History of zoophilia

Last updated

The history of zoophilia and bestiality begins in the prehistoric era, where depictions of humans and non-human animals in a sexual context appear infrequently in European rock art. [1] Bestiality remained a theme in mythology and folklore through the classical period and into the Middle Ages (e.g. the Greek myth of Leda and the Swan) [2] and several ancient authors purported to document it as a regular, accepted practice—albeit usually in "other" cultures.

Contents

Explicit legal prohibition of human sexual contact with other animals is a legacy of the Abrahamic religions: [2] the Hebrew Bible imposes the death penalty on both the person and animal involved in an act of bestiality. [3] There are several examples known from medieval Europe of people and animals executed for committing bestiality. With the Age of Enlightenment, bestiality was subsumed with other sexual "crimes against nature" into civil sodomy laws, usually remaining a capital crime.

Bestiality remains illegal in most countries. Arguments used to justify this include: it is against religion, it is a "crime against nature," and that non-human animals cannot give consent and that sex with animals is inherently abusive. [4] In common with many paraphilias, the internet has provided a connective platform for the zoophile community, which has lobbied for the recognition of zoophilia (or zoosexuality as an alternative sexuality), and advocated for the legalisation of bestiality. [5]

Prehistory

Depictions of human sexual activity with animals appear infrequently in prehistoric art. Possibly the oldest depiction, and the only known example from the Palaeolithic (prior to the Neolithic Revolution and the domestication of animals), is found in the Vale do Côa in Portugal. It shows a man with an exaggerated, erect penis juxtaposed with a goat. However, there is some doubt that the two figures are contemporary; while the goat is depicted in characteristic palaeolithic style, the scene may have been altered in a later period with the insertion of the human figure. [6]

From the Neolithic onwards, images of zoophilia are slightly more common. Examples are found at Coren del Valento, a cave in Val Camonica, Italy, containing rock art dating from 10,000 BCE to as late as the Middle Ages, one depicting a man penetrating a horse, [7] and Sagaholm, a Bronze Age cairn in Sweden where several petroglyphs have been found with similar scenes. [8] Zoophilia has also been recorded in rock art in the Brazilian state or Piauí.

Classical antiquity

Leda and the Swan, copy of lost Michelangelo Da michelangelo, leda e il cigno, post 1530 (national gallery) 01.jpg
Leda and the Swan , copy of lost Michelangelo

Several Greek myths include the God Zeus seducing or abducting favoured mortals while in the form of an animal: Europa and the bull, Ganymede and the eagle, and Leda and the Swan. [2] Only the latter legend includes actual copulation between Leda and Zeus in his animal form, but depictions of this act, fairly uncommon in antiquity, became a popular motif in classicising Renaissance art, contributing to a lasting prominence in Western culture. [9]

Zoophilia carving on Rock with Old Kannada script engraved at Kedareshvara Temple, Balligavi Zoophilia.jpg
Zoophilia carving on Rock with Old Kannada script engraved at Kedareshvara Temple, Balligavi

Various classical writers recorded that bestiality was common in other cultures. Herodotus was followed by Pindar, Strabo and Plutarch [ citation needed ] in alleging that Egyptian women engaged in sexual relations with goats for religious and magical purposes – the animal aspects of Egyptian deities being particularly alien to the Greco-Roman world. [10] [11] Conversely, Plutarch and Virgil make similar accusations of the Greeks.

Despite their place in mythology and literature, actual acts of bestiality were probably as uncommon in antiquity as they are today. [2] Roman civil law, however, made no mention of it. [12] The explicit prohibition of and strict penalties for zoophilia universal in later European legal systems were derived from Jewish and Christian tradition. [2] The Hebrew Bible imposes the death penalty on both the human and animal parties involved in an act of bestiality: "if a man has sexual relations with an animal, he shall be put to death; and you shall kill the animal." [3] The Synod of Ancyra in 313–316 discussed the position of the church with regard to bestiality at length and two of the resulting twenty-five canons addressed it: the sixteenth canon described the penance and level of restrictions to be applied to various age groups for committing bestiality; the seventeenth canon prohibited all lepers from praying inside church if they had committed bestiality while they suffered from leprosy. [13]

Hittite law mandated the death penalty for intercourse with animals, excluding horses and mules (violators were instead barred from the priesthood and from approaching the king). [14]

Europe: Middle Ages

In the Church-oriented culture of the Middle Ages, zoophilic activity was met with execution, typically burning, and death to the animals involved either the same way or by hanging.[ citation needed ] Sects deemed heretical by the Church such as the Hussites were accused of bestiality. [15] Masters comments that:

