A Tennessee Legislator’s Anti-Porn Resolution Is Irresponsible and Ignorant

According to Senate Joint Resolution 35, sponsored by Tennessee Republican State Sen. Mae Beavers, porn is a public health hazard that must be stopped.

Here’s literally what the resolution says porn leads to:

— The hyper-sexualization of teens (and “even prepubescent children”)
— Low self-esteem
— Eating disorders
— Problematic sexual activity at younger ages
— An increased desire to engage in risky sexual behavior as young adolescents
— It teaches girls they are to be used (and that boys are users)
— The normalization of violence and abuse of women and children
— Treating rape and abuse as if they were harmless
— Treating pain as pleasure
— An increase in sex trafficking
— More prostitution
— More child sexual abuse
— Child pornography
— Emotional, mental, and medical illnesses
— Deviant sexual arousal
— Difficulty forming or maintaining intimate relationships
— Poor brain development and functioning
— Problematic or harmful sexual behaviors
— Addiction
— A detrimental effect on the family because young men don’t want to get married, they have dissatisfaction in marriage, and commit infidelity

Almost all of that is quoted verbatim. Which makes you wonder what the hell kind of porn they watch in Tennessee…

We could have an honest conversation about porn addiction. We could talk about how people can be filmed without consent and how that needs to be prevented. We could (and should) talk about how the sex in porn isn’t realistic.

But to treat all porn as evil — and all viewers as people who have serious problems — is baseless and ignorant.

This is what they’re spending time on in Tennessee.

And before you think this is just one wacky Republican whose non-binding resolution won’t go anywhere, consider this: This week, the resolution passed in the full Senate by a vote of 32-0. It was unanimous. It’ll now go to the House and, if it passes there, the Governor’s desk.

It won’t change any laws, but it’ll send an important message: The legislators in Tennessee can’t be trusted to treat traditionally taboo topics with the seriousness and honesty they deserve.

P.S. I deserve some credit for totally skipping over the obvious joke about the legislator’s name.

(Image via Shutterstock. Thanks to Jodisue for the link)