Name: Erotic Music Law in Washington State

Date:  1985 - 1995

Location:  North America

SubjectExplicit Sexuality

MediumMusic


Artist: Recording Industry Association of America

Confronting Bodies: Washington State

Date of Action: 1992

Specific Location: Washington state

Description of Artwork: Recordings deemed "erotic" by a judge in one locality.

Description of Incident: The law, which extended the state's already existing "harmful to minors" law to cover sound recordings, forced record stores around the state to place "adults only" labels on recordings which were deemed "erotic." Anyone who sold a labeled recording to a minor could have been fined or jailed.

Results of Incident: Four months after it took effect, Washington state's law repealed in October, 1992 by a Superior Court Judge in Seattle.

Source: ACLU Arts Censorship Project Newsletter, Fall 1992



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