Pentagon OKs Newsstand Sales of Some Adult Magazines on Bases

WASHINGTON — A Pentagon panel has determined that the sale of some adult magazines can continue on U.S. military bases, ruling that the magazines are not “sexually explicit.”

According to the Agence France Presse, Leslye Arsht, the deputy under secretary of defense for military community and family policy, wrote in a letter last week that following a careful review of the materials, a Pentagon committee has determined that there is nothing sexually explicit about publications like Nude Playmates, Celebrity Skin and other adult publications.

“The sale of these magazines on [Defense Department] property is permissible,” the review board said in its ruling.

The board did find that a small number of magazines that previously had been sold on military bases, including Wet and Blonde and Beyond, should no longer be sold on U.S. bases.

The Pentagon’s latest review of on-base adult materials resulted from a letter sent by antipornography activists in May, in which the activist groups called for stronger enforcement of the Military Honor and Decency Act signed into law in 1996. The law prohibits “the sale or rental of sexually explicit material on property under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense.”

As defined in the law, the term “sexually explicit material” means an “an audio recording, a film or video recording, or a periodical with visual depictions, produced in any medium, the dominant theme of which depicts or describes nudity, including sexual or excretory activities or organs, in a lascivious way.”

While conservative groups and some military pastors also have called on the Pentagon to enforce the law with regards to sexually explicit materials that soldiers obtain online, the statute itself does not provide for such regulation, as the law pertains only to “officially provided” materials.

The law states that a “member of the armed forces or a civilian officer or employee of the Department of Defense acting in an official capacity may not provide for sale, remuneration, or rental sexually explicit material to another person,” but the statute does not address the question of soldiers obtaining such material through other means.

Arsht said that the Pentagon panel soon would conduct an “expeditious review” of other adult publications, including Playboy’s Vixen and XXX to determine if those magazines qualify as sexually explicit.

Related:  

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

The Cowgirl Debuts 'Saddle' Sex Machine

Cowgirl has introduced its new Saddle sex machine with attachments.

XR Brands Debuts 'Jock Enhancers' Collection

XR Brands has introduced its new Jock Enhancers line.

Kyrgyzstan President Signs Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday signed into law legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

NC Legislature Overrides Veto of Extreme Anti-Adult Industry Bill

The North Carolina state legislature on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of a bill imposing regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most creators and content.

Report: VPN Downloads Soar in UK Following Age Verification Deadline

Virtual private network apps, which can be used to circumvent geo-specific age verification requirements, are topping Apple App Store downloads in the U.K. in the wake of new Online Safety Act rules, the BBC is reporting.

Blush Introduces 'Golden Dawn' Dildo From Avant Line

Blush has debuted the Golden Dawn dildo from its Avant Collection.

Orion Debuts 'Nodding Head' Vibe From Sweet Smile Line

Orion Wholesale has introduced the Vibrator With a Nodding Head from its Sweet Smile line.

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.

Full Circle Debuts New 'Cleo Feather' Vibe

Pleasure brand Full Circle has introduced its new Cleo Feather Tickler vibrator.

Pjur Launches 'Toy' Line in North America

Pjur has announced its Toy series of wellness products will be available for purchase in the U.S. starting in September.

Show More