sex toys banned?

[Yossarian]

http://www.boingboing.net/2006/04/22/south_carolina_may_o.html

I've heard of similar things before in various states - sex toys having to be sold as 'novelty' toys because they are illegal. Why do folk care what other folk put in their woohoo?

[CamEdwards]

Cleanup on aisle 5... Bucc's head has exploded.

Honestly, I have no idea why people think these are needed laws. I do know what could stop laws like from being passed, however.

We need a dildo lobby in this country.

[IwasHere]

First, I would like to say I can't believe they are goibng to make this a Felony.


Second, does anyone know where I am supposed to buy my hot apple pie now?:D

[JPhillips]

The reality is that a lot of the religious right wants to ban any sexual freedom. Within a few years some state is going to try to ban birth control because there shouldn't be consequence free sex.

[QuikSand]

There's always a big difference between "the state legislature is considering ______" and "_______ has some reasonable chance of becoming law."

[Yossarian]

There's always a big difference...

True.. but laws like this have passed in various states - i remember hearing about a sex shop being shut down somewhere (texas?) because they weren't hiding the true nature of their wares under the novely banner sufficiently

[KWhit]

The reality is that a lot of the religious right wants to ban any sexual freedom.

Yep.

[Rizon]

True.. but laws like this have passed in various states - i remember hearing about a sex shop being shut down somewhere (texas?) because they weren't hiding the true nature of their wares under the novely banner sufficiently

Happened to one down the street from my house. They made them change the name and everything.

EDIT: Not shut down, but they had to stop selling some sex items or something.

[sabotai]

Can we please just let South Carolina secede now?

[Desnudo]

I would like to be on the enforcement board for that.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

Last I heard, SC is also planning to ban the sale of cucumbers and carrots. Also, Home depot was ordered to stop selling flashlights.

[albionmoonlight]

A few years ago a federal judge in Alabama was making some ruling or other on Alabama's sex toy ban. As part of his ruling, he went through the history of sex toys. Best line in the case:

"Marriage did not always 'cure' the 'disease' represented by the ordinary and uncomfortably persistent functioning of women's sexuality outside the dominant sexual paradigm. This relegated the task of relieving the symptoms of female arousal to medical treatment, which defined female orgasm under clinical conditions as the crisis of an illness, the 'hysterical paroxysm.' In effect, doctors inherited the task of producing orgasm in women because it was a job nobody else wanted."


http://www.alnd.uscourts.gov/smith/opinions/Williams%20v%20Pryor%20CV98-S-01938-NE/Williams%20Mem%20Op.pdf at page 43.

[Subby]

In effect, doctors inherited the task of producing orgasm in women because it was a job nobody else wanted."
Poor Dr. EaglesFan27 :(

[Eaglesfan27]

Poor Dr. EaglesFan27 :(


Don't cry for me ;)

[JonInMiddleGA]

For a little more detail and a little more perspective on what this is really about
http://www.beaufortgazette.com/state_news/regional/story/5682013p-5093961c.html

The measure would add sex toys to the state's obscenity laws, which already prohibit the dissemination and advertisement of obscene materials.

People convicted under obscenity laws face up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

South Carolina law borrows from a 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling to define obscene as something "contemporary community standards" determine as "patently offensive" sexual conduct, which "lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value."
...
While Davenport's proposal is probably aimed at shutting down X-rated adult bookstores, Irons said, it hurts customers of "couples-oriented" stores such as her West Columbia shop, which sells everything from lingerie to bridal shower novelties to lotions.
...
Davenport, who is from Spartanburg County, did not return several messages Friday to talk about his bill, which was introduced last month. No other legislator has signed on as a co-sponsor and its passage this year seems unlikely.

Recent police raids in Davenport's county have targeted adult-oriented businesses.

The sheriff's office there seized movies, sex toys, sexual-enhancement pills and surveillance tapes from two businesses in January.

One of the stores, Priscilla's, sued the sheriff's office, claiming the raid violated constitutional rights and asked for the return of the seized items. Sheriff Chuck Wright refused.

The case has not yet gone to trial, Maj. Dan Johnson said.

Adding some of the background makes it appear to me that this is more about local politics for the legislator who proposed it than it is about some intense concern about sex toys in general. The bill has no co-sponsor & doesn't seem to have much chance to be passed this session and I suspect Davenport knows that. On the surface, it looks more like an easy play to gain a little favor with his local voters.

[Koryo]

Aren't these things covered under the right to bear arms? :)

[saldana]

i thought this thread was going to be about a member whose name was Sex Toys that pissed of Skydog.