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Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, Sex and Relationships, US News, Crime
Donald Trump's administration has sparked major outrage after proposing a new 'harmful law' against sex toys.
Anyone in the States looking to get their rocks off with such spicy accessories have been issued a warning over a new Senate bill which has been dubbed as waging a 'war' on masturbation.
Known officially as Senate Bill 3003, the controversial proposal in question was introduced by state senator Angela Paxton, the wife of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
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In the state, it's currently illegal to own more than six sex toys which have been branded as 'obscene devices', according to Texas Penal Code Section 43.23.
Penal Code Section 43.21 defines an 'obscene device' as 'a device including a dildo or artificial vagina, designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs'.
While the six-limit law was deemed 'unenforceable' in 2022, it is interestingly still an existing law in Texas.
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The proposed bill, SB 3003, would require anyone purchasing a sex toy online to provide proof that they are 18 or older.
This could include a government-issued identification or through a third-party age-verification service.
The bill on the alleged 'obscene devices' would mean that any person or business caught selling and distributing sex toys without implementing an age-verification process at the point of sale would be guilty of a Class A misdemeanour - an offence punishable by up to a year in jail and a hefty fine of $4,000.
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"Requiring ID to purchase a sex toy sends the message that pleasure is something to be policed and surveilled," Dr Shamyra Howard, a licensed clinical social worker sex educator for We-Vibe, a couples’ sexual wellness brand, told the Dallas Observer.
The expert said the decision 'pathologises something that is completely normal and turns a private, healthy act into something shameful'.
"This kind of legislation doesn’t protect people; it embarrasses them," she continued. "It creates unnecessary barriers and reinforces harmful stigmas that many of us have spent years trying to dismantle."
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Referencing the health benefits of using sex toys, the doctor outlined: "What’s often overlooked is that sex toys are not just about pleasure. They’re also part of comprehensive sexual wellness."
Pointing out that 'men used them too', she added: "There are devices designed to support pain management, pelvic floor health, sex toys even help people manage mental health issues through stress relief and help to re-establish intimacy after medical procedures or trauma."