spenser’s Gifts could be construed as an adult business. This law also prescribes the hours I can operate. Why should we be considered any different from any other retail business? I don’t see you sponsoring bills regulating the hours the local Wal-Mart may operate. And just for the record, our business is open from noon to midnight, far fewer hours than the local Wal-mart.

I also see that this bill provides expedited procedures for declaring a business a “nuisance”. Let me assure you that our business is not, and has never been a “nuisance”. In fact, as we found only one landlord willing to rent to us after an exhaustive search, the store is located in an area which was already well-known for drug and prostitution problems. I have been so successful in keeping the prostitutes away from the store’s lot and the corner behind it that the downtown association has recently had to install cameras as the prostitutes have moved there for greener pastures.

If our business is found to be a nuisance for simply selling products for adults to enjoy in the privacy of their own homes, the city would then be able to seize the business’s assets and sell them to recover its costs incurred in prosecuting me. Gee, Joy, have you ever heard of Fifth Amendment due process laws? Apparently not.

The Supreme Court has long held the rights of adults to own sexually explicit material and devices. Why would you place prohibitive restrictions on our store, which only seeks to provide our customers with legal products that they are seeking out?

Perhaps you are part of the minority of this country that seeks to impose its religious and moral views on all other Americans. The growing movement of Theocratic Dominionists that you are supporting by sponsoring this legislation are nothing but a bunch of fascists who do not respect the constitution of the United States and our long tradition of pluralism, individual liberty and the freedom of adults to live without government interference in their personal lives.

I hope that you will reconsider your position on this legislation.

[Dee625]

14. Good luck with Joy Padgett

My husband wrote to her (among others) about the disenfranchisement during the election. About 5 months later, she got back to him with a letter which could be summed up to say (these are my words summarizing her answer) "I asked Ken Blackwell about it and he said everything went find on election night. All is well".

So...yeah.

[mongo]

15. I didn't really think it would help much

Daisy and I tend to get a lot of F U very much - Have a nice day! responses from our representatives - on a variety of issues.

But you have to try - you know?

[Selteri]

11. God, this is just insane, inane and inexcusable. NT