living in sin

[chelidon]

From today's news:

It's legal to play house in North Carolina (subhed: Judge lifts state's cohabitation ban, calls it unconstitutional)

It's insane to me that these laws are still on the books. But it's not just North Carolina. North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi and North Dakota all have active laws still in force that make it illegal for unmarried couples to live under the same roof.

Comments

[alobar.livejournal.com]

When I was living in Ithaca NY (progressive collge town) we faught and won that battle before Common Council back in the early 70s. Before that a landlord could refuse to rent to un-married couples or gays, and even evict them after they had moved in. Council agreed that leases could not be terminated by landlords because unmarried people were having sex.

Feisty Council meeting. Both Gays and rabid Christian turned out in force. One Christian dude keep yelling out about "Sodomy". One Lesbian replied "Not all of us ever engage in Sodomy. Not just Lesbians, bit also some gay men. The bible thumper was totally bewildered & did not know what to say. "Speak to me after the meeting if you want to know what we do," the Lesbian said. The bible thumper turned beet red, but had nothing further to say.

[anthologie.livejournal.com]

I think I just rolled my eyes so hard you could hear it all the way over there.

[kitten-goddess.livejournal.com]

What if a father lives with his unmarried, grown daughter? Or an unmarried brother and sister? Or two roommates who have separate rooms? Would they get prosecuted?

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Depends on how the law is written -- in most cases, they explicitly state that the people in question have to be having sex, in which case the first two examples above would run afoul of other laws as well ;>

[swansister.livejournal.com]

I just read about this case and those laws this morning. As a West Virginian who lived with her partner before legal marriage I was appalled that a law like this is even on the books in WV.

Despite that, I laugh in the face of such absurbly controlling and invasive laws. What can I do to change this? Hmmmmm, I know one senator and several delegates and anyone can propose a bill as long as one can get a senator or delegate to sponsor it on the floor.

Hmmmm, what to do with that knowledge?

Grins...

Swan

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Heh, I bet. Good story! I always love it when people have to actually face their fears and illusions head-on, instead of creating this internal objectified construct and fight "that" -- that is, after all, no different than fighting themselves, it's a purely internal conflict externalized and projected on some bit of the real outside world.

Anyway... ;> Of course there's also the bit that the use of the term "sodomy" to refer to homosexual intercourse is an entirely modern (well, KJV) misinterpretation/mistranslation of the Christian bible to begin with. Not only does the word sodomy not literally mean what the bible-thumper you describe apparently thought it did, but the biblical story of Sodom in Genesis 18-19, from which the word sodomy was coined, doesn't actual condemn homosexual sex acts in the first place. It's gang-rape of males that's the real kicker there (although Lot offering to give up his daughters to be gang-raped instead of his two male guests apparently was seen as a holy act, go figure).

[kitty42.livejournal.com]

I remember that law coming up in Tallahassee,FL when people were complaining about unwed college students (mostly Florida State) living in the same apartment. That was only 4-5 years ago.

what if......

[cerr.livejournal.com]

What if you are cousins living together and one of you accidentally has a "Seinfeld" moment of *gulp* accidental sodomy?! (Didja HAVE to use the spiral pasta?!) What if.......

OK well.......there's a similar law in Montana the the "jist" according to local politicians in Missoula were that in a college town they didn't want too many "animal house" situations arising of out of control roommates and such - k well it's a college town, it is what it is.....makes no sense any way it's shown in the glass......
btw, LOVE the lesbian story - I bet the thumper exploded in a puff of feathers once his imagination kicked in *snark*