Sun, 13 Apr 2014

Sex Toys Can Lead You to Jail in Alabama


If you want to improve your "happy moments" with your loving partner by involving items such as vibrators or blowup dolls in the play, here's a simple tip for you: do not even think about doing it in Alabama.


Sex Toys And Nude Dancing


The moniker "Yellowhammer State," as this state is referred to, sounds a bit ironic, since people might associate yellowhammer with the name of a vibrator. This state currently enforces a ban on purchasing or distributing any form of sexual playthings.

As part of the Anti-Obscenity Enforcement Act of 1998, originally sponsored by Senator Tom Butler, this statute criminalizes, among other things, the act of buying and selling the sex toys.

This is done in the pursuit of reducing serious public nuisance and increase the sense of morality in the state. People in the legislative body of the state of Alabama originally created this act to prohibit nude dancing in the state, and not particularly targeting the sex toy industry.



Sherri Williams Challenged the Sex Toy Ban


Being the last state in the United States that still restricts the distribution of so-called sex toys, Alabama has been in the center of litigation and controversy. People have been talking about the antiquity of this legislation.

As expected, the people of Alabama strongly opposed this law, particularly those whose business belongs to this type of industry. One of them is Sherri Williams, owner of The Pleasures store in Huntsville, who challenged the constitutionality of the sex toy ban, highlighting the right to privacy. She, together with the American Civil Liberties Union, managed to file a law suit against this imminent statute.

Despite the continuous struggle to trash out the bill, spanning almost a decade, the imposition of the act was still pursued. After a very long legal fight against this bill, however, though Williams initially won the case in the Federal District Court, the Supreme Court refused to hear the case, before the Eleventh circuit.

This refusal by the SC eventually led to the approval of the Anti-Obscenity Enforcement law on October 1st, 2007. However, it did not stop the people to protest against it, as they claim it to be misogynistic and downright absurd.



Sex Toys Allowed For Scientific, Medical, Or Judicial Purposes

There is a certain exemption to this act, however. It allows distribution of these toys if the distribution is for scientific, medical, or judicial purposes. Thus, many people still continue to buy and sell these sensual items, but marketing them in a different way.

Sex toys are now sold as purely novelty and educational items, and as a collector's item, while adult clothing is now considered as costumes, rather than sexy apparel. Another legal loophole associated with this act is that it does not prohibit people to possess these obscene materials.



Up To Ten Years In Jail

People who violate the implemented law would face a $10000 fine and imprisonment for a maximum of one year. People who repeatedly offend it would be put to jail for up to ten years, as well as pay a fine amounting to almost $50000. Well, talking about a huge lump of money.

So, if sex toys are your thing, definitely put the state of Alabama under your blacklist.



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