A decade after Lawrence v. Texas, a federal appeals court in Virginia has finally tossed the state’s law banning anal and oral sex between consenting adults.
In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit maintained the ban against “crimes against nature,” need to go, because Lawrence established that “statutes criminalizing private acts of consensual sodomy between adults are inconsistent with the protections of liberty” in the Fourteenth Amendment’s right to due process.
Ironically, Texas still has a sodomy ban on the books. As Think Progress notes, it would take an act of the full Legislature to repeal that statute, and the Republican supermajority has blocked any attempts at repeal. In all, 14 states still ban consensual sodomy, four them specifically between two people of the same sex.
Photo: Bilerico Project
MuscleModelBlog.com
I can’t imagine why a political party would have any real reason to not want to repeal a now defunct law. Are their constituents really THAT conservative? It’s shocking how narrow-minded some people can be.
Billysees
Narrow-mindedness is hard to understand, especially when it doesn’t affect the narrow-minded.
Too much conservatism is always shocking.
RomanHans
Make this very clear: Virginia tried to keep anti-sodomy laws on the books just to harass homosexuals. The police could still arrest people and imprison them, knowing full well the case would be thrown out at trial. It’s about time the federal government shut this down. Personally, I’d soon stick my hand in the garbage disposal than visit the state for haters, Virginia.
jaack
The south doesn’t want the laws removed from the books. STRUCK down by the Supreme Court ruling won’t mean taken off their books. These laws can still be used as weapons against people even though they are blatantly unconstitutional. Any person can still be
arrested, have an arrest record created, be labeled a sex offender,etc. Then try to clean up your record can cost you dearly; spouses, friends, jobs etc. Hatred is alive and well and lives in the words and hearts of many proclaiming their belief in the bible. They can’t practice what they preach, because they are so far apart. The New Testament bible preaches unconditional Love and hatred can be gleaned by nit-picking certain passages
of the OLD Testament supposedly no longer part of the Covenant between the Almighty and Mankind! It is truly sad that religion is used AGAINST so many people.
WayDifferent
Are they still allowed to rape goats down there?
Anyway, just move if you don’t like it. I’m not party affiliated but $hitcago was a bit too “liberal” with their weed, drugs, filth and sex in the alleys, open air drug market on their gay strip………..just sayin’………
Billysees
@jaack: 4
You say, “Hatred is alive and well and lives in the words and hearts of many proclaiming their belief in the bible.”
I would make the comment more correct by saying —
Hatred is alive and well and lives in the words and hearts of many “conservatives” proclaiming their belief in the bible.
SamiJ
Ugh, fundies need to shut up about sodomy.
Ezekiel 16:
49 “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.”
Sure, I’d like to see wealthy people ignoring the plight of the poor and being smug jerks about it criminalised, since that’s what “sodomy” SHOULD mean, but… not happening.
So please remember that the Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah is one in which NO-ONE comes out looking particularly wholesome, and move on.
Polaro
They do realize that oral sex between a straight couple is sodomy, right? Stupid, hypocritical morons.
Aidan8
Sodomy was historically considered anything other than vaginal intercourse. Of course, I never expect the fundamentalist-evangelical-anti-gay crowd to be cognizant of history, yet I wonder how many of them would say they’re good with committing a crime every time they get a blowjob from their wives? Or go down on their wives? Ignorant hypocrites that they are, I’m sure they’d dodge the issue and say sodomy is only anal sex between men.
Billysees
@SamiJ: 7
Meaningful commentary.
Never knew this perspective before.
krystina rose
well thank BAST for that at last i can have sex and not worry “am i gonna get arested?” and i live (unfortunally) in the worst town in va (hint hint)