US Lawmaker Proposes $10,000 Fines for Male Masturbation 

A controversial proposal from a US lawmaker suggests imposing $10,000 fines for male masturbation, sparking debates about personal rights and government intervention in private matters.

A Democrat from Mississippi has proposed a bill that would impose fines of up to $10,000 on men for ejaculating “without the intent to fertilize an embryo.” This legislation is intended as a satirical effort to highlight the state’s stringent anti-abortion laws.

State Senator Bradford Blackmon proposed the ‘Contraception Begins at Erection Act’ on Monday. This bill aims to prohibit individuals from “discharging genetic material without intending to fertilize an embryo.” If enacted into law, it would impose fines of $1,000 for a first offense, $5,000 for a second offense, and $10,000 for any further offenses against men who masturbate or partake in non-procreative sex.

Blackmon stated to WLBT News that nationwide, and particularly in Mississippi, most legislation concerning contraception and abortion emphasizes the woman’s role even though men contribute 50 percent. “This bill underscores this imbalance by including the man’s responsibility in these discussions,” he added.

The US Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade ensured the right to abortion from 1973 until it was overturned by a ruling in 2022. With federal protection of abortion rights removed, individual states have established their own regulations on the issue. Liberal strongholds like California and Vermont have enshrined abortion rights into their constitutions, while approximately twelve conservative states, including Mississippi, have implemented near-total bans on abortions.

The bill is unlikely to be approved by Mississippi’s Republican-majority legislature, but it has garnered considerable media attention throughout the United States. According to Blackmon, this was his objective.

“When a bill is introduced that aims to control men’s actions within their own homes, it immediately causes an uproar,” he told Newsweek. “I’m trying to understand when it’s acceptable for the government to dictate private behavior. It seems this happens when regulations target men.”

Blackmon’s bill is not unprecedented. In 2017, Texas State Representative Jessica Farrar, a Democrat, proposed the ‘A Man’s Right to Know Act.’ This legislation suggested fines for masturbation and imposed a 24-hour waiting period for men seeking procedures like colonoscopies or vasectomies as well as prescriptions for Viagra.

The bill’s name was a clever twist on “A Woman’s Right to Know,” an anti-abortion pamphlet distributed by pro-life and religious groups. Farrar explained to CNN, “Let’s examine what Texas has imposed on women. What if men were subjected to the same invasive procedures?”