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News & ArtsFriday, May 21, 2010
Sex Malawi Is Jailing Gays Who Want to Get Married, China Is Jailing Straights Who Want to...
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, May 21, 2010 at 8:21 AM
...have orgies.
In private, the professor, Ma Yaohai, 53, led a life that became intolerable to Chinese authorities: for the past six years, he was a member of informal swingers clubs that practiced group sex and partner swapping. In online chat rooms, his handle was Roaring Virile Fire. He organized and engaged in at least 18 orgies, most of them in the two-bedroom apartment in Nanjing where he lived with his mother, according to prosecutors. On Thursday, a court sentenced the randy Mr. Ma to three and a half years in prison, a severe penalty for a crime that the Chinese government calls “crowd licentiousness.”
And Australia is going after your porn:
People traveling into Australia are being asked whether they have any pornography with them—and the Australian Sex Party (ASP) is demanding an inquiry into this major invasion of privacy. From now on, when entering Australia, travelers will have to tick a box indicating whether they are bringing any weapons, illicit drugs, or pornography into the country. If someone answers ‘yes’ to having pornography, his or her belongings can be searched. If this does not sound appealing, anyone can tick the ‘no’ box but, if they are carrying any type of pornography, they will be breaking the law.
1
I kind of felt that the New York Times oddly couched the China orgies story. I get it now, but the issue of freedom didn't strike me right away as I was too distracted in the details of this guy's orgies (in a two room apartment he shared with his mom!).
When mixing world news with lurid news, it's hard to get around the lurid stuff to serious contemplation.
When mixing world news with lurid news, it's hard to get around the lurid stuff to serious contemplation.
2
If Australian Sex Party isn't the name of a new local indie band by this afternoon, I will be severely disappointed.
4
What kind of motions does one expect the Australian Sex Party to make in Parliament, should they ever make it there?
6
What would count as porn according to this Australian law? Porn vs art is often deeply cultural, so a Japanese businessman, a Canadian swinger, and a Southern Baptist might all answer that question differently while believing they're being honest.
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Australia . . . Isn't that the same place that's blocking all Internet sites that could conceivably have anything to do with porn? And you thought we were Puritanical.
11
The Malawi mention reminded me that last night on Hulu's main page I spotted a link to their news-doc blog (who knew they had one?) and a full "preview" of a 45-minute doc called "Missionaries of Hate" by a Peabody-winning journalist who went to Uganda with her (sexy, actually) news team to investigate the rise of its "death to gays" legislation, including the U.S. evangelical connection. Among other fascinating details she noticed how, in contrast to here, most of the anti-gay folks she ran into were young, not old.
http://blog.hulu.com/2010/05/20/first-lo…
http://blog.hulu.com/2010/05/20/first-lo…
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yeah, what if you have porn saved to your hard drive? and what if you say you have porn and they search you? do they confiscate it?
also, fuck australia. nothing but evangelicals and huge fucking death spiders.
also, fuck australia. nothing but evangelicals and huge fucking death spiders.
15
Spiders, snakes, and porn crusaders...why do all the backpackers somehow end up in Australia again?
16
@ Sepiolida and Fifty-Two-Eighty,
I don't think I can agree, because Australia does have those cute roos and according to last polls I've seen about 60% of their population supports marriage equality, plus gays can serve openly in their military. I highly doubt they are a nation of evangelicals.
Your Own Troops Are Telling You It's Time For Equal Marriage, Mr Rudd
22/11/2009 - 12:01
The Prime Minister has been sent a very clear message by his own party that Australians don't want to wait any longer for an equal right to marry the one they love, according to Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
Senator Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson on Sexuality and Gender Identity, says the Victorian ALP Conference has passed a motion calling on Kevin Rudd to amend the Marriage Act to allow same-sex marriages. "Polls suggest 60 per cent of Australians support marriage equality for all Australians - the right to marry the one they love, regardless of gender,'' Senator Hanson-Young said.
"The ACT has just become the third Australian Parliament to legislate for civil unions for same-sex couples, but the only body with authority to change the Marriage Act to allow equal marriage is the Federal Parliament.
"The Territories and the States have already recognised the need for change, the Labor Party rank-and-file has recognised the need for change - the only one trying to stand in the way seems to be the Prime Minister.
"The time for excuses is over, Prime Minister - the only thing stopping you from providing a national solution to equal marriage is the courage to show some leadership.''
Senator Hanson-Young introduced her Marriage Equality Bill into parliament in June this year but it has not yet been debated. An inquiry into the bill - which received the most responses to proposed legislation in Parliamentary history - is due to report this Thursday.
"There is a groundswell of support for equal marriage out there, people have realised the unfairness of preventing someone from marrying the one they love based on old-fashioned stereotypes,'' Senator Hanson-Young said.
"The public is keen for a debate to happen, the Greens are ready to have the debate, and so it seems are many members of the Prime Minister's own party.
''Before Parliament rises, Kevin Rudd should do the right thing and signal his intent to allow debate on my bill in the first session of Parliament next year.'' **
** I believe that the bill was defeated earlier this year (Feb.?), but it is being submitted again. http://www.theage.com.au/national/senate…
More...
I don't think I can agree, because Australia does have those cute roos and according to last polls I've seen about 60% of their population supports marriage equality, plus gays can serve openly in their military. I highly doubt they are a nation of evangelicals.
Your Own Troops Are Telling You It's Time For Equal Marriage, Mr Rudd
22/11/2009 - 12:01
The Prime Minister has been sent a very clear message by his own party that Australians don't want to wait any longer for an equal right to marry the one they love, according to Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
Senator Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson on Sexuality and Gender Identity, says the Victorian ALP Conference has passed a motion calling on Kevin Rudd to amend the Marriage Act to allow same-sex marriages. "Polls suggest 60 per cent of Australians support marriage equality for all Australians - the right to marry the one they love, regardless of gender,'' Senator Hanson-Young said.
