WASHINGTON — The Guardian published a report today probing the religious motivations behind the current Republican effort to put forth “anti-porn bills” at the state level across the U.S.
The Guardian describes the current campaign — which XBIZ has been covering closely — as “aimed at outlawing aspects of sexuality,” adding that it “could have a huge impact on Americans’ private lives and businesses.”
In the piece, The Guardian’s Hallie Lieberman notes critics’ concerns that these culture war initiatives targeting all aspects of sexual behavior “could spawn prosecution of breast-pump companies in Texas for nipples on advertising, or a bookstore might be banned from selling romance novels in West Virginia, or South Carolina could imprison standup comics if a risque joke is heard by a young person.”
According to Lieberman, the bills are “part of a post-Roe nationwide strategy by the religious wing of the Republican party, now that federal abortion rights have fallen. They range from banning all businesses that sell sex-related goods to anti-drag queen bills.”
She quotes Arkansas State Sen. Tyler Dees (R-Siloam Springs) as stating, in reference to porn, “I would love to outlaw it all.” Dee introduced a bill last month requiring age verification before “entering a website offering pornography” and this week admitted that his state initiative is only a stepping stone toward the ultimate goal of a federal mandate.
Far-Reaching Implications
The Guardian sounds the alarm about the potential impact of the legislation comprising the Republican anti-sex campaign, noting, “Louisiana’s law requires websites featuring 33.33% or more pornographic content to check government-issued ID to verify users are 18 and older. Websites that don’t comply face civil penalties. Parents can sue the site if kids access it.”
In Texas, the report explained, a new age verification bill would define “images of the female breast ‘below the top of the areola’ as porn, potentially hitting at business advertisements. In West Virginia, a bill outlawing all sexually oriented businesses is on the docket, with a definition that includes art studios with nude models and wrestling arenas. In South Carolina a bill would criminalize using ‘profane language’ related to ‘sexual or excretory organs or activities’ in front of minors during performances. The punishment? Up to a decade in prison.”
Some bills, Lieberman added, “define porn so broadly that anatomy textbooks or sex education websites would meet them.”
Lieberman quotes Eugene Volokh, a professor of law at UCLA and popular legal blogger, who said, “I don’t think such laws for the internet are constitutional.”
To read, “Republicans take aim at risqué jokes and romance novels with anti-sex bills,” visit TheGuardian.com.