Sodomy Quotes
No one knows whether Helms actually believed such an absurd, counter-factual statement or it was part of his anti homosexual appeal to religious fundamentalists. Most AIDS cases in America were transmitted through heterosexual intercourse. And then there were many tragic cases where AIDS was contracted through contaminated pharmaceuticals, and the substantial number of cases transmitted via intravenous use of illicit drugs where needles are shared by the addicts. Transmission by homosexual sodomy is a very small proportion of the AIDS cases.
He tried to make homosexual acts criminal by enforcing an old Virginia law against sodomy, but was overruled unanimously by a 3 judge panel of the Virginia Appellate court, based on a clear Supreme Court precedent of Lawrence v. Texas, 2003. Most political analysis believe that Cuccinelli knew perfectly well that this would be unconstitutional but proposed it and went to court to pander to the ultra conservative base of his party.
The penalty was reduced to 14 years and in 2009 the Parliament began debating a bill that would inflict the death penalty for homosexuality. See {635359}. Uganda is a mostly Christian (Protestant and Catholic) country where the clergies all tend to be fundamentalist and interpret the Bible Literally. The Book of Leviticus calls for the death penalty for homosexuality and supports of the act use the Bible as a commandment of God. Of course, adultery is also a capital crime in the Bible, but few in Uganda want to follow God’s commandment on adultery. Homophobia is rampant there.
Commenting on many statutes covering personal sexual activity:
strict and intrusive law enforcement (See {595406})
This early Pennsylvania law is surprising to many readers. Homosexuality under Mosaic law which most colonies followed was a capital crime. In the case of a Massachusetts rape law 3-years earlier, the judge was given discretion in imposing the death penalty for a traditional Biblical Capital Crime. However, in this Pennsylvania law, there was no provision for capital punishment for homosexual acts. Whipping was as far as they went.