I think a better question is at what age should we give prosecutors the power to criminally prosecute people for having sex. Should DAs have the power to prosecute 17 year olds for having sex with each other? I don't think so, which is why I favor sliding scale approaches to age-of-consent laws. I think that teens will have sex at about the same age regardless of what the legal age of consent is. It's not like laws effectively regulate hormones of teens. Even if changing the legal age-of-consent does affect when teens have sex, is it worth criminalizing teens (in some cases putting them on sex offender registries for life) for having sex that is consensual (to the degree that they can consent) with each other?
I lost my straight virginity when I was 18, I haven't officially lost my gay virginity yet, I'm 32. And I'm not yet ready or even need to do so yet. I think sex is very individual some might be ready much earlier than others. Hence movies like 40 year old virgin have been made. Age is relative as well a 25 year and 15 year old is wrong IMO but two fifteen year olds experimenting is fine with me. Love is love
I am commander Black Raven, and this is my favourite post in this thread. Also, Kaiser, I agree... I had a number before I had anything else, and goverment never did ask me for my age when it started fucking me. Good humour, with alot of truth to it.
the age of consent in Canda is 16, unless the two young persons are within 2 years of age of each other. in this manner, for example, a 15 year old could be in a consentual relationship with a 17 year old. the 16 year old cannot, however, give consent to having their picture taken in any form till they are 18 due to pornography laws.
While I generally favor sliding scale approaches like this, it can create scenarios where it's legal for two people to have sex for 11 months of the year, but then make it illegal in March (for example) when the older one has a birthday, only to have it legal again later when the other has a birthday.
Here in Hong Kong, it's 16 between a male and female, and 2 males. But it says nothing between 2 females. Well, well, lucky me. (If you don't get it, it's a joke) But i'd say 16 is a fine age, if it's too early, make this more like a lesson to them. Though I feel like 17 is when most people start to have a mature mind.
I voted for 16. I also believe that there should be a closeness-in-age(5 or 6 yrs?) qualifier for 16-18 yr olds and an age of 18 for absolute consent. I further believe that two kids 16 or under within a year of age should not be held criminally liable for any mischief they get up to.
Some people are ready at 14. Others are ready at 28. An age of consent really should be to protect young people from older people, not punish consensual acts between two 15 year old teenagers. I'm fine with Australia's age of consent at 16. In the ACT, if someone's under 16 (and older than 10), someone up to two years older than them is allowed to have sex with them, but not older people. Some other states (Queensland, I'm looking at you) are scarily open to paedophiles defending themselves for having sex with someone who's 12 if they "reasonably believed" that they were 16 or older. I believe 18 and older should have no restrictions, but that 16 and 17 year old people should be somewhat protected (with an age limit of the early 20s for sexual partners). The problem with the age of consent is that there's no perfect solution, and everyone's different.
In Idaho the age of consent is 16, but a 16 year old can't have sex with anyone older than 18, and a 17 year old can't have sex with anyone older than 19 (At least, that's how I learned it in Sex-Ed, I'm not entirely sure if that's the case so don't quote me on that...). I feel like 16 is a good age. However, I do feel that a 16 year old and like a 23 year old would be a little questionable. (I say that, yet I fantasize about relationships with people like Connor Franta who is 6 years older than me... :icon_redf :icon_redf :icon_redf) I dunno. It's a hard topic. But I feel like 16 is generally when people start to realize just what they're getting into.