Dallas Dildo Defiance

June 10, 2002 Issue

By Julie Madsen

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T he heightened security at airports may be a mere annoyance for travelers hauling the usual tech gadgetry, but Tristan Taormino of the Village Voice sees another quandary: What's the average metal-laden-bondage-gear, battery-operated-sex-toy carrying gal or guy to do when security orders the inevitable baggage search? And more importantly, how does one work with the sex-negative laws of their destination when they get there?

When Taormino headed out to Texas with a few selections from her sex-toy collection, she was met with attitudes ranging from confusion and embarrassment to hostility. According to Texas law, she learned, "It's illegal to sell dildos in the state of Texas. Worse yet, rumor had it that having more than six dildos constitutes the intent to distribute them, so zealous dong ownership alone is against the law. In the land of the free, some states regulate how you get yours."

The writer thought of the experience as a good chance to educate. So when questioned by security, Taormino responded with typical chutzpah: "'It's a vibrator,' I said. Sure, I could have gone the easy route, claiming my right to carry a personal shoulder massager on board, but what about the next girl who's got a glow-in-the-dark cock, circumcised head and all? I wanted the security folks to get hip to how some of us relax on a long flight."
--Julie Madsen
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Dallas Dildo Defiance

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