dildos
Dildos in pink, blue and violet lying on a white surface

Meanwhile in Texas: It’s Illegal to Own More Than 6 Dildos

By Mandatory Editors

In general, the law keeps us safe, protects us from “bad actors,” and ideally supports a functional society. But sometimes, the law oversteps and ends up legislating private matters it has no business butting into, like our sex lives. Some restrictions – especially in hindsight – are downright ridiculous. Don’t believe us? Have we got a story for you…

Once upon a time – by which we mean 1973 – the Texas Legislature passed Section 43.21 of the Texas Penal Code. Dubbed “The Obscene Device Law,” it prohibited the sale or promotion of “obscene devices” that stimulated human genitals, like dildos or artificial vaginas.

Not many people have been punished under the law (though we bet if they own obscene devices, they’d probably get off on a little reprimand), but there have been a few, like a former teacher and mother of three who was charged with selling a vibrator at a private party to a pair of undercover cops pretending to be a married couple in 2004. She was ultimately acquitted. There was also a 2007 lingerie shop raid in Lubbock where sex toys were confiscated and the clerk on duty was arrested. And in 2001, a husband and wife who happened to be attorneys tried to extort several of the woman’s lovers using the statute.

The law was updated in 2003, but appears to still include a line stating that it’s illegal to own more than six dildos. How did they decide on six as the limit? We have no idea. We’re guessing whoever proposed that part of the law probably did a quick check of their bedroom bureau drawer, counted their own sex toy stash, then added a couple just in case.

Variety is the spice of life, so we guess we could see why someone would own over half-a-dozen dildos? What the Texas Legislature hasn’t felt the need to restrict, perhaps unsurprisingly, is the size of said dildos. But, as we know, everything’s bigger in Texas…

Cover Photo: Claudia Nass (Getty Images)

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