Background Noise: Reflecting Light
Last website visited: Slate
Mood: ... omg...
Right now i want... there's a long list this morning...

but first things first

*ahem*

Listen to this story on NPR's Day to Day and Read about Alabama's Sexual Bill of Rights at Slate this story is subtitled "Bickering over vibrators on the 11th Circuit", btw... can you see where i'm going here?

Alabamians can still use, improvise, borrow (not recommended by Slate or its legal counsel), or import from out-of-state the latex items of their choosing. But as far as the court of appeals is concerned, the sale and advertising of "any device designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs" can now get you up to a year of jail time and up to $10,000 in fines. Condoms and Viagra are exempted from the ban, as are whipped cream, anything sold at the Sharper Image, and Barry White CDs.

... yep, you read/heard that right: it is illegal to sell vibrators in Alabama. some other states too. but, this law, enacted in 1998 (unbelievably!), has actually made it through the lower courts through to the 11th circut. and get this: it was deemed unconstitutional in the lower courts (as in, it is unconsitutional to prevent the sale of such... toys ) but the state didn't like those answers, so the it appealed to the 11th circut to get the answer they wanted: constitutional.

oh, those legislators down in Alabama know they can't arrest you for buying sex toys in other states and having the audacity to use them in the privacy of your own bedrooms (or cars, whatever), but they draw a line! a line in the sand! they have to take a moral stance on this one: we will not allow those tacky sex-toy stores in our fair state!

i can't stop laughing over this one, really, it's too funny -- but very very scarry at the same time. every few weeks i find yet another reason to actually go to law school. attacking sex-toys is really just going too far. give me a break, are we seriously taking time and money to legislate this?!