The Sheriff's office in Baton Rouge, Louisiana has been revealed to target gay men in undercover investigations using the 'crimes against nature' laws still in the books.
Much like Virginia's Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who is trying to revive a law that would make both oral and anal sex illegal in his state, the Sheriff's office is using the antiquated and discriminatory law to persecute gay men.
A dozen men have been arrested so far after being set up by undercover agents. The gay men had consented or agreed to have sex with Sheriff's office agents.
Even though the sodomy law of old have been all but erased by the Supreme Court's decision in Lawrence vs. Texas, only a few years ago, the local municipalities or states seem to think that it is all right to use the law, as long as they have not been abrogated or stricken from the books.
However, when the cases arrived at the Court's doorstep for prosecution, the District Attorney, Hillar Moore III, refused to honor the cases citing the fact that there was no criminal violation.
Undeterred, the Sheriff's office told the local newspaper, the Baton Rouge Advocate, that it would continue to seek prosecution as long as the 'crimes against nature' law stood in the books.
An attempt to repeal the law in ultra conservative Louisiana had been made in 2003, but it failed.
LGBT advocates are outraged and are preparing to demonstratee.
Source: The Raw Story/ 7.29.13
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