This edition of the alt.sex FAQ was written in the early part of 1994 by the last Alt.sex FAQ Committee. They reflect the best wisdom and knowledge of all the participants on the committee at that time.

Since those days, however, alt.sex has been overrun by advertising spam of such unbelievable volume that nobody asks questions anymore. There are no “frequently asked questions” on the newsgroup and maintaining an FAQ for it, especially one of the considerable quality found here, is simply not worthwhile or even honest.

Consider this a historical document. It reflects alt.sex as it existed in its finest, most golden years. Some sections will never be out of date; it’s hard to imagine good advice on oral sex or virginity or even buying a great sex toy ever going out of style. Anatomy doesn’t change although our understanding of it might. Some sections, however, are dreadfully out of date; The sections on Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Legal Issues, even Terms and Acronyms have fallen far behind the times. For lists of current resources, Yahoo might be a better place to start.

United States Sodomy Laws, state by state

In the first column, an M indicates misdemeanor, F is felony.

**ALABAMA**

M 13A-6-65,Sexual Misconduct, 1 year/$2000. Does not apply to married couples.

**ALASKA** Repealed effective 1980*

**ARIZONA**

M 13-1411, Crime Against Nature (anal intercourse), 30 days/$500

M 13-1412, Lewd and Lascivious Acts, 30 days/$500

**ARKANSAS**

M 5-14-111, Sodomy, 1 year/$1000, same sex only

Bill passed unanimously "aimed at weirdos and queers who live in a fairyland world and are trying to wreck family life." Signed into law by governor in 1977.

**CALIFORNIA** Repealed effective 1976*

**COLORADO** Repealed effective 1972*

**CONNECTICUT** Repealed effective 1971*

**DELAWARE** Repealed effective 1973*

**FLORIDA **

M 800.02, Unnatural and Lascivious Act, 60 days/$500

**GEORGIA**

F 16-6-2, Sodomy, 1 to 20 years

Upheld as to homosexuals on the grounds that there is no fundamental federal constitutional right to "engage in sodomy." *Bowers v. Hardwick, 478 U.S. 186 (1986)*.

M 16-6-15, Solicitation of Sodomy, 1 year/$1000

**HAWAII** Repealed effective 1973*

**IDAHO**

F 18-6605, Crime Against Nature, 5 years to life

**ILLINOIS** Repealed effective 1962*

First state to repeal sodomy laws, in 1961.

**INDIANA** Repealed effective 1977*

Earlier effort to repeal said legalization might "give us an opportunity to study it more openly, and to see what causes it, in the hope that we can eventually eliminate it."

**IOWA** Repealed effective 1978*

**KANSAS**

M 21-3505, Sodomy, 6 months/$1000, same sex only

**KENTUCKY**

Held unconstitutional by state Supreme Court 1992. *Commonwealth v. Wasson*

**LOUISIANNA**

F 14.89, Crime Against Nature, 5 years/$2000.

Held unconstitutional by Orleans Parish Court, appeal pending.

**MAINE** Repealed effective 1976*

**MARYLAND**

F 27-553, Sodomy, 10 years

F 27-554, Unnatural or Perverted Sexual Practices, 10 years/$1000

Found not to apply to noncommercial, hetrosexual activity in private. *Schochet v. State, 1990*.

**MASSACHUSETTS**

F 272-34, Crime Against Nature, 20 years

F 272-35, Unnatural and Lascivious Acts, 5 years/$100-$1000

Crime Against Nature applies only to anal intercourse. Unnatural and Lascivious Acts has been held not apply to private consensual adult behavior. *Commonwealth v. Balthazar*, Supreme Judicial Court 1974. It has been suggested that such a ruling would apply to Crime Against Nature.

**MICHIGAN**

F 750.158, Crime Against Nature, 15 years

Held unconstitutional as applied to private, consensual adult behavior. *Michigan Organization for Human Rights v. Kelly* (Wayne County Circ. Ct. 1990), no appeal taken, only applies to Wayne County. Held consitutional by Michigan Court of Apeals (*People v. Brashier*) 1992, effective outside of Wayne County. Decision is needed from the Michigan Supreme Court.

**MINNESOTA**

M 609.293, Sodomy, 1 year/$3000

Minnesota's law also prohibits sex between humans and birds.

**MISSISSIPPI**

F 97-29-59, Unnatural Intercourse, 10 years

**MISSOURI**

M 566.090, Sexual Misconduct, 1 year/$1000, same sex only

**MONTANA**

F 45-5-505, Deviate Sexual Conduct, 10 years/$50,000, same sex only

**NEBRASKA** Repealed effective 1978 *

**NEVADA** Repealed effective 1993*

**NEW HAMPSHIRE** Repealed effective 1975*

**NEW JERSEY** Repealed effective 1979*

**NEW MEXICO** Repealed effective 1975*

**NEW YORK **

Held unconstitutional by state Supreme Court 1980, *People v. Onofre*

**NORTH CAROLINA**

F 14-177, Crime Against Nature, 10 years / discretionary fine

**NORTH DAKOTA** Repealed effective 1975*

**OHIO** Repealed effective 1974*

**OKLAHOMA**

F 21-886, Crime Against Nature, 10 years

A 1977 effort to repeal sodomy laws was met with a vote-delaying "chorus of giggles."

**OREGON** Repealed effective 1972*

**PENNSYLVANIA **

Held unconstitutional by state Supreme Court 1980. *Commonwealth v. Bonadio*

**RHODE ISLAND**

F 11-10-1, Crime Against Nature, 7-20 years. Includes "ordinary extramarital intercourse."

**SOUTH CAROLINA**

F 16-15-120, Buggery, 5 years/$500

The law actually legislates the "abominable crime of buggery." No further statutory explaination given.

**SOUTH DAKOTA** Repealed effective 1977*

**TENNESSEE**

M 39-13-510, Homosexual Acts, 30 days/$50, same sex only

**TEXAS**

Found unconstitutional by state Court of Appeals, *England v. Dallas*, no appeal taken. Effective 1994 with the dismissal of *Morales v. State*.

**UTAH **

M 76-5-403, Sodomy, 6 months/$1000

In 1982, the Republican State Convention added a plank to its platform stating that homosexuals should be **denied** the civil, political, social, and economic rights guaranteed to others.

**VERMONT** Repealed effective 1977*

**VIRGINIA**

F 18.2-361, Crime Against Nature, 5-20 years

**WASHINGTON** Repealed effective 1976*

**WEST VIRGINIA** Repealed effective 1976*

**WISCONSIN** Repealed effective 1983*

**WYOMING** Repealed effective 1977*

U.S. Possesions

**D.C.** Repealed effective 1993*

**AMERICAN SAMOA** Repealed effective ?*

**GUAM** Repealed effective ?*

**N. MARIANA IS.** Repealed effective ?*

**VIRGIN ISLANDS** Repealed effective ?*

**PUERTO RICO**

Criminal, penalties unknown.

Compiled by Bob Summersgill xe605C@GWUVM.GWU.EDU, DC Sodomy-Law reform coalition.

Age of Consent in the United States, by state.

As of August 6, 1994

Footnotes:

• [1] Age 16 if the man is 21 or older.
• [2] If the female is over 12, the statute applies only to virgins.
• [3] If the victim is 14 or fifteen and the defendant is within three years of age, the court has discretion.

Contributed by: Bill Casti quire@vector.casti.com