It comes as little shock that the Republican party, which is obsessed with sexual expression and reproduction, to a pathological degree, would find one of their senators involved in a whack a mole case defending a state law banning the advertisement and sale of sex toys, or “obscene devices” as then-solicitor general Ted Cruz dubbed them. Vanity Fair:
In its brief to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Cruz and his team argued that the plaintiffs challenging the law, a group of online retailers and Austin stores that sold sex toys, were not protected under the 14th Amendment’s right to privacy. In fact, he continued, banning obscene devices was in the public interest, and the government should be granted “police powers” for the purposes of “discouraging prurient interests in sexual gratification, combating the commercial sale of sex, and protecting minors.” Furthermore, using “obscene devices,” the state argued, was akin to “hiring a willing prostitute or engaging in consensual bigamy.”
Cruz observed that the law itself did not prevent people from using dildos or artificial vaginas in the privacy of their own homes, but unlike Lawrence v. Texas, the landmark Supreme Court case striking down laws prohibiting certain types of consensual sex, “there is no substantive-due-process right to stimulate one’s genitals for non-medical purposes unrelated to procreation or outside of an interpersonal relationship.” (It is unclear who penned that exact turn of phrase, but one could easily imagine Ted Cruz saying those words to a black-robed judge.)
Sadly for Cruz, and thankfully for the world, his argument was struck down and the law overturned. “The case is not about public sex. It is not about controlling commerce in sex. It is about controlling what people do in the privacy of their own homes because the State is morally opposed to a certain type of consensual private intimate conduct,” the court ruled in a 2-1 decision.
Hey #MAGA, making masterbation illegal is nuts. Arguing the government should be given “police powers” for the purposes of “discouraging prurient interests in sexual gratification is a very creepy version of a police state. Your GOP at work. https://t.co/FFLMNZhsrZ
— John Oberlin (@OMGno2trump) May 11, 2019
Cruz even considered taking the matter to the supreme court, but decided not to.
Do you suppose the Canadians have any clue how blessed they are that Cruz came down here to muck with our political system and culture as opposed to theirs? But it makes sense. Robin Williams said, “Canada is the nice apartment over the meth lab.” Cruz’ ideas definitely sound like something conceived in a meth lab.
Does he have any idea how many people use them because they’re *safe*?
Although this kind of thing would definitely please the louder fundies – they hate the idea of people enjoying sex.
Make Masturbation Great Again! I can’t think of a logo slogan more suitable to a scarlet red hat.
How bout Masturbate American Genitals Always? Who knew MAGA could be something fun?
That sounds all American to me. And we’ve already got the hats made, we just need to make sure that everybody knows what the acronym now stands for.
No, they’d have to be blue, and made by someone else or we’d be inadvertently keeping the cash flow to the celebrity mobster.
Good point. What was I thinking?
That’s a good one.
As Woody Allen put it, “At least you wake up with someone you can respect.”, or something like that.
That and you don’t have to worry about disease or pregnancy.
Can Cruz be any more repugnant? So sick of his holier than thou crap.
I found this article amazing. The fact that it got to court to begin with, let alone an appellate court, was something. And then Cruz wanted to take it to the Supreme Court? Oh, Jesus…words fail me.
Ted Cruz is a dildo, one of Trump’s dildos…
His rollover to Trump, after Trump insulted his wife and the memory of his father was all I had to hear to realize the man had zero character.
But let me share a joke I found funny in 2016: “Ted Cruz’s father didn’t kill JFK. Elvis killed JFK. Cruz’s father killed Elvis.” Isn’t that some great CT? National Enquirer, where are you?
Major disconnect in the Congress/Senate … warning,”There are self-centered, bat-shit crazy religio-righteous morons on the loose”, there is only one pure answer for those unfortunate women in need, please schedule your personal visit to the office of the POTUS … where your needs will be delivered by the POTUS himself, an honor and a duty as well … give the ladies a freaking break Cruz, go suck lemons, your sneering face is losing it’s peachy-keen appearance …
“hiring a willing prostitute or engaging in consensual bigamy.”
If the dildo has a headache, is it still consensual? or rape?
The rationale of this case is attenuated to the point of psychosis. Nobody can follow this reasoning. I’ll bet the judges were drinking scotch in chambers later on and howling.
I seem to recall a while back there was a movement afoot to have students at UT carry around dildos (openly) on UT campus, and also to send them to Cruz’ office. Maybe it’s time to sen him sex toys again, only NO dildos or artificial vaginas. I say Butt Plugs only, with a card saying instead of your head always being up there shove this up your ass instead.
Poor Ted. I’m surmising that he was doing this to get the evangelical vote locked down and it backfired on him. Now, it’s part of his legend as a buffoon.
Cruz is a Dildo !
Takes one to know one, I’m sure he’s an expert on the subject.
So what is the Republican position now on ‘The Dignity of Public Office’?
You know, this is maybe the biggest tragedy of this mis-administration. The level of public discourse has gone totally into the sewer and I don’t know if we’ll ever get it back. Seriously. This became evident during the campaign and it simply gets worse as the days go by.
Ted Cruz is afraid of competition. He knows that any woman (or man!) would rather have sex with an inanimate dildo than get near his foul junik.
I think this was some misguided attempt to appeal to the evangelicals. Boy, was it a misfire.
Once more into the privacy of someone’s bedroom (either virtual or real) – any Republican, anywhere, anytime.