This edition of the alt.sex FAQs 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Consider this a historical document.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 Some sections will never be out of date; it's hard to imagine good advice on oral sex or virginity or even buying a great sex toy ever going out of style.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 Some sections, however, are dreadfully out of date; The sections on Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Legal Issues, even Terms and Acronyms have fallen far behind the times.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ALASKA Repealed effective 1980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CALIFORNIA Repealed effective 1976

COLORADO Repealed effective 1972

CONNECTICUT Repealed effective 1971

DELAWARE Repealed effective 1973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HAWAII Repealed effective 1973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ILLINOIS Repealed effective 1962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INDIANA Repealed effective 1977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.

Age of Consent in the United States, by state.

As of August 6, 1994

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