Bill That Keeps Classification of Gays as Sex Offenders Clears Louisiana
Senate
Southern
Voice, April 12, 2001
Atlanta, GA
New Orleans News
BATON ROUGE Amid criticism from lobbyists, state
Sen. Arthur J. Lentinis (R-Metarie) Senate Bill 41 sailed unanimously
through the Senate last week.
The bill requires sex offenders, including rapists and pedophiles as well
as gay men and lesbians caught having consensual sex, to register with their
local police departments. Sex offenders already must register with their local
sheriff.
Critics said the additional registration isnt necessary, as the two
enforcement agencies could share the data. The state Supreme Court had already
admonished the system, which also requires offenders to mail letters to their
neighbors, as too financially burdensome on some convicts.
"They are making gay sex between adults a sex crime under at least 10
statutes," said John Rawls, a gay New Orleans civil rights attorney.
The measure passed unanimously a week after getting the okay from the
Senate Judiciary Committee A. The bill now moves to the House.
"This is a good bill and other Senators see its value," Lentini
said. As long as sodomy considered a "crime against nature"
is part of the states criminal statutes, same-sex couples who engage in
consensual sex are potential targets of the law and subject to classification
as sex offenders. Lentini has said that he is not trying to discriminate
against "that lifestyle per se," but that "as long as the law
includes [gays], they would have to comply, yes."
Commentary:
I find this report puzzling. Apparently offenders convicted under the Louisiana sodomy law are to be required to report under this version of
Megan's law.
But the Louisiana sodomy law, recently upheld by their state supreme court, is NOT one of the gay-only sodomy laws, but applies equally to
heterosexual sodomy.
Therefore whence comes this almost obsessive involvement with gay sex "offenders" which pervades this article, and why is nothing said about
the hordes of heterosexual sodomy-law violators virtually the entire adult
population of the state who, potentially will have to report also?
Strange!
Frank Kameny
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