Woman's sex toy parties incur the wrath of Texas
Joanne Webb does not immediately come across as a menace to society. She is a 43-year-old happily married housewife who runs her own business in a small town near Dallas.
Recently, though, the authorities in Cleburne, Texas, learned exactly what it was she did for a living - selling vibrators, gels, lubricants and nipple creams at confidential Tupperware-style parties - and decided she had to be stopped at all costs.
Two undercover narcotics investigatorsapproached Ms Webb to purchase a vibrator and she was hauled into court on an obscure state obscenity law banning the sale of items "designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs".
Facing a year in prison and a $4,000 (£2,180) fine if convicted, Ms Webb has now become a legal cause célèbre. "We have a real problem with drugs in our schools," Ms Webb marvelled, "and they're using our narcotics officers to entrap me for selling a vibrator".
Sex toy parties are all the rage across the United States, largely thanks to the California-based company that Ms Webb represents, called Passion Parties. She, like an estimated 3,000 other women, sets up discreet private events to push the company's product line and earning a living from the sales commissions.
Ms Webb's lawyers hope to have her case thrown out on constitutional grounds.
publishes 22 January 2004 at Independent.co.uk; also see ABC News
Friday, January 23, 2004
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
DontAmend Tampa Bay Announces 'Freedom to Marry Week' of Action Rally
DontAmend Tampa Bay, in conjunction with The Equality Campaign, DontAmend.com, Marriage Equality California, Marriage Equality USA, and Metropolitan Community Churches, who have launched pro-active, pro-equal marriage campaign of local educational events, protests of anti-gay officials and other activities culminating in a nationwide day of rallies and other events for same sex marriage for National 'Freedom to Marry Week' of Actions for February 9th -15th, 2004.
DontAmend Tampa Bay's Valentines Day of Action Rally will coincide with 'Freedom to Marry Week' of Action, rallies and related events to be held at Appleton, Wisconsin, Atlanta, Georgia, Brevard, Florida, Chicago, Illinois, Clinton, Iowa (Quad Cities), Columbia, South Carolina, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas, Denver, Colorado, Des Moines, Iowa, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Ithaca, New York, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Little Rock, Arkansas, Sacramento, California, Seattle, Washington, Tucson, Arizona, Washington, DC, West Palm Beach, Florida and Williamsburg, Virginia.
DATE: Valentines Day: Saturday, February 14, 2004
LOCATION: Lowery Park, Picnic Shelter 115, 7525 North Boulevard, Tampa, Florida
TIME: 1 P.M. to 5 P.M.
NOTE: Covered picnic table seating is available for up to one-hundred and twenty eight people. So, bring your whole family, a picnic basket and make an afternoon of it.
Join With Members of the GLBT Community and Our Friends to Celebrate Same-Sex Relationships and Support Marriage Equality. And to Show Our Opposition to the "Federal Marriage Amendment".
Scheduled speakers and topics to date are: Rev. Phyllis Hunt, Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa, marriage equality and has offered to perform commitment ceremonies at the rally. Civil rights activists, Carrie Ross-Stone and Elisia Ross-Stone of Rainbow Law, an LGBT legal education service, on the, Get "All Your Ducks in a Row" equality awareness campaign, why we deserve civil marriage rights and what each of us can do in the coming year to make equality happen. Representative from Equality Florida to speak on statewide efforts for legal recognition of our families and the right of all people to choose civil marriages
DontAmend Tampa Bay is also seeking other local GLBT Organizations to co-sponsor the rally, volunteers to help organize and promote the rally and GLBT Community Leaders and Same-Sex Partners who may wish to speak at the rally.
Detailed directions, map and information available at: http://www.tampabaycoalition.com/dontamend.html. If you have any questions, wish to help organize or speak at the rally, please, contact Co-Organizers R. Zeke Fread and Alan Miles at: dontamend@tampabay.rr.com.
DontAmend Tampa Bay, in conjunction with The Equality Campaign, DontAmend.com, Marriage Equality California, Marriage Equality USA, and Metropolitan Community Churches, who have launched pro-active, pro-equal marriage campaign of local educational events, protests of anti-gay officials and other activities culminating in a nationwide day of rallies and other events for same sex marriage for National 'Freedom to Marry Week' of Actions for February 9th -15th, 2004.
DontAmend Tampa Bay's Valentines Day of Action Rally will coincide with 'Freedom to Marry Week' of Action, rallies and related events to be held at Appleton, Wisconsin, Atlanta, Georgia, Brevard, Florida, Chicago, Illinois, Clinton, Iowa (Quad Cities), Columbia, South Carolina, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas, Denver, Colorado, Des Moines, Iowa, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Ithaca, New York, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Little Rock, Arkansas, Sacramento, California, Seattle, Washington, Tucson, Arizona, Washington, DC, West Palm Beach, Florida and Williamsburg, Virginia.
DATE: Valentines Day: Saturday, February 14, 2004
LOCATION: Lowery Park, Picnic Shelter 115, 7525 North Boulevard, Tampa, Florida
TIME: 1 P.M. to 5 P.M.
NOTE: Covered picnic table seating is available for up to one-hundred and twenty eight people. So, bring your whole family, a picnic basket and make an afternoon of it.
Join With Members of the GLBT Community and Our Friends to Celebrate Same-Sex Relationships and Support Marriage Equality. And to Show Our Opposition to the "Federal Marriage Amendment".
Scheduled speakers and topics to date are: Rev. Phyllis Hunt, Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa, marriage equality and has offered to perform commitment ceremonies at the rally. Civil rights activists, Carrie Ross-Stone and Elisia Ross-Stone of Rainbow Law, an LGBT legal education service, on the, Get "All Your Ducks in a Row" equality awareness campaign, why we deserve civil marriage rights and what each of us can do in the coming year to make equality happen. Representative from Equality Florida to speak on statewide efforts for legal recognition of our families and the right of all people to choose civil marriages
DontAmend Tampa Bay is also seeking other local GLBT Organizations to co-sponsor the rally, volunteers to help organize and promote the rally and GLBT Community Leaders and Same-Sex Partners who may wish to speak at the rally.
Detailed directions, map and information available at: http://www.tampabaycoalition.com/dontamend.html. If you have any questions, wish to help organize or speak at the rally, please, contact Co-Organizers R. Zeke Fread and Alan Miles at: dontamend@tampabay.rr.com.
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