"Theologians, bowing to Biblical prohibitions and basing their judgements on the conception of man as a spiritual being and of the animal as a merely carnal one, have regarded the same phenomenon as both a violation of Biblical edicts and a degradation of man, with the result that the act of bestiality has been castigated and anathematized [...]"[ citation needed ]

In 1468, Jean Beisse, accused of bestiality with a cow on one occasion and a goat on another, was first hanged, then burned. The animals involved were also burned. In 1539, Guillaume Garnier, charged with intercourse with a female dog (described as "sodomy"), was ordered strangled after he confessed under torture. The dog was burned, along with the trial records which were "too horrible and potentially dangerous to be permitted to exist" (Masters). Other accusations of bestiality in the period include the trials of Thomas Weir [16] [17] [18] and John Atherton. [19] [20] [21] In 1601, Claudine de Culam, a young girl of sixteen, was convicted of copulating with a dog. Both the girl and the dog were first hanged, and finally burned. In 1735, François Borniche was charged with sexual intercourse with animals. It was greatly feared that "his infamous debauches may corrupt the young men." He was imprisoned, and there is no record of his release.[ citation needed ] Historians claim there were more than a thousand executions recorded for bestiality in Sweden throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. [22] [23]

On the other hand, other accounts are more possibly fictitious, such as Pietro Damiani's, who in his "De bono religiosi status et variorum animatium tropologia" (11th century) tells of a Count Gulielmus whose pet ape became his wife's lover. One day the ape became so "mad with jealousy" on seeing the count lying with his wife that it fatally attacked him. Damiani claims he was told about this incident by Pope Alexander II and shown an offspring claimed to be that of the ape and woman. (Illustrated Book of Sexual Records)[ citation needed ]

Clergyman and chronicler Gerald of Wales claimed to have witnessed a man having intercourse with a horse as part of a pagan ritual in Ireland. [24] [25]

Although thousands of female witches were accused of having sex with animals, usually said to be the Devil in animal form or their familiars, court records available in Europe and the United States, dating back to the 14th century and continuing into the 20th century, nearly always show males, rather than females, as the human parties in court cases. (Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality, Humboldt University)[ citation needed ]

From at least the 13th century and until the French Revolution, French criminal law had theoretically punished bestiality with death (burning at the stake), although in practice law courts only occasionally meted out that penalty. When the revolutionary politicians of the National Constituent Assembly set out to remake French government and society, their reforms included new criminal laws liberalizing sexual activities, inspired by ideas of the 18th-century Enlightenment. In 1791, Louis-Michel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau presented a newly drafted penal code to the National Constituent Assembly. He explained that it outlawed only "true crimes" and not "phoney offenses, created by superstition, feudalism, the tax system, and [royal] despotism." Zoophilia was not mentioned in the new Penal Code (promulgated September 26-October 6, 1791) and thus decriminalized it. [26] [27]

19th century

In 1835, the Russian Empire criminalized skotolozhstvo (bestiality) in the country. In 1845, the Russian Empire merged both muzhelozhstvo (sodomy) and skotolozhstvo statutes together into a single statute prohibiting protivoestestvennye poroki (vices contrary to nature). [28] On August 20, 1848, Norway adopted new penal codes which replaced a 1687 law that implemented the capital punishment by burning for "intercourse which is against nature" (bestiality) and reduced the punishment for engaging in bestiality from capital punishment to a sentence of hard labor of the fifth degree. [29]

In 1855, the German physician Wilhelm Gollmann claimed that sodomy was initially committed by shepherds. He adds that shepherds were drawn to this method of pleasure for the "want of more natural opportunities." Gollmann then prejudicially attacks Sicilians, whom he claims commit zoophilia against goats. According to Blumenbach, the females of Guinea commit indecent acts against monkeys. Gollmann finalizes his dubious claims with his assertion that Iranians commit acts against donkeys as a cure for coxalgia. [30]

In 1852, the Austrian Empire enacted § 130 which criminalized bestiality with a maximum of five years in prison. About fifty people were convicted annually due to the law. [31] In 1861, the Offences against the Person Act 1861 lowered the criminal penalty of buggery in the United Kingdom from the death penalty to life in prison. [27] On February 10, 1866, Denmark (including Greenland and Faroes) adopted new penal codes which replaced a 1683 law that implemented the death penalty at the stake by means of royal pardon for "intercourse against nature" (bestiality) and reduced the punishment for engaging in bestiality from capital punishment to a sentence of hard labor ranging from about eight months to six years, which was further reduced with about one third if the penalty was served in solitude. [29] On June 25, 1869, Iceland adopted a new penal code that replaced a 13th-century law mandating death by burning for "intercourse which is against nature" (bestiality) to a punishment of work in a house of correction. [29]

On May 15, 1871, the German Empire enacted Paragraph 175 into the “Reichs-Criminal Code” (RStGB) which outlawed zoophilia and punished it by imprisonment. [31] [32] In 1878, the penal code of the Kingdom of Hungary criminalized bestiality with a maximum of one year in prison. [27] Sweden, in 1864, and Grand Duchy of Finland, on December 19, 1889, adopted new penal codes replacing a 1734 penal code, which applied to both countries and criminalized bestiality with being burnt at the stake. The 1864 Swedish law punished "fornication with animals" (bestiality) with two years hard labor, while the 1889 Finished law punished bestiality with imprisonment for two years. [29]

20th century

Plate XVII by Edouard-Henri Avril, De Figuris Veneris (1906) Edouard-Henri Avril (28).jpg
Plate XVII by Édouard-Henri Avril, De Figuris Veneris (1906)

On June 28, 1935, Nazi Germany enacted legislation that created a separate category in Paragraph 175 for "fornication with animals" and penalized with up to five years in prison. [31]

During the 20th century, zoophilia was legalized in the Russian Empire in 1903, [28] in Denmark (including Greenland and Faroes) on January 1, 1933, [29] [33] in Iceland on August 12, 1940, [29] in Sweden in 1944, [34] in Hungarian People's Republic in 1961, in West Germany in 1969, [31] in Austria in 1971, [31] in Finland on January 15, 1971, [29] [35] and Norway on April 21, 1972. [29]

21st century

In 2003, the Sexual Offences Act 2003 lowered the criminal penalty of bestiality in the United Kingdom from life in prison to two years in prison. [36]

In 2006, Denmark's Council for Animal Ethics said there was no need to ban bestiality unless it took place in pornographic films or sex shows. Only one of the 10 members of the council, set up by the Danish Justice Ministry to establish and uphold animal ethics, wanted bestiality expressly prohibited. The other members said current laws provided enough animal protection. [37] Denmark outlawed bestiality in 2015 after all parties except the Liberal Alliance voted in support of a ban, leaving Hungary, Finland and Romania as the only European Union countries without bans on bestiality. [38]

During the 21st century, bestiality was re-criminalized in the following countries or territories:

United States of America
Federal district or stateDate criminalizedPenalty for first-time non-violent bestiality offense
Flag of Iowa.svg  Iowa July 1, 2001Class D felony, up to 5 years in prison, a fine up to $1,025 to $10,245 and the court may impose other conditions, such as restrictions on owning animals or mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is deemed to have resulted from a psychological or behavioral issue. [39]
Flag of Maine.svg  Maine September 21, 2001Class D crime, up to 1 year in jail, a fine up to $2,000 and the court may order psychological counseling, especially if the offense is part of a pattern of behavior or related to underlying mental health issues. Additionally, offenders may face restrictions on owning or possessing animals and may be required to surrender any animals they currently own. [40]
Flag of Oregon.svg  Oregon January 1, 2002Class C felony, up to 5 years in prison, a fine up to $125,000 and the court may impose additional conditions, such as mandatory psychological counseling if the offense is connected to psychological issues. Furthermore, offenders may face restrictions on owning animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized. [41]
Flag of Illinois.svg  Illinois January 1, 2003Class 4 felony, between 1 and 3 years in prison, a fine up to $25,000 and the court may impose additional conditions, such as mandatory psychological counseling if the offense is linked to psychological or behavioral issues. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be forfeited. [42]
Flag of South Dakota.svg  South Dakota July 1, 2003Class 6 felony, up to 2 years in prison, a fine up to $4,000 and the court may order psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is part of a broader pattern of behavior or is related to mental health issues. Additionally, offenders may face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized. [43]
Flag of Missouri.svg  Missouri August 28, 2003Class A misdemeanor, up to 1 year in a county jail, a fine up to $2,000 and the court may impose additional conditions, such as mandatory psychological counseling if the offense is linked to behavioral or psychological issues. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized. [44]
Flag of Washington.svg  Washington June 7, 2006Class C felony, up to 5 years in prison, a fine up to $10,000 and the court may order psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is connected to psychological issues or if the offender is deemed a risk for future offenses. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized and rehomed. [45]
Flag of Vermont.svg  Vermont July 1, 2006Misdemeanor, up to 1 year in jail, a fine up to $2,000 and the court may also impose additional conditions, such as mandatory psychological counseling if the offense is related to psychological or behavioral issues. Offenders may face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized. [46]
Flag of Arizona.svg  Arizona August 12, 2006Class 6 felony, between 4 months to 2 years years in prison, a fine up to $150,000 and the court may impose additional conditions, such as mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is related to behavioral or psychological issues. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be forfeited. [47]
Flag of Colorado.svg  Colorado July 1, 2007Class 6 felony, between 1 and 1.5 year in prison, with a mandatory parole period of 1 year, a fine up to $100,000, the court may order mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is connected to psychological or behavioral issues. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized and rehomed. [48]
Flag of Indiana.svg  Indiana July 1, 2007Level 6 felony, between 6 months to 2.5 years in prison, a fine up to $10,000 and the court may impose additional conditions, such as mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is linked to behavioral or psychological issues. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized. [49]
Flag of Tennessee.svg  Tennessee July 1, 2007Class E felony, between 1 and 6 years in prison, a fine up to $3,000 and the court may also impose mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is linked to behavioral or psychological issues. Additionally, offenders may be prohibited from owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized. [50]
Flag of Alaska.svg  Alaska July 1, 2010Class A misdemeanor, up to 1 year in jail, a fine up to $10,000 and the court may order psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is related to psychological or behavioral issues. Additionally, offenders may be required to forfeit any animals involved in the offense, and they may face restrictions on owning or possessing animals for a period of time after their sentence. [51]
Flag of Florida.svg  Florida October 1, 2011Third-degree felony, up to 5 years in prison, a fine up to $5,000 and the court may impose mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is linked to behavioral or psychological issues. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized and rehomed. [52]
Flag of Alabama.svg  Alabama July 1, 2014Class A misdemeanor, up to 1 year in jail, a fine up to $6000 and the court may impose additional conditions, such as mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is linked to behavioral or psychological issues. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized and forfeited. [53]
Flag of New Jersey.svg  New Jersey November 9, 2015Third-degree crime, between 3 and 5 years in prison, a fine up to $15,000 and the court may impose mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is linked to psychological or behavioral issues. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized. [54]
Flag of Texas.svg  Texas September 1, 2017State jail felony, between 180 days to 2 years in a state jail facility, a fine up to $10,000 and the court may impose mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is linked to behavioral or psychological issues. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized. [55]
Flag of Nevada.svg  Nevada October 1, 2017Category D felony, between 1 and 4 years in prison, a fine up to $5,000 and the court may order mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is linked to behavioral or psychological issues. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized and rehomed. [56]
Flag of New Hampshire.svg  New Hampshire January 1, 2017Class D felony, up to 1 year in jail, a fine up to $2,000 and the court may order mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is related to behavioral or psychological issues. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized and rehomed. [57]
Flag of Kentucky.svg  Kentucky June 27, 2019Class D felony, between 1 and 5 years in prison, a fine and the court may order mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is linked to psychological or behavioral issues. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized and rehomed. [58]
Flag of Ohio.svg  Ohio March 24, 2021Second-degree misdemeanor, up to 90 days in jail, a fine up to $750 and the court may order mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is linked to behavioral or psychological issues. Offenders may also be required to forfeit the animal involved in the offense and may face restrictions on owning or possessing animals in the future. [59]
Flag of Hawaii.svg  Hawaii June 7, 2021Class C felony, up to 5 years in prison, a fine up to $10,000 and the court may order mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is linked to psychological or behavioral issues. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized and rehomed. Additionally, offenders may be required to pay restitution for the care of the animals. [60]
Flag of Wyoming.svg  Wyoming July 1, 2021Felony, up to 2 years in prison, a fine up to $5,000 and the court may order mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is linked to psychological or behavioral issues. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized and rehomed. [61]
Flag of Washington, D.C.svg  District of Columbia April 23, 2023Class B misdemeanor, up to 180 days in prison, a fine up to $1,000 and the court may order mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is linked to behavioral or psychological issues. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized and rehomed. [62]
Flag of New Mexico.svg  New Mexico June 16, 2023Fourth-degree felony, up to 18 months in prison, a fine up to $5,000 and the court may order mandatory psychological counseling, particularly if the offense is linked to psychological or behavioral issues. Offenders may also face restrictions on owning or possessing animals, and any animals involved in the offense may be seized and rehomed. The court may also impose community service or other rehabilitative measures. [63]
Europe
CountryDate criminalizedPenalty for first-time non-violent bestiality offense
Flag of France.svg  France 10 March 2004Misdemeanor, up to 2 years imprisonment and a fine up to €30,000 [64]
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 11 May 2007Misdemeanor, up to 1 month to 3 years imprisonment and a fine between €52 to €2,000 [65]
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1 January 2010Misdemeanor, up to 1 year imprisonment and a fine up to 75,000 NOK [66]
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1 July 2010Misdemeanor, up to 1 year imprisonment and a fine up to €19,500 [67]
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 13 December 2012Administrative offense, a fine up to €25,000 [68]
Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 1 January 2014Misdemeanor, a fine using the day-fine system [69]
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 2014-04-01Misdemeanor, up to 2 year imprisonment and a fine using the day-fine system [70]
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 30 March 2015Administrative offense, between 1 and 30 days of community service, a fine between 1 and 2 months using the day-fine system and a special disqualification between 3 months to 1 year imposed for the exercise of a profession, trade or trade that is related to animals and for the possession of animals [71]
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 1 July 2015Misdemeanor, a fine determined by a case-by-case basis [72]
Australia
TerritoryDate criminalizedPenalty for first-time non-violent bestiality offense
Flag of the Australian Capital Territory.svg  Australian Capital Territory 22 March 2011Indictable offense, up to 10 years imprisonment [73]

See also

Related Research Articles

Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003), is a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that U.S. state laws criminalizing sodomy between consenting adults are unconstitutional. The Court reaffirmed the concept of a "right to privacy" that earlier cases had found the U.S. Constitution provides, even though it is not explicitly enumerated. It based its ruling on the notions of personal autonomy to define one's own relationships and of American traditions of non-interference with any or all forms of private sexual activities between consenting adults.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cruelty to animals</span> Negligent or abusive action against animals by humans

Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse, animal neglect or animal cruelty, is the infliction of suffering or harm by humans upon non-human animals, either by omission (neglect) or by commission. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm or suffering for specific achievements, such as killing animals for entertainment; cruelty to animals sometimes encompasses inflicting harm or suffering as an end in itself, referred to as zoosadism. Divergent approaches to laws concerning animal cruelty occur in different jurisdictions throughout the world. For example, some laws govern methods of killing animals for food, clothing, or other products, and other laws concern the keeping of animals for entertainment, education, research, or pets. There are several conceptual approaches to the issue of cruelty to animals.

Definitions and restrictions on pornography vary across jurisdictions. The production, distribution, and possession of pornographic films, photographs, and similar material are activities that are legal in many but not all countries, providing that any specific people featured in the material have consented to being included and are above a certain age. Various other restrictions often apply as well. The minimum age requirement for performers is most typically 18 years.

Pornography has been dominated by a few pan-European producers and distributors, the most notable of which is the Private Media Group that successfully claimed the position previously held by Color Climax Corporation in the early 1990s. Most European countries also have local pornography producers, from Portugal to Serbia, who face varying levels of competition with international producers. The legal status of pornography varies widely in Europe; its production and distribution are illegal in countries such as Ukraine, Belarus and Bulgaria, while Hungary has liberal pornography laws.

The crime against nature or unnatural act has historically been a legal term in English-speaking states identifying forms of sexual behavior not considered natural or decent and are legally punishable offenses. Sexual practices that have historically been considered to be "crimes against nature" include masturbation, sodomy and bestiality.

The Enumclaw horse sex case was a series of incidents in 2005 involving Kenneth D. Pinyan, an engineer who worked for Boeing and resided in Gig Harbor, Washington; James Michael Tait, a truck driver; Douglas Spink; and other unidentified men. Pinyan and Tait filmed and distributed zoophilic pornography of Pinyan receiving anal sex from a stallion under the alias "Mr. Hands". After engaging in this activity on multiple occasions over an unknown span of time, Pinyan received fatal internal injuries in one such incident.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Age of consent in Europe</span> Legal ages for sexual activities in Europe

The age of consent for sex outside of marriage varies by jurisdiction across Europe. The age of consent – hereby meaning the age from which one is deemed able to consent to having sex with anyone else of consenting age or above – varies between 14 and 18. The majority of countries set their ages in the range of 14 to 16; only four countries, Cyprus (17), Ireland (17), Turkey (18), and the Vatican City (18), set an age of consent higher than 16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Age of consent in Africa</span>

The age of consent in Africa for sexual activity varies by jurisdiction across the continent, codified in laws which may also stipulate the specific activities that are permitted or the gender of participants for different ages. Other variables may exist, such as close-in-age exemptions.

Rape is a type of sexual assault initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, under threat or manipulation, by impersonation, or with a person who is incapable of giving valid consent.

Deviant sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse is, in some U.S. states, a legal term for "any act of sexual gratification involving the sex organs of one person and the mouth or anus of another, anus to mouth or involving invasion of the anus or vagina of one person by a foreign object manipulated by another person".

Zoophilia is a paraphilia in which a person experiences a sexual fixation on non-human animals. Bestiality instead refers to cross-species sexual activity between humans and non-human animals. Due to the lack of research on the subject, it is difficult to conclude how prevalent bestiality is. Zoophilia, however, was estimated in one study to be prevalent in 2% of the population in 2021.

Laws regarding incest vary considerably between jurisdictions, and depend on the type of sexual activity and the nature of the family relationship of the parties involved, as well as the age and sex of the parties. Besides legal prohibitions, at least some forms of incest are also socially taboo or frowned upon in most cultures around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodomy law</span> Laws criminalising certain sexual acts

A sodomy law is a law that defines certain sexual acts as crimes. The precise sexual acts meant by the term sodomy are rarely spelled out in the law, but are typically understood and defined by many courts and jurisdictions to include any or all forms of sexual acts that are illegal, illicit, unlawful, unnatural and immoral. Sodomy typically includes anal sex, oral sex, manual sex, and bestiality. In practice, sodomy laws have rarely been enforced to target against sexual activities between individuals of the opposite sex, and have mostly been used to target against sexual activities between individuals of the same sex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Age of consent in the United States</span>

In the United States, each state and territory sets the age of consent either by statute or the common law applies, and there are several federal statutes related to protecting minors from sexual predators. Depending on the jurisdiction, the legal age of consent is between 16 and 18. In some places, civil and criminal laws within the same state conflict with each other.

In the United States, the law for murder varies by jurisdiction. In many US jurisdictions there is a hierarchy of acts, known collectively as homicide, of which first-degree murder and felony murder are the most serious, followed by second-degree murder and, in a few states, third-degree murder, which in other states is divided into voluntary manslaughter, and involuntary manslaughter such as reckless homicide and negligent homicide, which are the least serious, and ending finally in justifiable homicide, which is not a crime. However, because there are at least 52 relevant jurisdictions, each with its own criminal code, this is a considerable simplification.

This is a list of important events relating to the LGBT community from 1701 to 1800.

The Texas Penal Code is the principal criminal code of the U.S. state of Texas. It was originally enacted in 1856 and underwent substantial revision in 1973, with the passage of the Revised Penal Code, in large part based on the American Law Institute's Model Penal Code.

The age of consent is the age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts and is thus the minimum age of a person with whom another person is legally permitted to engage in sexual activity. The distinguishing aspect of the age of consent laws is that the person below the minimum age is regarded as the victim, and their sex partner is regarded as the offender, unless both are underage.

Rape laws vary across the United States jurisdictions. However, rape is federally defined for statistical purposes as:

Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.

Sexual consent plays an important role in laws regarding rape, sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence. In a court of law, whether or not the alleged victim had freely given consent, and whether or not they were deemed to be capable of giving consent, can determine whether the alleged perpetrator is guilty of rape, sexual assault or some other form of sexual misconduct.

References

  1. ↑ Bahn, Paul G. (1998). The Cambridge illustrated history of prehistoric art. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 188. ISBN   978-0-521-45473-5 . Retrieved 18 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Cornog, M.; Perper, T. (1994). "Bestiality". In Haeberle, E. J.; Bullough, B. L.; Bullough; et al. (eds.). Human Sexuality: An Encyclopedia. New York & London: Garland. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
  3. 1 2 Leviticus 20:15
  4. ↑ Regan, Tom. Animal Rights, Human Wrongs. Rowman & Littlefield, 2003, pp. 63-4, 89.
  5. ↑ Francis, Thomas (20 August 2009). "Those Who Practice Bestiality Say They're Part of the Next Sexual Rights Movement". Broward Palm Beach New Times. Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
  6. ↑ Angulo Cuesta, J.; García Diez, M. (2006). "Diversity and meaning of Palaeolithic phallic male representations in Western Europe". Actas Urol Esp. 30 (3): 254–267. Archived from the original on 2012-07-26.
  7. ↑ Anati, E. (2008). "The Way of Life Recorded in the Rock Art of Valcamonica" (PDF). Adoranten (2008). Scandinavian Society for Prehistoric Art. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-08-19.
  8. ↑ "Sagaholm". On the rocks. Archived from the original on 7 September 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
  9. ↑ Bull, M. (2005). The Mirror of the Gods, How Renaissance Artists Rediscovered the Pagan Gods. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN   0-19-521923-6.
  10. ↑ Ray, J. D. (2002). "Animal Cults". In Redford, D. B. (ed.). The Ancient Gods Speak: A Guide to Egyptian Religion. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 90. ISBN   978-0-19-515401-6.
  11. ↑ Leavitt, J. (1992). "The Cults of Isis among the Greeks and in the Roman Empire". In Bonnefoy, Y. (ed.). Greek and Egyptian Mythologies. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. p.  248. ISBN   978-0-226-06454-3.
  12. ↑ Norton, R. "Of Sodomy and Bestiality". Homosexuality in Eighteenth-Century England: A Sourcebook. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
  13. ↑ "THE COUNCIL OF ANCYRA, HISTORICAL NOTE & CANONS". Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
  14. ↑ The Code of the Nesilim, c. 1650-1500 BCE Retrieved 24 July 2013
  15. ↑ Out Of Print; Marmor, J. (1980). Homosexual Behavior. Basic Books. ISBN   978-0-465-03045-3 . Retrieved 2022-10-16.
  16. ↑ Raffe, Alasdair (2012). The Culture of Controversy: Religious Arguments in Scotland, 1660-1714. Boydell Press. ISBN   9781843837299.
  17. ↑ Henderson, Lizanne (8 April 2016). Witchcraft and Folk Belief in the Age of Enlightenment: Scotland, 1670-1740. Springer. ISBN   9781137313249.
  18. ↑ Quilligan, Maureen (7 June 2011). Incest and Agency in Elizabeth's England. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN   978-0812203301.
  19. ↑ Marmion, Anthony (June 2013). The Ancient and Modern History of the Maritime Ports of Ireland. BoD – Books on Demand. ISBN   9783954273522.
  20. ↑ Wirrig, Adam L. (4 April 2022). Trial of Translation: An Examination of 1 Corinthians 6:9 in the Vernacular Bibles of the Early Modern Period. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN   9781725277557.
  21. ↑ Gibson, William; Begiato, Joanne (28 February 2017). Sex and the Church in the Long Eighteenth Century: Religion, Enlightenment and the Sexual Revolution. Bloomsbury. ISBN   9781786731579.
  22. ↑ Österberg, E. (2010). Friendship and Love, Ethics and Politics: Studies in Mediaeval and Early Modern History. The Natalie Zemon Davis Annual Lectures Series. Central European University Press. p. 170. ISBN   978-615-5211-79-9 . Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  23. ↑ Krogh, T. (2011). A Lutheran Plague: Murdering to Die in the Eighteenth Century. Studies in Central European Histories. Brill. p. 59. ISBN   978-90-04-22137-6 . Retrieved 2022-11-30.
  24. ↑ Last Night's Television: Always let a sleeping pagan lie
  25. ↑ Banks-Smith, Nancy (July 20, 2004). "Please, please tell me now". The Guardian. London. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  26. ↑ Napoleonic Code Archived 2014-09-10 at the Wayback Machine
  27. 1 2 3 Bestiality and Zoophilia: Sexual Relations with Animals
  28. 1 2 The Keys to Happiness: Sex and the Search for Modernity in Fin-de-siècle Russia
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rydström, Jens (May 31, 2007). Criminally Queer: Homosexuality and Criminal Law in Scandinavia 1842-1999. Aksant. ISBN   9789052602455 . Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  30. ↑ Gollmann, Wilhelm (1854). Homeopathic Guide to all Diseases Urinary and Sexual Organ. Charles Julius Hempel. Rademacher & Sheek.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 Sexuality with Animals (Zoophilia) – an Unrecognized Problem in Animal Welfare Legislation Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  32. ↑ Chicago Whispers: A History of LGBT Chicago before Stonewall
  33. ↑ Animal Slaughter is Illegal in Denmark but Animal Prostitution Is Not
  34. ↑ Sweden Considering Ban On Beastiality
  35. ↑ Kilpinen, Pekka (2001). "Järjettömäin luondocappalden canssa". University of Helsinki (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 20 March 2007. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  36. ↑ Intercourse with an animal
  37. ↑ Animal sex proposal spurs call for referendum
