Portal:Human sexuality

The age of consent is the age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts, and is thus the minimum age of a person with whom another person is legally permitted to engage in sexual activity. The distinguishing aspect of the age of consent laws is that the person below the minimum age is regarded as the victim, and their sex partner as the offender.

The term age of consent rarely actually appears in legal statutes; it has sometimes been used with other meanings, such as the age at which a person becomes competent to consent to marriage, but the meaning given above is the one now generally understood. It should not be confused with the age of majority, age of criminal responsibility, the voting age, the drinking age, driving age, etc.

Age of consent laws vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, though most jurisdictions set the age of consent in the range 14 to 18. The laws may also vary by the type of sexual act, the gender of the actors, or other restrictions such as abuse of a position of trust. Some jurisdictions may also make allowances for minors engaged in sexual acts with each other, rather than a single age. Charges resulting from a breach of these laws may range from a misdemeanor such as corruption of a minor, to what is popularly called statutory rape (which is considered equivalent to rape, both in severity and sentencing).

There are many "gray areas" in this area of law, some regarding unspecific and untried legislation, others brought about by debates regarding changing societal attitudes, and others due to conflicts between federal and state laws. These factors all make age of consent an often confusing subject, and a topic of highly charged debates. (Full article...)

• ... that loans made by Seattle brothel-owner Lou Graham saved some of the city's most prestigious families from bankruptcy after the Panic of 1893? (former brothel pictured)
• ... that Monica Coghlan, at the center of the scandal surrounding Lord Jeffrey Archer, was killed in an unrelated car crash a month before the start of the trial that would convict him of perjury and vindicate her?
• ... the Śukasaptati, written originally in Sanskrit, is a collection of seventy erotic tales narrated by a parrot to prevent its mistress from committing adultery while her husband is away from home?
• ... that the fictional Document 12-571-3570 was a hoax that purported to describe sex experiments done in space?
• ... that anti-gay protests following the selection of the song Samo Ljubezen by drag-group Sestre (pictured) in the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest led to criticism of Slovenia in the European Parliament?
• ... that the monument (pictured) to Mother Featherlegs near Lusk, Wyoming has been called the only monument to a prostitute in the United States?
• ... that studies on whether nice guys finish last have been hindered by the social desirability bias?
• ... that American novelist Tracy Quan once served as spokeswoman to the sex worker advocacy group Prostitutes of New York?

July-December 2006

21 July 2024 – 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement

The Supreme Court of Bangladesh reduces the government job quota reserved for families of veterans who fought in the Bangladesh Liberation War from 30% to 5%, leaving 93% of jobs to be allocated on merit and 2% set aside for ethnic minorities, transgender, and disabled people. (AP)

18 July 2024 – LGBT rights in South Korea

The Supreme Court of South Korea rules that same-sex couples are eligible to receive the same health insurance benefits as heterosexual couples. (AP)

12 July 2024 – LGBT rights in Burkina Faso

Burkinabè Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala [fr] announces a ban on homosexuality in the country. (BBC News)

12 July 2024 – Same-sex marriage in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten

The Supreme Court of the Netherlands rules that same-sex marriage is legal in Aruba and Curaçao. (De Telegraaf)

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