# Why is sex in public illegal? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 27, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870 "2003-06-27T22:35:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/21 "2003-06-28T04:54:19Z")
I don’t like Public Displays of Affection very much. It’s disconcerting to observe, for some reason. Public Sex would just be way too much for me. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/22 "2003-06-28T05:33:11Z")
I would assume that most people who would defend the right for you to have any kind of consenual sex you want in private would draw the line at you having sex in front of them unless you explictaly said it was alright. Many people consider sex to be a private thing, or just something they don’t want to see while walking down the street. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/23 "2003-06-28T06:47:03Z")
[You tell me.](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/towerrelease1.html) ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/24 "2003-06-28T06:54:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GuanoLad \* > \*\*I don’t like Public Displays of Affection very much. It’s disconcerting to observe, for some reason. > > Public Sex would just be way too much for me. \*\* That’s why I feel that if you are going to do anything in public,it should be away from people, so they don’t have to see it if they don’t want to. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/25 "2003-06-28T08:01:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mudshark \* > \*\*That’s why I feel that if you are going to do anything in public,it should be away from people, so they don’t have to see it if they don’t want to. \*\* Huh? If it’s ‘away from people’ then it ain’t PUBLIC. Or have I just been majorly whooshed? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/26 "2003-06-28T08:18:36Z")
It’s in a public place, just not in public view. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/27 "2003-06-28T16:35:46Z")
“Why is sex in public illegal?” Because the people who make laws aren’t having sex & so they have to regulate it for everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/28 "2003-06-28T16:51:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Doghouse Reilly \* > \*\*[You tell me.](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/towerrelease1.html) \*\* Ah, so THAT’S why. Eww. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/29 "2003-06-28T17:05:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Larry Mudd \* > \*\*Frightens the horses. \*\* So don’t sneak up on the horse. You need to court them, show them that they mean something to you, demonstrate your love to them in unspoken, non-physical ways. Just giving them some oats or a carrot, then hopping on for a ride is never a good idea. Good luck!😉 ---
**Author:** ![badmana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@badmana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badmana)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/30 "2003-06-28T17:12:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Doghouse Reilly \* > \*\*[You tell me.](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/towerrelease1.html) \*\* Ugh. So is it, strictly speaking, illegal to have sex in a car on public property? Or rather, should it not be? And the argument about not wanting to tell your kids is pretty lame. What do you tell them when 2 dogs are going at it? ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/31 "2003-06-28T17:18:52Z")
You can throw in the breastfeeding in public argument here. Because it seems like there something wrong if someone says, “I don’t feel comfortable seeing a woman breastfeed in public” but its perfectly normal to say “I don’t feel comfortable seeing those two people go at it in public”. If people have a problem seeing a woman breastfeeding, its THEIR problem. If people have a problem seeing people having sex, its the exhibitionists’ problem. Kind of funny. Both are an intimiate act between two people. Both fulfill a crucial need, and both involve the exchange of bodily fluids. So one is okay and the other isn’t? Sex is just as normal for us as breastfeeding is. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/32 "2003-06-28T17:37:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Incubus \* > \*\* If people have a problem seeing a woman breastfeeding, its THEIR problem. If people have a problem seeing people having sex, its the exhibitionists’ problem. Kind of funny. \*\* I don’t think so. A woman can be fairly discreet in breastfeeding a child – that is, feeding the child without blatantly exposing her bosom. A couple having sex cannot be so discreet. Even if the couple seeks to hid themselves (underneath some bushes, for example), it’s hardly unreasonable for someone to catch them in the act. Moreover, the infant MUST be fed, and bottlefeeding is not always an option. In contrast, there is no reason why the couple MUST have sex right there and then, in a public place. If they feel this is absolutely necessary, then they have a serious psychological problem. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/33 "2003-06-28T18:59:06Z")
So, we made sex in public illegal because we were puritanical and uncomfortable with seeing it. Now that sex in public has been illegal for however long, we are not used to seeing it so we say that it is illegal because it makes us uncomfortable. Seems like we have a chicken and egg argument going on here. Those of you who are assuming that people who have sex in public or people who don’t care about seeing it have psychological problems are making an assumption that I wouldn’t care to make; if we grew up in a society that didn’t make a big deal about sex in public, it wouldn’t mean that we have psychological problems because we were blasé about it. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/34 "2003-06-28T20:55:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blonde \* > \*\*however, I have to wonder if even Amsterdam (sp?) has laws against public sexual adventures. > \*\* Spelling is correct, and even the Dutch have laws against it. See Section 239 Penal Code: > [@](#): > > Punishable with enprisonment with a maximum of three months or a fine of the second category is violation of virtue > > 1. on a place destined for public traffic > (…) The norm of violation of virtue is, however, applied much more liberally than in other countries, I guess. I do not think it is a mere formality, though. If you would proceed to have intercourse on the sidewalk I’m pretty sure a cop would come by and politely ask you to finish up in a more private place. You probably wouldn’t get arrested unless you wouldn’t take the hint. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/35 "2003-06-28T22:12:23Z")
“So is it, strictly speaking, illegal to have sex in a car on public property? Or rather, should it not be?” With yourself? If you get caught they can report your license number to the cops & yes, in my area, the cops do something about it. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/36 "2003-06-28T22:22:43Z")
For those who say it’s “prudish” and “puritanical”, tell me, would you want people to take a piss in public? A dump? Probably not. And yes, sex can be messy too. My gosh, is a little bit of modesty THAT BAD? Use your imagination, folks! ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/37 "2003-06-28T23:15:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by featherlou \* > \*\*So, we made sex in public illegal because we were puritanical and uncomfortable with seeing it. \*\* Again, someone make this assumption. Do you have any proof? Aren’t there valid public health reasons for people to not hump in public areas? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/38 "2003-06-29T04:01:40Z")
Archy’s take on the matter: [http://www.donmarquis.com/readingroom/archybooks/immorality.html](http://www.donmarquis.com/readingroom/archybooks/immorality.html) ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/39 "2003-06-29T04:48:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neurotik \* > \*\*Right. It’s prudishness to not want to have people squirting possibly nasty, disease-ridden bodily fluids in public places (and if you aren’t squirting bodily fluids, you aren’t doing it right). \*\* As if it doesn’t happen anyway. Please. There is plenty of furtive sex in public areas. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870/40 "2003-06-29T04:59:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by featherlou \* > \*\* > Those of you who are assuming that people who have sex in public or people who don’t care about seeing it have psychological problems are making an assumption that I wouldn’t care to make; if we grew up in a society that didn’t make a big deal about sex in public, it wouldn’t mean that we have psychological problems because we were blas� about it. \*\* I don’t know if you were referring to me, but just in case… That’s NOT what I claimed. I said that anyone who feels they MUST have sex in public needs psychological help. This is quite different from merely being indifferent to the question of whether sex is conducted publicly or not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-sex-in-public-illegal/184870.md?page=3)