A swinging update from Canada

Yesterday I mentioned that the Supreme Court of Canada (SCOC) was set to rule on the legality of swingers' clubs -- scroll down a couple of posts, below the photo of Bush, or click here.

Well, justice has been served:

Two Montreal "swingers" clubs did not breach Canadian standards of decency when they allowed group sex to take place on their premises, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled this morning.

In its latest attempt to set guidelines that govern sexual morality in Canada, the top court said two swingers clubs in Montreal were not operating as illegal "bawdy houses," because what went on there did not cause any harm to society.

The decision could make it easier for other venues where group sex takes place among consenting adults -- such as gay bath houses -- to operate without the threat of police intervention.

Precisely my view: These clubs do not present any sort of danger to the public -- not that I know firsthand (not that there's anything wrong with that!). Individuals choose to participate. If a crime takes place within the confines of the club, such as sexual or physical abuse, that's a separate matter. The liberal state exists to protect individuals from one another and to act as an arbiter of legal disputes. Yes, a case can be made for statecraft as soulcraft, but private and consensual sex among adults is simply not the proper area for such state intervention.

Once again, Canada proves to be progressive in the right way.