Maryland Legalizes Oral, Anal Sex

Maryland Legalizes Oral, Anal Sex

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The state of Maryland has repealed the Unnatural or Perverted Sexual Practice Act, which criminalized any sexual act outside of vaginal penetration.

Anal and oral sex between consenting adults, among other practices, are scheduled to become legal in Maryland beginning Oct. 1.

The repeal was heralded by sexual freedom advocacy group the Woodhull Freedom Foundation as “a victory for the human right to sexual freedom.”

The repeal legislation, HB 131 and SB 54, became law last month after Democratic governor Wes Moore allowed it to go into effect without his signature.

Under the current law, those who engage in nonvaginal sex are subject to up to 10 years in prison or a $1,000 fine.

“It’s not known why Moore, who has celebrated other legislative victories for the queer community, such as a law he approved that will improve access to trans health care, didn’t sign the bill,” the Baltimore Sun pointed out. “A spokesman for the governor declined to comment on Moore’s decision to not sign the bill.”

In 2020, the Maryland General Assembly repealed a law that designated sodomy as a criminal offense. 

The Unnatural or Perverted Sexual Practice Act has been used in the past to prosecute oral sex, but the vague language could also be interpreted to mean anal and other nonvaginal sexual practices. Its repeal was spearheaded by Democratic state Sen. Clarence Lam, who also sponsored the 2020 sodomy repeal legislation.

Lam says that legislators were provided assurances that prosecutors would not use the “perverted sexual practice” statute to prosecute LGBTQ+ people. According to the Baltimore Sun, however, a 2021 Washington Blade article reported that Harford County sheriff’s deputies charged four men with perverted sexual practice that year, even though the sodomy statute had been repealed a year earlier.

Lam told the Baltimore Sun that he was “really pleased” to have finally removed the law criminalizing nonvaginal sex from the books, thanks to the efforts of advocates and fellow legislators in the Maryland House.

“This is ultimately an overdue win for the LGBTQ community, and we’re happy to see this part of the chapter closed,” Lam said.

During the Assembly debate earlier this year, several Republican legislators took to the floor to attempt to stop the repeal, claiming that the law, which targets all Marylanders regardless of age, was needed to stop sex crimes against minors.

Woodhull Celebrates Repeal

The Woodhull Freedom Foundation submitted testimony in February 2023 in support of the repeal.

“We were frank and direct in what we had to say,” the organization explained through a statement. “The ordinance essentially criminalized any sexual act outside of vaginal penetration.”

The foundation called prohibition of consensual sexual activity between adults  “a violation of our human rights and bodily autonomy.” 

“We cannot allow antiquated and discriminatory laws to remain on the books and leave us vulnerable to prosecution,” the Woodhull statement continued. “This exact ordinance was used to arrest four gay men as recently as 2021. Furthermore, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Lawrence v. Texas enshrines our right to consensual sexual activity. Maryland’s ordinance stood in direct opposition to that ruling.

“In a year that has seen massive attacks on LGBTQ+ people and their rights, we are glad to see Maryland do the right thing,” the statement concluded, also thanking the senators who voted “to repeal this archaic law.”

Main Image: Maryland sexual freedom icon Divine (r.)

Copyright © 2025 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

Chloe Amour: Recharged, Refocused, and Ready for Real Love

These days, getting ahold of Chloe Amour on the weekend can be tough. She might ditch her phone, as was the case on a recent weekend while celebrating her birthday with family at Disneyland, riding the rides and taking in some sun.

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Isabella De Laa, Cherry Candle Star in Latest From MixedX

Isabella De Laa and Cherry Candle star in the latest release from MixedX, titled “Between Us.”

Tony Sting, Adira Allure & Dominic Pacifico Headline Latest From BiPhoria

Tony Sting, Adira Allure, and Dominic Pacifico star in the latest release from BiPhoria.

Proxy Paige, Wolf King Release 'I Kissed a Trans and I Liked It'

Evil Angel has released its latest title, “I Kissed a Trans and I Liked It,” co-directed by Proxy Paige and Wolf King.

Pineapple Support, Streamate to Host 'Navigating Grief and Loss' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Streamate are hosting a free online support group to help performers cope with grief and loss.

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

Elly Clutch Stars in Latest From Brazzers

2024 XMAs Female Clip Creator of the Year Elly Clutch stars with Ricky Johnson in the latest release from Brazzers, titled "Elly’s Evil Twin."

Liz Jordan Crowned Newest Vixen Angel

Vixen Media Group (VMG) has crowned Liz Jordan as its newest Vixen Angel.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Show More