Date: Mon, 18 Mar 1996 20:14:30 -0500 From: ac245@osfn.rhilinet.gov (Tina M. Wood) Subject: Alliance Sodomy Law Repeal Brochure Below is the text of the Alliance's brochure about sodomy law repeal. Many thanks to Mark T. King for uploading it. --cut here--- WHAT IT IS A bill has been introduced in both the RI House and Senate which would simply repeal the existing law prohibiting sodomy in RI. The law is known as the "Abominable and Detestable Crimes Against Nature" statute. This statute outlaws consensual sexual acts such as anal and oral sex. It applies equally to heterosexual and homo/bisexual Rhode Islanders. The statute also outlaws bestiality. The sentence, if convicted, is up to 20 years in prison. The primary sponsors of the repeal legislation are Sen. John Roney in the Senate and Rep. Edith Ajello in the House. Additional Senate sponsors include Will Fitzpatrick, J. Clement Cicilline, June Gibbs, and Rhoda Perry. Additional sponsors in the House include David Cicilline, Gordon Fox, Paul Moura, and Charles Levesque. WHY IT'S NECESSARY Even though no gay or lesbian Rhode Islander has been prosecuted recently under the sodomy statute it is dangerous for two reasons. First several people have been arrested by the police and charged under this statute. The charges have never been prosecuted; the attorney general has said he will not prosecute consensual homosexual sodomy (and he has kept his word). However the lives of the people who are arrested for sodomy are still very badly affected. Their names appear in the paper as suspected felons. Some have been kept at the ACI and tested for HIV without permission. This can continue as long as the law remains on the books. Furthermore, just because we have a verbal assurance from the present attorney general that he will not prosecute consensual homosexual sex under this statute, we have no such assurances from any future ones. The current attorney general, Jeff Pine, has said that he wants to keep this statute on the books because it is a useful plea bargaining tool for his office. When they have a suspected rapist and they cannot prove that there was lack of consent, they can often threaten the suspect with prosecution for sodomy (if any oral or anal sex was involved) and 20 years in prison. Under these circumstances they expect suspects to confess to having committed other crimes or they can still prosecute for sodomy. If you believe this is unethical, you're not alone. Laws are not intended to be used selectively when it is convenient for prosecutors. Furthermore the sodomy law is bad because it is unenforceable. Most adults have broken this law. It is no longer consistent with the sexual mores of our society. Every other northeastern state has removed its sodomy statute, except for MA. Twenty-eight states in all have removed their sodomy laws since 1961. It's time for RI to repeal it! TO BE DONE t We need to educate and lobby legislators on the importance of repealing the archaic, unenforceable, and discriminatory sodomy law. t We need to have a strong showing of people to attend the public hearings in the House (tentatively April 2) and Senate (tentatively March 28). If you want to be notified of the hearings, call The Alliance and leave your name and number on our machine. Remember we may not get more than a 2-day notice. t We need organizations to sign on to the RI Right to Privacy Coalition. The coalition supports the right of consenting adults to sexual privacy. Copies are available by calling The Alliance. t For more info call The Alliance at 521-GAYS and leave a message. --------end of text--------- We now know that the Senate hearing will NOT be March 28, but we do not know what date it will be at the moment.