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DON’T BAN SEX TOYS
Dr Raj hits customs action as ridiculous
Sharlene Rampersad 4 Hrs Ago
SEXOLOGIST Dr Raj Ramnanan intends to petition the High Court to amend a law that restricts the importation and sale of adult toys in TT.
Ramnanan says sex toys pose no harm to anyone and if those toys are to be banned, baigans and cucumbers which can be used as phallic objects should also be banned.
He owns and operates Total Image, a clinic that treats with sexual dysfunctions and issues, where he also sells sex toys.
He is the host of Sexplosion, a radio talk show which he uses to educate the public and dispel sexual myths.
His statements comes a day after local courier companies began informing their customers that a list of items, including adult toys, are illegal to import and will be seized by the Customs and Excise Division if they are imported.
Speaking to the Sunday Newsday, Ramnanan described the implementation of Section 46 (g) of the Criminal Offences Act as ridiculous.
The section states: “Any person who offers for sale or distribution or who exhibits to public view any profane, indecent, or obscene, paper, print, drawing, painting or representation may be deemed a rogue and a vagabond and if found liable, to imprisonment for two years.”
“The law is on the law books and while I don’t blame customs officers for doing their jobs, I am the only qualified sexologist in the Caribbean, and I can tell you it is ridiculous.
You have to blame the legislators, nobody has the gumption or testicular fortitude to say let us change the sex laws in this country,” Ramnanan said.
He added, “What are people going to use? A baigan, a cucumber?
All of those things were used before as phallic objects, are we going to ban those things as well, if we are being so ridiculous?” Ramnanan said he had already put together a legal team and drafted a letter that he intended to present to the Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi tomorrow morning.
Al-Rawi, who is not in country, told Sunday Newsday via Whatsapp that he would respond to the concerns tomorrow.
Al-Rawi added, “This is a customs and Ministry of Finance issue as line ministry, perhaps best to contact Minister (Colm) Imbert.” Ramnanan meanwhile said sex toys were not just for pleasure.
“I have a clinic where people need these things to fix themselves, they use these toys as a part of their treatment, there is a legitimate reason for these things and I see thousands of people every year who have a need for this kind of treatment.”
He said the law was only implemented in the first place because Trinidadians had copied English law to the constitution.
“That is an old English law that we copied and paste when we were drawing up our constitution, England has done away with these laws, why can’t we follow suit?”
Recalling recent landmark rulings, Ramnanan said he was fully confident that if the matter reached the High Court, a decision would be made in his favour.
“Our judicial system is very good, we have judges who understand what is happening in the wider world and they are very progressive and educated, so I am confident that this will be dealt with swiftly and in our favour.”
Efforts to contact Imbert, under whose ministry Customs falls, were unsuccessful.
When asked whether police would be enforcing this law as well, newly appointed Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith said, “There are laws in TT, if anyone breaks the law, the police would be obliged and will act in the manner that they are expected to so do.”
Griffith would not comment further.
National Security Minister Stuart Young responded to questions via Whatsapp, saying, “That is a matter for Customs and Excise which falls under the Ministry of Finance. Kindly contact either.”
Rovin's Audio wrote:^^^ i heard them saying on beyond d tape a few times that in T&T ANY color camo clothing is illegal even if it pink\yellow\purple etc .... go figure , outdated laws i guess
Wheeeyyyynick639v2 wrote:Rovin's Audio wrote:^^^ i heard them saying on beyond d tape a few times that in T&T ANY color camo clothing is illegal even if it pink\yellow\purple etc .... go figure , outdated laws i guess
Goals
Nah, grey camo also, my sister went to trini last week and they wanted to charge her for it, she had on a grey camo top. They also asked for usdVII wrote:Duane 3NE 2NR wrote:What about camouflage game controllers? What's the reason for making those illegal?
From my experiences it's only green camo that's illegal here,even in other Caribbean Islands,got braced by police in Bim for wearing a camo arm-less and had to buya Bob Marley T-Shirt from a vendor and surrender the camo vest at a concert entrance.
Seems rather subjective. In modern culture it isn't seen as profane or indecent, the taboo has faded. What about movies that usually include it for gags? They banning them too? What about toys that don't look like a penis?Phone Surgeon wrote:they listed the reasoning for it...
SeaBox, in its e-mail to customers, quoted Section 46(g) of the Criminal Offences Act which says: “Any person who offers for sale or distribution or who exhibits to public view any profane, indecent, or obscene, paper, print, drawing, painting or representation may be deemed a rogue and a vagabond and if found liable, to imprisonment for two years.”
