February 15, 2008 | Sex & Society

Sex toys OK in TX

Texans gave a sigh of relief -- or orgasmic pleasure -- as the federal appeals court declared that the state law prohibiting the sale of sex toys violated citizens' rights.

"Whatever one might think or believe about the use of these devices," wrote Justice Thomas M. Reavley of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, "government interference with their personal and private use violates the Constitution.

"Just as in (Lawrence and Garner v. Texas, a case concerning same sex intimacy), the state here wants to use its laws to enforce a public moral code by restricting private intimate conduct," the appeals judge continued. "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. This is an insufficient justification after Lawrence."

Lawyers for the State of Texas had tried to argue that they were "discouraging prurient interests in autonomous sex and the pursuit of sexual gratification unrelated to procreation."  Because, um, sex for fun is bad? That's so old school.

At least now Texans can play with their beavers in peace...

A vibrator you can show mom!