Question for each of the Democratic candidates for the Charlottesville City Council at the February 16th Forum:

"Virginia Code statute 18.2-361, 'Crimes Against Nature,' makes it a Class Six felony to 'carnally know any male or female person by the anus or by or with the mouth.' Although tricorner-hatted lawmakers wielding quill pens may have written the first law (complete with death penalty) in 1792, the sodomy statute never came off the books.

It prohibits husbands and wives from certain private acts, but when police announce they'll rein in 'sodomy,' it's usually gay men who end up in prison. Local stings haven't grabbed headlines since 1998 when Charlottesville Police used them to 'clean up' West Main Street [see http://loper.org/~george/trends/1998/May/82.html ] and http://loper.org/~george/trends/1998/May/84.html ] Albemarle Police did likewise in the Ivy Creek Natural Area [see
http://loper.org/~george/trends/1998/Oct/36.html ]. In the Valley, however, stopping sodomy is still a priority" (Chris Edwards, C-ville Weekly, November 6, 2001). See [ http://loper.org/~george/archives/2001/Nov/62.html ]

In the special election for the 25th District Virginia Senate seat, the
question of decriminalization of sodomy came up. See
[ http://loper.org/~george/archives/2001/Nov/081.html ]

And, of course, living in Jefferson country, one might wish to consider Jefferson's own ideas about sodomy. See [ http://loper.org/~george/archives/2001/Dec/68.html ]

Obviously, some national politicians have taken a personal stance different from that of Mr. Jefferson's.

With this in mind, what is your position toward the use of the sodomy statutes for entrapment? What is your position toward the decriminalization of sodomy? And would you support asking our legislators to sponsor a bill asking for the decriminalization of sodomy?

My best.

George Loper (electronic mail, February 13, 2002)