the use of the word sodomy to describe homosexual sexual activity is offensive

the word has many meanings. the biblical meaning is "one who turns away from God", which accurately applies to the kind of people who say the word means "homosexual sex".

 

Where was this? I thought "sodomy" was out as a legal term when "sodomy laws" against gay sex were dropped. I suppose the media doesnt have to use legal terms if they don't want to. But I agree, putting consensual homosexual sex in a category with rape, bestiality, etc is pretty clearly a cheap shot on gay people, in my opinion.

 

'Sodomy' legally refers to anal sex between any two person(s) (whether it be M->F or M->M). Well, at least it does here, because anal sex under 18 (regardless of the role) in my state is illegal. Woo, backwards government ftw. Biblical meanings mean shit all, if you ask Average Joe what sodomy meant, they'd say anal sex.

I'd say you're looking into it too much. It could be implied that it was rape.

 

Legally, sodomy in the US has been used to refer to both anal and oral sex. It's definitely an offensive term to use, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it's still the legally correct term for certain acts.

As Ember says, biblically it refers to turning away from God's laws. If Ezekiel 16:49 is to be trusted, the sin of Sodom was pride and failure to care for the poor.

 

and if pat robertson is to be trusted (HA!), then sodamey means 'doing it up the duffer.'

 

"i also thought about how sodomy as in homosexual sexual activity is actually against the law in many states whether it's consensual or not."

Since when is homosexual activity against the law in the US?

 

The modern legal context of sodomy post-Lawrence is usually forcible.

Forcible sodomy, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, whatever your district calls it, is distinct from standard rape in some jurisdictions. The poster you saw is almost certainly an APB notifying the public that this man is wanted for forcible sodomy, not consensual sodomy (which is not constitutional in the US).

 

I've always heard "sodomy" used for anything that wasn't M/F dick/vag sex.

Any more most of the laws are repealed and people with sodomy records for otherwise consentual sex records expunged(right word?)

Honestly it's kind of stupid, because... It's all sex. there's nothing less natural about oral or fingering(/handjobs) or anal, than vaginal sex.

 

I think, as people have been saying already, that here it's being used in a more legal context, usually regarding non-consensual anal sex. Men generally have a very hard time reporting that they've been raped or identifying as survivors of rape, and so "sodomy" somehow becomes more acceptable because it doesn't identify them as survivors of an experience that's thought to happen to women. Truly messed up, but I suspect that's part of why the word is used in such a case.

I agree, though, that identifying "sodomy" as a crime is rather insulting to gay people. :dry:

Or, for that matter, to anyone who likes something other than hetero missionary sex. Not that many of them realize it. :rolle: