HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Reuters)
A group of women took the state of
Alabama to court Wednesday over a state law that bans
the sale of
vibrators and other sex toys.
The American Civil Liberties Union spearheaded the suit in U.S.
District Court on behalf of Sherri Williams and other women
who say their privacy rights have been violated.
``It's a $10,000 fine and a year of hard labor if you get caught
selling vibrators,'' said Williams, who runs two ''romance
boutiques'' in Alabama.
``This is not a stereotypical sex shop,'' Williams said of her
business, Loving Enterprises Inc. ``We do candles and chocolates
and
lingerie, all the ingredients for a romantic evening. It
just so happens that sex toys are one of those ingredients.''
Last year, the Alabama Legislature outlawed strip clubs, and
added language that barred the sale of items to enhance sex,
including vibrators and certain kinds of condoms.
``They set out to eliminate strip clubs, but along the way they
snuck in sex toys,'' Williams said. ``Not only did they take
away
your entertainment, but when they were done they also took away
your
right to entertain yourself.''
The ACLU noted in the suit that it was legal for physicians to
prescribe the anti-impotency drug Viagra for men in Alabama,
but it was not legal to sell items that might help women
experience sexual pleasure.
Courtney Tarver, representing the state, pointed out that the
law banned only the sale - not the use - of vibrators. ``We see
the
legislature acting within its powers,'' he said.