Based on the definition, they shouldnervewrecker wrote:So they banning carnival then?
EVERYTHING CAMOK74T wrote:Camo G-Shock watches restricted as well?
Daran wrote:Camo bikinis?.... Like really?
Worst yet, the other way around.rspann wrote:Daran wrote:Camo bikinis?.... Like really?
Really. What if someone mistake a sexy girl in a bikini for a soldier?
whizzard wrote:EVERYTHING CAMOK74T wrote:Camo G-Shock watches restricted as well?
Sex toys ban has implications for other sectors
Melissa Doughty 3 Hrs Ago
SOCIOLOGIST Dr Tye Salandy is uncertain the wider population understands the implications of Section 46 (g) of the Criminal Offences Act. This section of the law is being used to prohibit the importation of sex toys into the country.
In an Newsday article on Friday, courier company Websource, like other courier companies, warned its clients against trying to import banned items which would be seized by the Customs and Excise Division, with adult toys being on the top of the list.
The law states: “Any person who offers for sale or distribution or who exhibits for public view any profane, indecent, or obscene paper, print, drawing, painting or representation may be deemed a rogue and a vagabond and liable to imprisonment for two years.”
Salandy told Newsday the Act also forbids the sale, distribution and exhibition of “indecent content.”
And it does not only affect sex toys, but “a wide range of areas including art galleries, Carnival, cable broadcasters and entertainers.”
While the law is not enforced, at any point it could be, he added. The public, he said, is “vulnerable to however law enforcement interprets “indecent” at a point in time. This, he said, was just one example of “many colonial laws that remain on our law books and successive governments have shown little interest in identifying some of these archaic colonial laws.”
He added there were still laws on TT’s books that “outlaw or restrict obeah, public gatherings, same-sex relations, marijuana, drumming, fortune telling, begging, loitering, placarding, indecent attire, suggestive attire, and insulting, annoying or violent language.
Salandy said when these laws are “usually” enforced it is a certain class of people who bear the brunt of being targeted and charged.”
“Social biases against various communities are weaponised through these laws and so it is time for these laws to be changed. The principle is that once actions and choices are not damaging to others in society, or otherwise infringe the rights of citizens, then it should not be a crime.”
Feminist organisation Womantra, in a post on its Facebook page on Friday last, said the ban on adult toys was more like, “customs clamps down on orgasms.”
Citing statistics from The Statistic Brain Research Institute, Womantra said, “44 per cent of women aged 18-60 have used sex toys during their lifetime and 12 per cent masturbate with the assistance of a sex toy at least once a week.”
The organisation added that both men and women enjoy sex toys and many regard the use of them as an essential part of sexual pleasure.
It said the “prohibition comes from outdated legislation that deems adult toys indecent, obscene and profane.”
Womantra said TT’s legislature “is still invested in maintaining the respectability of its citizens by framing the use of sex toys as deviant, effectively kink-shaming us all.”
Angelique Nixon, board member of the Coalition Advocating for Inclusion of Sexual Orientation (CAISO), said she was uncertain why TT’s Customs and Excise Division was doing this at this time.
She said people will explore their sexuality however they see fit and people should have a right to get sex toys and other things they need.
“For human beings, our sexuality is very important. People being able to explore their sexuality is really important.”
The Customs and Excise Division falls under the Ministry of Finance. Repeated calls to Finance Minister Colm Imbert’s phone were unanswered.
I think its more about the randomness with which they decided to "enforce" the dormant law.j.o.e wrote:Is how y’all behaving like it’s a new law. Skybox company just decided to remind ppl.
QuietGiant wrote:So by saying “Any person who offers for sale or distribution or who exhibits for public view any profane, indecent, or obscene paper, print, drawing, painting or representation may be deemed a rogue and a vagabond and liable to imprisonment for two years.” That clearly shows that Carnival is against the law, because it fits the description.
Also by those standards, them t-shirt graphics/tattoos/fete posters/commercials/even these "fashion" events that shows half-naked women are all considered illegal.
Duane 3NE 2NR wrote:What about camouflage game controllers? What's the reason for making those illegal?
shake d livin wake d dead wrote:Trinidad and its priorities
**awaits rainbow protestPremchand1976 wrote:Ah wonder what the LBGTT a.k.a the alphabet crew hadda say bout dis ???? They may be the most affected bunch ?????
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