sodomy
Sodomy refers to anal or oral intercourse. As explained in Bass v. State, 356 Ga.App. 862 (2020), “Sodomy is defined as any sexual act involving the sex organs of one person and the mouth or anus of another.”
Traditionally, sodomy has been referred to as a "crime against nature" by various courts and statutes. Under common law, sodomy mainly consisted of anal sex. However, in the United States, the term eventually included oral sex as well as anal sex. As recently as 1960, sodomy was considered illegal for everyone in the United States, but laws banning sodomy were often only enforced against those engaging in same-sex relations.
By the beginning of the 21st century, a majority U.S. states had repealed all sodomy laws. In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court in Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003) struck down a Texas sodomy law as unconstitutional; and thereby invalidated any remaining sodomy laws across the United States.
[Last reviewed in June of 2026 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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