Teens can suck, not fuck, in Canada

The new Canadian federal legislation that abolishes the offense of "gross indecency" and lowers the age of consent for buggery in "private" to 18 went into effect on January 1, 1988. The legislation lowers the age of consent for most sexual activities to 14 although it adds a higher age of consent for those in positions of "trust or authority" in relation to young people (set at 18) and adds the new offense of touching a young person "for a sexual purpose." The penalty for engaging in buggery with someone under the age of 18 could be ten years in prison.

Justice Minister Ray Hnatyshyn defended the higher age of consent for buggery as necessary to defend youths from the AIDS virus. Rather than educating young people about safe sex they are criminalizing anal fucking which they identify with homosexuality. The law also includes a section that could be used to criminalize the education or encouragement of young people to masturbate. The laws criminalizing those who associate with "juvenile prostitutes" are strengthened.

source: 'Teens Can Suck, Not Fuck, in Canada'; NAMBLA Bulletin, vol. 9 n. 3; April 1988