  38. ↑ "Denmark passes law to ban bestiality". BBC Newsbeat. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  39. ↑ "Iowa Code 717C: Bestiality" (PDF). Iowa Legislature. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  40. ↑ "Maine Revised Statutes Title 17, §1031: Cruelty to Animals". Maine Legislature. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  41. ↑ "ORS 167.333: Sexual assault of an animal". Oregon Public Law. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  42. ↑ "720 ILCS 5/12-35: Sexual conduct or sexual contact with an animal". Illinois General Assembly. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  43. ↑ "South Dakota Codified Law 22-22-42: Bestiality". South Dakota Legislature. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  44. ↑ "Missouri Revised Statutes 566.111: Bestiality". Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  45. ↑ "RCW 16.52.205: Animal cruelty in the first degree". Washington State Legislature. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  46. ↑ "Vermont Statutes, Title 13, § 352: Cruelty to Animals". Vermont General Assembly. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  47. ↑ "Arizona Revised Statutes 13-1411: Bestiality". Arizona State Legislature. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  48. ↑ "Colorado Revised Statutes § 18-9-202: Cruelty and aggravated cruelty to animals". Casetext. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  49. ↑ "Indiana Code Title 35, § 35-46-3-14: Offenses related to animals". Indiana General Assembly. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  50. ↑ "Tennessee Code § 39-14-214: Sexual exploitation of animals". Justia Law. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  51. ↑ "Alaska Statutes Title 11, § 11.61.140: Sexual conduct with animals". Touch N' Go Systems, Inc. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  52. ↑ "Florida Statutes § 828.126: Sexual activities involving animals". Florida Legislature. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  53. ↑ "Alabama Criminal Code 2017" (PDF). Alabama Law Institute. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  54. ↑ "New Jersey Statutes § 4:22-17: Animal cruelty offenses" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Health. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  55. ↑ "Texas Penal Code, Title 5, Chapter 21: Sexual Offenses". Texas Legislature Online. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  56. ↑ "Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 201: Crimes Against Public Decency and Good Morals". Nevada Legislature. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  57. ↑ "New Hampshire RSA 644:8-g - Bestiality". New Hampshire General Court. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  58. ↑ "Kentucky Revised Statutes - Statute 49351". Kentucky Legislature. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  59. ↑ "Ohio Revised Code § 959.21: Bestiality". Ohio Laws and Rules. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  60. ↑ "Hawaii Revised Statutes § 711-1109.08: Sexual conduct with animals". Hawaii State Legislature. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  61. ↑ "Wyoming Statutes, Title 6: Crimes and Offenses" (PDF). Wyoming Legislature. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  62. ↑ "§ 22–1012.01. Prohibiting sexual contact between a person and animal". D.C. Law Library. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  63. ↑ "New Mexico Statutes § 30-9A-2: Animal cruelty". Justia Law. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  64. ↑ "Code pénal – Article 521-1". Legifrance (in French). Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  65. ↑ "Loi relative à la protection et au bien-être des animaux". ejustice.just.fgov.be (in French). May 11, 2007. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  66. ↑ "Norwegian Animal Welfare Act (2009)". Lovdata. Norwegian Government. Retrieved 9 September 2024. Violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including bestiality, can result in fines or imprisonment for up to 1 year, depending on the severity of the offense.
  67. ↑ "Animal Welfare Law Bans Bestiality in the Netherlands". Officiële bekendmakingen (in Dutch). July 1, 2010. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  68. ↑ "Germany Bans Bestiality Under Animal Welfare Law". Deutsche Welle. 13 December 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2024. Germany's amendment to the animal welfare law bans bestiality and imposes fines of up to €25,000 for violations.
  69. ↑ "Iceland Bans Bestiality with Animal Welfare Law Update". The Local. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2024. Iceland introduced a ban on bestiality as part of its updated animal welfare laws, which took effect on January 1, 2014. Penalties for violations include fines or imprisonment of up to 2 years.
  70. ↑ "Sweden Strengthens Animal Welfare Laws, Bans Bestiality". The Local. 4 October 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2024. The Swedish government passed legislation that bans bestiality, which took effect on April 1, 2014. Penalties include fines or imprisonment for up to 2 years.
  71. ↑ "Ley Orgánica 10/1995, de 23 de noviembre, del Código Penal". BOE.es. Boletín Oficial del Estado. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  72. ↑ "Denmark Bans Bestiality, Introduces Fines as Penalty". The Local. 21 April 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2024. Denmark's ban on bestiality took effect on July 1, 2015, under animal welfare reforms. Penalties for violations include fines, with amounts determined based on the severity of the offense and the offender's financial situation.
  73. ↑ "Crimes Act 1900 (ACT)" (PDF). ACT Legislation Register. Government of the Australian Capital Territory. Retrieved 9 September 2024. Under Section 79 of the Crimes Act 1900 (ACT), bestiality is an indictable offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. This law took effect on March 22, 2011, following the Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.