INDIANA UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS OPPOSE BESTIALITY BAN IN MISSOURI
For the people who have directly came into this page - This page is in connection with an awareness page on Zoophilia and Proposed Legislation in Missouri to Criminalize Bestiality. This information can be found at:
In summary, due to advocation by individuals and groups in Missouri and abroad, a bill Sponsored by Representatives Hanaway and Hollingsworth in Missouri was introduced for two legislative sessions in a row, but died before the sessions ended. This Bill if passed would have criminalized bestiality (sex between humans and animals or sometimes called zoophilia) in that Missouri.
From the standpoint of most people, you would think that no one would oppose such legislation as this, except for the people who stand to be arrested by it in the future. However two Ph.D.s from Indiana University's Sociology Department (Dr's Martin Weinberg & Colin Williams) have recently sent the letter below to Missouri Legislators in opposition to this proposed Bill.
These two Indiana University professors have also just begun a study on zoophilia in September of 1999. This study, barely receiveing funds, has just got off the ground and does not even have the full number of participants yet. How can two professors, such as Dr's Weinberg and Williams reach a complete conclusion to this issue, when this study has just begun? Furthermore, how could they justify their opposal to a legislative proposal to criminalize bestiality with incomplete participants and data for their study? Their actions to officially oppose a Missouri House Bill to criminalize bestiality by contacting legislators was very premature and unprofessional in my opinion. Some further information on this study can be found below their letter they sent to Missouri Legislators.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Here is the contact information (made public by the University of Indiana's Website) for Dr's Weinberg and Williams. Their letter is below, opposing Missouri HB 1658 (the bill to criminalize bestiality). They appear to use a better construction of words and vocabulary to address the same pro-zoophilia stance that zoophiles use (consent and relationship to homosexuality, etc.).
Remember they are also attaching the publicly funded University of Indiana's name in support of bestiality/zoophilia! Do you want some of your hard earned taxes spent on this? Please take the time to express your concerns over this to Indiana Media, Indiana University, and other groups as you see fit.
Last Name: Weinberg
First Name: Martin
Campus Code: BL
Campus: Bloomington
Department Code: SOC
Department: Sociology
E-mail Address: weinberm@indiana.edu
Building/Room: Ballantine 744
City: Bloomington
State: IN
Zip: 47405
University Status: Academic
Department webpage at: http://www.indiana.edu/~soc/
Bloomington Campus Website at: http://www.indiana.edu:80/iub/
Last Name: Williams
First Name: Colin J.
Campus Code: IN
Campus: IUPUI
Department Code: SOC
Department: Sociology
E-mail Address: cjwillia@iupui.edu
Phone Number: 317 274-4454
Building/Room: CA 303
University Status: Academic
To: Members of the Missouri House of Representatives
From: Martin S. Weinberg, PhD and Colin J. Williams, PhD
As sociologists and sex researchers at Indiana University for over 30 years, and as professionals who are researching zoophilia, we submit to you our views of the proposed House Bill 1658 which prohibits engaging in sexual conduct with animals (bestiality). We believe that given our academic disciplines, we write with the benefit of extensive knowledge regarding the consequences of attempting to legally control unconventional forms of sexual expression and the failure of legislators to distinguish between the objective harm resulting from these sexual acts and the displeasure they may feel with regard to them.
No one can argue about the objective harm resulting from a behavior like rape. Such harm arises from the absence of consent and the trauma that accompanies and follows from the act. Opponents of a human having sex with an animal use a similar standard. While what constitutes an animal's consent is difficult to define, people are well aware when an animal is non-consenting. Our research suggests that forcing sex on an unwilling animal is rare among adult zoophiles (as well as being seen as a behavior that would be extremely unsafe since the person is not dealing with a defenseless being).
The question of consent is usually conflated with the question of harm, which we believe to be the better question. Zoophiles appear to be extremely caring and concerned for their animal(s) and people who know them would be hard put to claim abuse. Implicit in HB 1658 is that sex with an animal in itself constitutes abuse. We believe that this merely reflects a negative attitude toward such a non-traditional form of sexuality. Disgust should not be a criterion for legislation; only objective evidence of harm should be, and there are sufficient laws against cruelty to animals to handle such cases.
