Talk about taking matters into one’s own hands.
In a glaring case of government overreach, a provocative new bill introduced in the Mississippi legislature aims to ban ejaculation without intent to conceive — aka masturbation — by men.
The law, dubbed the 'Contraception Begins at Erection Act' proposes to ban unprotected se and other "behaviours" without the intent of procreation.
Under Democratic Sen. Bradford Blackmon’s proposal, it would be illegal for a man to ejaculate without the intent to fertilize an embryo unless contraception is used.
Violations would carry stiff penalties: $1,000 for a first offence, $5,000 for a second, and $10,000 for subsequent turgesences.
Donations to sperm banks, however, would be exempt.
The bill, which has drawn widespread attention and humour online, is not intended to become law; instead, Blackmon openly acknowledges that it serves as a satirical jab at policies across the US that restrict women's access to contraception and abortion.
The bill's language — “It shall be unlawful for a person to discharge genetic material without the intent to fertilize an embryo” — is meant to be deliberately provocative, mirroring the rhetoric of laws that define life as beginning at conception, he said in interviews.
“You have male-dominated legislatures in Mississippi and across the country passing laws dictating what women can and cannot do with their bodies,” Blackmon said in a written statement.
“This bill challenges the hypocrisy by suggesting a law that regulates what men can do with their own bodies. It’s funny how quickly people get outraged when the tables are turned.”
Blackmon argues that such a conversation is long overdue. “When a bill regulating men's bodies is introduced, it causes an uproar,” he said. “But when the government dictates what women can do in the privacy of their own homes, it’s somehow acceptable.”
Blackmon’s bill has been met with ridicule by some and applause by others, with many noting its stark parallels to the stringent abortion and contraception laws enacted in Mississippi and other states. Critics of these laws argue that they disproportionately target women, ignoring the fact that men are equally responsible for reproduction.
Blackmon’s bill comes amid a nationwide debate over reproductive rights, with many conservative states enacting sweeping abortion bans following the US Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Mississippi has been at the forefront, passing a near-total abortion ban and imposing restrictions on contraception access.
Ironically, it’s not the first time similar laws have been proposed — in all seriousness. In 2000, a Republican-backed bill sought to impose fines on men who were publicly aroused, even if fully clothed. That bill, which ultimately failed, targeted strip club patrons with fines of $2,000.
Conservative critics, however, have dismissed Blackmon’s proposal as political theatre. Clay Travis, a prominent conservative commentator, called it “outrageous”and an attempt to ”mock legitimate policy debates.”
In the bigger picture, although the Contraception Begins at Erection Act is unlikely to move forward in the Republican-dominated Mississippi legislature, it has already succeeded in sparking a broader discussion about gender equity in reproductive laws.
“Whether people think it’s serious or not, the conversation it starts is very real,” Blackmon said.