'No gay magazines' to detainee violates Constitution: lawyers

Thursday 03rd July, 03:13 PM JST

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urufuls at 03:47 AM JST - 4th July

Irishosaru,

The detention house maintained that gay magazines contain explicit content that may corrupt discipline at the facility

I'll echo the comments of Sarge and Romulus3 above.

We don't have enough information on the content of the magazines, except for the "explicit content" comment.

If we are to understand that the content of the magazines are pornographic, then inmates should not be allowed to read them. Many inmates are in prison because whatever they did to get them there started by reading/viewing porno which led them to other things.

The title of this article has done what it was meant to do, spark readership and angst amongst those easily offended.
USB at 11:38 AM JST - 4th July

what? The Japanese constitution guarantees the 'Freedom of reading'? No wonder convenience stores can't stop all those people from perusing the pRon.
TJrandom at 11:53 AM JST - 4th July

urufuls

Many inmates are in prison because whatever they did to get them there started by reading/viewing porno which led them to other things.

I dare say - reading/viewing porno has led me to a productive life so that I could afford to read/view more porn. :-)
telecasterplayer at 12:45 PM JST - 4th July

assuming Japanese prisons are like prisons all over, he should have all of the gay issues he could handle.. (snare drum)

seriously, it IS 'prison'.. one can't expect all of the luxuries of life.
SiouxGirl at 05:15 AM JST - 5th July

This is when it's good to be bi. Not allowed same-sex porn? 'kay, I'll check out the other. The only thing offensive to me is when one person is being violent toward or humiliating the other. If I were in charge, I'd make a list of what's acceptable for the prisoners to have and, no, we're not supplying that in the library. They need to have their own subscription. P.S. I have quite a few gay friends. They're definitely not attracted to everyone they lay eyes on.
irishosaru at 05:44 PM JST - 5th July

Romulus3

No one here has been homophobic. get off your soapbox.

> Earlier in the same thread -

so as a guess I would think that the prison bosses do not want to promote homosexuality amongst prisoners coz gay guys are rampant. you have to work a woman to get some, and you need a nice place but for guys suggestion us enough does not matter where it takes place. so two guys together...probably at it like dogs.

What an open mind you have.

My point is that if "straight magazines" are allowed in prisons (and they may not be, I have no idea), then "gay magazines should be allowed also.

If the prison authorities ban all kinds of sexually-explicit material, that's fine, it's consistent.

It seemed to me that a few on this thread felt that an inconsistent approach was fine with them.

Finally - if, however, prosion authorities banned "gay magazines" but allowed "straight magazines" on the basis that the former caused discipline problems, but the latter didn't,I could accept that, if there was evidence to back it up.
paolo27th at 02:44 PM JST - 7th July

"Hogomus higomus, women are monogamous. Hogumus higamus, guys are polygamous. Just the way it is..." Yeah, and women are made of "sugar and spice and all that is nice". I'm sorry to break it to you but if men tend to do it with several partners then there must be several partners that do it with them. So unless you assume that most guys are bisexsual that means that women are just as promiscuous as men. And for everyone else on this thread I don't see where you get the connection between gay magazine and porn magazine.
dennis0bauer at 03:13 PM JST - 7th July

just give some boy idol magazines those look mighty gay. and the DVD waterboys :p
SiouxGirl at 06:49 AM JST - 8th July

"Gay magazines contain explicit content," is written. Those of us who equate that with porn might be from the U.S., where, thx to the current crop of religious rights flapping their lips about morals, anything that has to do with sex or a person who is semi-clothed or nude is considered porn. I don't know if the Japanese consider porn in the same way or not.
Kameleon at 02:41 PM JST - 8th July

I think we should organise a Gay rally outside the detention centre, and literally plaster anyone COMING in or OUT with Gay literature:)
Youdontknow at 10:11 AM JST - 9th July

I don't think they should be given any magazines! They're there to pay a debt to society, not kick back and relax with free mags and porn! I'm not against the magazines or being gay, not at all, but prisoners these days have it too easy. I'll grant you though, the Japanese penal system is much stricter than that of the USA and UK.
SiouxGirl at 10:17 AM JST - 9th July

Definitely not free, you're right. The convicts or their families should be paying for any extras they get.
keshii at 12:10 PM JST - 9th July

Siouxgirl, explicit could be defined in Japan on whether the magazine is heterosexual or homosexual. In my view, hmosexual content seems to feel more taboo than a semi-nude photo of a girl in a high school uniform.
SiouxGirl at 11:05 AM JST - 10th July

It's more taboo in this country, too, keshii.
keshii at 11:26 AM JST - 10th July

I guess that Japanese and Americans' opinions about porn are closer than I would've guessed!