Senate Orders Sex Site Restored

MONTPELIER, Vt. — A website devoted to helping young men avoid high-risk sex that could lead to HIV and AIDS must be switched back on by March 1, the state Senate ordered the Douglas administration Friday.

A link to the site, TheManPhone.org, was taken down in December 2005 after the Health Department was alerted that it included a link to an adult site.

Now, the adult link has been removed and the Health Department has indicated that it would re-establish the site soon, but lawmakers have been frustrated that it still hasn't happened.

"I'd like to hold the Department of Health's feet to the fire," Sen. Jeannette White said.

"I don't think anybody in the Senate disagrees with what the intent of what that website is — or was," Sen. George Coppenrath added. "The site ended up being something none of us intended it to be."

The goal of the site, paid for by a federal grant, is to inform sexually active men ages 18-24 of the possible consequences of sex, including unwanted pregnancies, HIV and AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases.

"The reason this was so successful was the edginess of it," White said. "The edginess appealed to this population."

Gov. James Douglas' spokesman, Jason Gibbs, said the amendment to the budget bill was not necessary.

"We are along the way toward re-establishing that service on the website to be run by the Department of Health," Gibbs said.

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Brazil: New AV Requirements Set to Take Effect March 17

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva this week gave final approval to new regulations requiring adult websites to age-verify users located in Brazil starting March 17.

FSC Recommends Platforms Integrate StopNCII.org Tool

In a blog post, Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has recommended that platforms integrate the StopNCII.org tool to prevent the sharing of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII).

Utah 'Porn Tax' Bill With VPN Provisions Passes State Senate

The Utah state Senate has passed a bill that would impose a 2% tax on the revenues of adult websites doing business in that state, and make sites liable if Utah minors use VPNs to circumvent geolocation.

Fast-Tracked Arizona Bill Includes Consent 'Catch-22' for Adult Sites

A bill advancing rapidly through the Arizona state legislature would impose new requirements for adult content uploaded online, including seemingly contradictory provisions that could effectively make it impossible for adult sites to operate in the state.

VirtualRealPorn Launches WebXR-Enabled Site

VirtualRealPorn has officially launched its new site, built on Web Extended Reality (WebXR) technology.

'MyAsianGFs' Launches Through Paysite.com

MyAsianGFs.com has officially launched through Paysite.com.

Corey Silverstein to Host Webinar on North Carolina Age Verification Thursday

Adult industry attorney Corey D. Silverstein has announced his latest "Legal Impact" webinar, titled "North Carolina AV Law — Content Creation Issues," to livestream Thursday at 4 p.m. (EST).

Ofcom Fines 8579 LLC $1.8 Million for AV Noncompliance

U.K. media regulator Ofcom on Monday imposed a fine of 1.35 million pounds (more than $1.8 million) against adult site operator 8579 LLC for failing to implement age checks as required for compliance with the Online Safety Act.

Pearl Industry Network Launches 'TrustLink' Creator Verification Platform

Trade group Pearl Industry Network (PiN) has launched TrustLink, its free creator verification platform.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rejects Tariffs, Trump Responds

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled against the Trump administration’s sweeping tariffs, which have significantly impacted the pleasure industry, prompting the president to announce a new tariff strategy as a workaround.

Show More