California's "Sodomite Suppression Act" gets company

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April 7, 2015 | Sex & Society

California's "Sodomite Suppression Act" gets company

A (so-called) Christian activist hates gays so much that he submitted a ballot initiative in California that would punish gays with death.

Matt McLaughlin, a lawyer, filed the "Sodomite Suppression Act" to instill "Biblical" values by introducing the death penalty for homosexuality. He said the law is based on Leviticus 20:13, which states: “If a man also lies with a man, as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death."

“This proposal not only threatens public safety, it is patently unconstitutional, utterly reprehensible, and has no place in a civil society,” California Attorney General Kamala Harris said in a statement, asking the court to relieve her from the obligation to process the proposal. “If the Court does not grant this relief, my office will be forced to issue a title and summary for a proposal that seeks to legalize discrimination and vigilantism."

Activist Joe Decker of San Jose has his own way of pointing out the absurdity of the bill, but proposing one of his own. It is based on the same part of the Bible and is called the "Shellfish Suppression Act."

Leviticus 11:12 states: “Whatsoever has no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.”

According to the "Shellfish Suppression Act":

Shellfish are a monstrous evil that Almighty God, giver of freedom and liberty, commands us in Leviticus to suppress. They also smell bad.

Any person who willingly consumes or sells shellfish is guilty of a felony, and shall be fined $666 thousand per occurrence, and/or imprisoned up to 6 years, 6 months, and 6 days.

Another initiative, the "Intolerant Jackass Act," has also been introduced. It states: “Any person, herein known as an ‘Intolerant Jackass’, who brings forth a ballot measure that suggests the killing of gays and/or lesbians, whether this measure is called the Sodomite Suppression Act or is known by some other name, shall be required to attend sensitivity training for at least three (3) hours per month for twelve (12) consecutive months.”

Before any of the proposals can actually be voted on they require a signatures from 5% of voters (or approximately 350,000 people). Luckily, this means gays and shellfish are probably safe. Sadly, it also means the number of intolerant jackasses in the state will stay the same.