"The ACT has just become the third Australian Parliament to legislate for civil unions for same-sex couples, but the only body with authority to change the Marriage Act to allow equal marriage is the Federal Parliament.
"The Territories and the States have already recognised the need for change, the Labor Party rank-and-file has recognised the need for change - the only one trying to stand in the way seems to be the Prime Minister.
"The time for excuses is over, Prime Minister - the only thing stopping you from providing a national solution to equal marriage is the courage to show some leadership.''
Senator Hanson-Young introduced her Marriage Equality Bill into parliament in June this year but it has not yet been debated. An inquiry into the bill - which received the most responses to proposed legislation in Parliamentary history - is due to report this Thursday.
"There is a groundswell of support for equal marriage out there, people have realised the unfairness of preventing someone from marrying the one they love based on old-fashioned stereotypes,'' Senator Hanson-Young said.
"The public is keen for a debate to happen, the Greens are ready to have the debate, and so it seems are many members of the Prime Minister's own party.
''Before Parliament rises, Kevin Rudd should do the right thing and signal his intent to allow debate on my bill in the first session of Parliament next year.'' **
** I believe that the bill was defeated earlier this year (Feb.?), but it is being submitted again. http://www.theage.com.au/national/senate…
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And in Wisconsin, prisoners can have pictures of women in bikinis -- but no nipples:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/21…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/21…
18
Honestly, that just makes me want to take a trip to Australia with a thumbdrive full of the most horrifying, soul-destroying porn the internet can find. Nothing illegal, of course. Just the kind of shit that security workers will truly wish they had never looked at. The kind of thing the internet is so uniquely qualified to provide.
22
wow. orgies just got that much cooler. I mean following the logic of 'eat your peas, bc of starving children in china'...
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@14: And the octopi. And the world's only venomous mammal.
@21: SRSLY? RONG RONG RONG RONG RONG!!!
@21: SRSLY? RONG RONG RONG RONG RONG!!!
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@23 - that just made me think of the noise a plate makes spinning on the ground, miraculously whole after being dropped...
25
Ummm. Legal brothels in Australia. Safe injection rooms. The highest per capita average syringe exchange access in the world. Harm reduction as official policy. Hardly more puritanical the the US. In fact, our policies are the source of much disgust/humour down under.
26
"Most of them in the two-bedroom apartment in Nanjing where he lived with his mother."
Am I the only one who spluttered when I read this? I think that's the real criminal act right there. Poor mom is trying to sleep while her 53-year-old son is having a wild sex party in the bedroom next door.
Also, is it just me, or is it hard to imagine orgies happening anywhere other than a place like this? http://filmjournal.net/paulwjm/files/200…
Am I the only one who spluttered when I read this? I think that's the real criminal act right there. Poor mom is trying to sleep while her 53-year-old son is having a wild sex party in the bedroom next door.
Also, is it just me, or is it hard to imagine orgies happening anywhere other than a place like this? http://filmjournal.net/paulwjm/files/200…
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@18 you wouldn't be showing them anything new. Australia has one of those Customs/Border Guard at the airport documentary shows, from what was on the tele, they've seen whatever you could bring, and have come across all the illegal stuff too.
29
If anyone is traveling with a device that allows one to connect to the internet, couldn't one argue that they're traveling with pornography?
30
Meanwhile, amid all this kerfluffle about porn, Aussie chicks spread their legs like they were goalposts.
32
As I'm living in China and have lived in Australia, let me add my two cents:
1) Everyone breaks the laws in China all the time. People who get caught and punished are usually just being held up as an example for the other 1.1 billion, or they've pissed someone in government off.
2) I'd imagine the porn thing in Australia has more to do with customs and distribution laws than with concern for the morality of the citizens. Unless as 27 noted, they're trying to find new footage for the popular reality show "Border Security" which is often just an exercise in in revealing the kind of fucked-up stuff foreigners try to stuff in their suitcases.
1) Everyone breaks the laws in China all the time. People who get caught and punished are usually just being held up as an example for the other 1.1 billion, or they've pissed someone in government off.
2) I'd imagine the porn thing in Australia has more to do with customs and distribution laws than with concern for the morality of the citizens. Unless as 27 noted, they're trying to find new footage for the popular reality show "Border Security" which is often just an exercise in in revealing the kind of fucked-up stuff foreigners try to stuff in their suitcases.
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@10 Who carries porn on their person... hmmmmm... well, let me ask a couple questions.
How many people bring their laptops on trips? And how many of those laptops have pornography on them?
I don't think that carrying Playboy or Hustler on the plane is the major issue here...
How many people bring their laptops on trips? And how many of those laptops have pornography on them?
I don't think that carrying Playboy or Hustler on the plane is the major issue here...
34
Well duh, the mother has alzheimer's and won't remember the orgies anyway. And if she does remember something, they won't believe her because she has alzheimer's.
35
Dang, I'm in Australia right now, and didn't even look at the "no" boxes I ticked off on the entry card (are you really supposed to read those things??) so I can't confirm or deny the porn thing, but as far as the spiders go....webs as big as a fecking SmartCar, and a spider in the middle of it the size of a tea saucer, and I HATE spiders. On the plus side, everyone in Port Douglas appears to be 24, blonde, and tan, and FYI Dan, Qantas flight attendants are mostly male with earring holes (earings against the dress code?)...just thought I'd share...
37
Seeing as bestiality is one of the things they're trying to prevent coming through Aus customs, does this mean all the centaur-fetishists are out of luck? Or furry-fans coming back from conventions and bringing home some erotic art?
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