Gay Man Arrested For Sex In Baton Rouge

A gay man was arrested for sex in Baton Rouge.

As you may know, LGBT rights have come a long way in the last few years. New states are legalizing gay marriage on a regular basis, and formerly gay actors and athletes are coming out of the closet for the first time. However, there are still some things frowned upon no matter what your sexual orientation, and some laws still being enforced.

An undercover sheriff’s deputy allegedly entrapped a gay man and arrested him for little more than intentions.

He had been staking out the Manchac Park at around 10am when the gay man’s slow-moving sedan caught his eye. The deputy proceeded to park next to the 65-year-old driver and engage him in recorded conversation. Said conversation was moved to a picnic table after the deputy denied being a lawman, and they agreed to “some drinks and some fun” at the deputy’s apartment. To make intentions clear, the gay man arrested for sex had been asked if he had any condoms.

The gay man followed the deputy to a nearby apartment complex and was handcuffed. The man was charged with “crimes against nature” and sentenced to Parish Prison. There was no discussion of money involved, nor was the proposed sex planned in a public place. The arrest was based on a law that the US Supreme Court had struck down a decade ago against acts of sodomy.

This is not the first time a gay man had been arrested for sex that never really happened in the State of Louisiana. At least a dozen such cases had occurred where a law enforcement official tried to use an unenforceable law to entrap gay men and arrest them based on nothing more than intentions. Since 2011, District Attorney Hillar Moore III says his office refused to prosecute in such cases, as there was no real crime committed.

Gay Men Arrested In Baton Rouge Under Sodomy / Crimes Against Nature Law http://t.co/MDyltEgUTA #entrapment #harrassment #Louisiana

— Back2Stonewall.com (@BACK2STONEWALL) July 28, 2013

Louisiana State officers still stand behind the law, however. Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks stated, “This is a law that is currently on the Louisiana books, and the sheriff is charged with enforcing the laws passed by our Louisiana Legislature. Whether the law is valid is something for the courts to determine, but the sheriff will enforce the laws that are enacted.”

What do you think? Should the State of Louisiana stand behind such unenforceable laws? Is there an apology due the gay man arrested for sex?