US conservatives want to outlaw sex toys in South Carolina

[NG]

Bill would make sale of sex toys illegal in South Carolina
SEANNA ADCOX
Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Sugar 'N Spice manager Pat Irons says a proposal to outlaw the sale of sex toys in South Carolina is outrageous.

But banning the sale of sex toys is actually quite common in some Southern states.

The South Carolina bill, proposed by Republican Rep. Ralph Davenport, would make it a felony to sell devices used primarily for sexual stimulation and allow law enforcement to seize sex toys from raided businesses.

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.

At Sugar 'N Spice, sex toys are displayed in a separate room. Buyers include men and women who "need a little help" because surgery or medical problems are affecting their marriage, Irons said.

"We've been selling these sex toys for 27 years," she said Friday. "Even pastors shop in here. They send couples in here they counsel for marriage problems. It's probably going to hit people like that harder than people realize."

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.

Johnson said he knew nothing of Davenport's proposal and was unsure how it could help their investigations, which involve undercover detectives renting movies or buying magazines and prosecutors determining whether they're obscene.

"We're focused on the hard-core magazines, videos ... the hard-core porn," he said.

Other states that ban the sell of sex toys include Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas, said Mark Lopez, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union.

Alabama's law banning the sale of sex toys has been circulating through the courts since its passage in 1998. U.S. District Judge Lynwood Smith Jr. twice ruled against the law, holding that it violated the constitutional right to privacy, but the state won both times on appeal.

In February 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case, which is back in the lower courts.

"People think it's distasteful. It makes for good campaign fodder and panders to the conservative side of people. That's why we see the laws in the South," Lopez said.

The ACLU got involved in the case, he said, to "keep the government out of the bedroom."

Though the laws don't punish people for owning sex toys, banning their sale is a backdoor attempt to discourage their use, Lopez said.

"People have a fundamental right to engage in lawful sexual practices in the privacy of their home," Lopez said. "It's not like this stuff is available in Macy's. Kids aren't allowed in. You or I wouldn't accidentally walk into one."

Wonder how long it'll take Harper to import this into Canada along with the "God Bless" part he loves in his speeches.

[D-Sisive]

next thing you know, it'll become a commy place where you can only have kids after applying for a license (although for some parents to be, its not a bad thing haha)

so are they gonna ban cucumbers and bananas and gerbils etc etc

[fakishan]

what a backward society. we can do without "those" kind of people.

[FastFokker]

what a backward society.

Amen.

[ElChico]

A anti-christian anti-america thread to balance with the anti-iran anti-islam thread. How quaint.

It's amazing how alike america and iran, and islam and christianity are at times.

[Bree]

It's funny how much free time some people have on their hands to think up something like this.

[FastFokker]

It's funny how much free time some people have on their hands to think up something like this.

No doubt, they should be having fun with their spouses.. with sex toys!

Wasn't there a recent study of the worlds citizens and it showed that Americans were the least sexually fulfilled and satisfied with their partners?

Or something to that near effect. They shouldn't be banning sex toys, they should be HANDING THEM OUT!

[gei]

Agreed. Another backwards society. Sadly many parts of America are still dominated by their own breed of radical religious extremists.

Fortunately however there are plenty of enlightened americans to fight back against this.

And as much as some people hate Harper, I don't think Canada or Canadians would tolerate these types of restrictions, nor do I think the conservatives have any interest in implementing them.

[Bree]

No doubt, they should be having fun with their spouses.. with sex toys!

Wasn't there a recent study of the worlds citizens and it showed that Americans were the least sexually fulfilled and satisfied with their partners?

Or something to that near effect. They shouldn't be banning sex toys, they should be HANDING THEM OUT!

That's way too funny!!!!!!!

[FastFokker]

Fortunately however there are plenty of enlightened americans to fight back against this.

I feel on the floor!

Good one.

[NG]

Fortunately however there are plenty of enlightened americans to fight back against this.

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.

Doesn't sound like it...

And as much as some people hate Harper, I don't think Canada or Canadians would tolerate these types of restrictions, nor do I think the conservatives have any interest in implementing them.

I'm sure they do and will if Canadians ever give them the chance to do it. Mind you with Abortion, Gay Marriage, Legal sex shows it's not like we haven't given them enough to work on first.

[FastFokker]

If Canada started shutting down the sex industry, Quebec would definitely seperate!

[gei]

I feel on the floor!

Good one.

Doesn't sound like it...

Fine you guys are right. All 300,000,000 or so Americans are mindless Christian sheep who must obey their master Bush.

(rolling eyes)

[ElChico]

Fine you guys are right. All 300,000,000 or so Americans are mindless Christian sheep who must obey their master Bush.

(rolling eyes)

Why do people blame Bush? This is State Law.

[FastFokker]

Fine you guys are right. All 300,000,000 or so Americans are mindless Christian sheep who must obey their master Bush.

Get your facts straight.

There are not 300,000,000 mindless Christian sheep in South Carolina.