# Is 16 too young for homosexual sex? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 22, 2003, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-16-too-young-for-homosexual-sex/176769 "2003-05-22T08:16:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pencilpusher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d6d6ee/32.png) [@pencilpusher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pencilpusher)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-16-too-young-for-homosexual-sex/176769/41 "2003-05-24T14:39:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Vlad Dracul \* > \*\* As for the gay/straight/bi/multiple/beastiality question… just keep it down! People are trying to sleep! 🙂 \*\* ok where did I miss the sheep talk? J/K I think it should be the same age across the board. For heavens sake they are screwing around anyway. Should we penalise them for doing what comes natural? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Priam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@Priam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Priam)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-16-too-young-for-homosexual-sex/176769/42 "2003-05-24T15:24:15Z")
From what I’ve always understood, age of consent laws don’t apply to two people under that age fooling around. Meaning a 15 year old can feel free to mess around with a 16 year old if the age of consent is 18. At least thats what my parents told me _shrug_ ---
**Author:** ![Searching\_For\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Searching\_For\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Searching_For_Truth)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-16-too-young-for-homosexual-sex/176769/43 "2003-05-24T18:53:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MSU 1978 \* > \*\*The 18 year old is far more likely to use a condom and to ask the right questions of a potential sex partner. \*\* Like everything else, this depends. Two years doesn’t always make that much of a difference in maturity. I know, from looking and listening around, that there are plenty of 18-year-olds who have sex regularly without a thought to protection. All the people I know who had sex at age 16 were practicing safe sex with steady partner(s). Then again, my friends weren’t (and aren’t) your average teenagers. (Thankfully.) ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-16-too-young-for-homosexual-sex/176769/44 "2003-05-24T19:21:08Z")
> [@](#): > > If paedophiles will be benefited by legislation allowing them to have sex with boys between 16 and 18, then they will benefit from laws allowing them to have sex with girls between 16 and 18. If you’re concerned about this, argue for the heterosexual age of consent to be eighteen (I disagree with this, but that’s a different debate). This is about equality, not paedophilia. Pedophilia is the desire for children who have not reached puberty. If you desire a 16 year old who has reached puberty, that doesn’t make you a pedophile. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-16-too-young-for-homosexual-sex/176769/45 "2003-05-25T01:53:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Priam \* > **From what I’ve always understood, age of consent laws don’t apply to two people under that age fooling around. Meaning a 15 year old can feel free to mess around with a 16 year old if the age of consent is 18.** Not true in all places. For example, in California, two minors who have sex can both be charged with statutory rape. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-16-too-young-for-homosexual-sex/176769/46 "2003-05-26T19:22:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr2001 \* > \*\*Not true in all places. For example, in California, two minors who have sex can both be charged with statutory rape. \*\* Given the financial situation of most cities in California, sensible voters would probably quickly vote out of office any prosecuting attorney who wasted their tax money on pursuing a case like this. At least, I sure hope so! ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-16-too-young-for-homosexual-sex/176769/47 "2003-05-26T20:01:02Z")
> [@](#): > > 16 is not too young to consent to sex with a partner of similar age but is too young to consent to sex with the the middleaged predators that the sort of people who find it appropriate to legislate these sorts of things are sure lurk around every corner. I think the best thing to do would be to allow a two year age difference between partners. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-16-too-young-for-homosexual-sex/176769/48 "2003-05-26T20:30:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blalron \* > \*\*I think the best thing to do would be to allow a two year age difference between partners. \*\* Good heavens! Under this my parents would have been criminals on their wedding night! Can they still be prosecuted for this, some 60+ years later? How about we just say the government should mind it’s own business, and stay out of people’s bedrooms? ---
**Author:** ![stochastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@stochastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stochastic)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-16-too-young-for-homosexual-sex/176769/49 "2003-05-26T22:33:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by [t-bonham@scc.net](mailto:t-bonham@scc.net) \* > \*\*Given the financial situation of most cities in California, sensible voters would probably quickly vote out of office any prosecuting attorney who wasted their tax money on pursuing a case like this. > > At least, I sure hope so! \*\* Unfortunately, I know of a recent case here in California where this was the exact scenario. A 16-year-old boy and a 14 year-old boy were found to be sexually involved. The 16-year-old was charged with statutory rape, effectively forced to admit guilt in a plea bargain, and now has a criminal record and has to register as a sex offender where-ever he lives for the rest of his life. AFAIK, no attorney, judge or legislator lost their job over this travesty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-16-too-young-for-homosexual-sex/176769.md?page=2)