We can confidently say that if laws such as HB 1658 are passed, they cannot be enforced. Further, they have the potential for creating witch hunts, and of ruining the lives of random individuals unlucky enough to be caught. These legal efforts waste time that needs to be spent on more important matters. Remember that less than half a century ago, all states but one criminalized homosexual acts because many people were uncomfortable with the idea of sexual behavior with members of the same sex. This destroyed the lives of many citizens. Please do not make this same mistake by pursuing HB 1658 any further.
FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE STUDY
Hi:
My co-author of many years and I have developed a questionnaire for the study you volunteered to participate in. A Statement of Informed Consent
including a full description of the measures being taken to protect you, and the quesitonnaire itself, can be found at http://www.indiana.edu/~zoo/
Once at the site, to get into this material, you will need to type in the "user name", and the "password". You will also have to insert the following number on the questionnaire itself: ___ (Please write the site address, and the user name, password, and code number down NOW so you
will have them when you reach the web site.) I hope to be able to let you know the results of the study in about a year.
We know your answers will be very valuable to the research.
Thank you!
Martin S. Weinberg......Colin J. Williams
Professor of Sociology..Professor of Sociology Indiana University......Indiana University-Purdue University at...........Indianapolis
Bloomington, IN 47405...Indianapolis, IN 46202
SURVEY CONSENT STATEMENT
Informed Consent Statement (Indiana University Study No. 99-3143)
The research you are being asked to participate in involves studying various aspects of human sexual interest in animals. The questionnaire
accessible through this web site asks questions about your experiences and feelings regarding sexual activity with animals you may have engaged in. The questionnaire also asks questions regarding your experiences and feelings regarding sexual activity with humans, and asks you to compare these with your experiences and feelings regarding sexual activity with animals, as well as questions on your age, income, educational background, ethnic and religious background, and general emotional well-being.
The questionnaire we are asking you to complete is a long one and will probably take you well over an hour to complete. You may complete and return it on your computer or make a hard copy and return it by regular mail (to Martin Weinberg's address noted below).
Several questions in the questionnaire ask about activities that may be illegal in the jurisdiction(s) in which the activities occurred, or seek information that if made known to persons other than the researchers, could result in negative social consequences. We are taking the following measures in order to maximize the confidentiality and anonymity surrounding the information you provide:
1. If you return the completed questionnaire by computer, your questionnaire will be encrypted both on your end and when it arrives here. In addition, the only electronic address for the sender (you) that is reflected on the completed questionnaire will be the URL for the researchers' (our) web page. The only identification on the questionnaire will be the code number I provided you by email. Our records linking the code number to your email address are available only to the researchers, and do not indicate that emails and code numbers are related to any research study. The record of the link will be destroyed as soon as we have reviewed your information and completed any follow-up
contacts with you needed to clarify any answers that you gave.
We expect such follow-up to be done within three weeks. We will keep the information encrypted on computer until we have completed any follow-up
with you. At that point, we will print out your (unidentifiable) questionnaire and keep the hard copy in a file to which only the researchers will have access. We will destroy our copies of the original email sent to you with the identification code for the questionnaire, and if we receive follow-up information from you, we will eliminate from both our request and the information received any reference to your email address (or any other personally identifiable information such as your name, residential or business address, or telephone number). To further enhance confidentiality, you may wish to destroy any email that you have received from us (especially the original email providing you
with the identification code) once you have read them.
2. If you print out and completed a hard copy of the questionnaire and return it by U.S. mail, we will remove email address and your identification code, and any personally identifiable information on any follow-up data you provide, as described
in (1).
In writing the report of the study, we will not refer to any subject by either a real name (if we know it) or an email name. Presently, about 65
people have indicated a willingness toparticipate in the study. If you know of others who may be interested in participating in the study, you
can give them my email address, weinberm@indiana.edu, so they can contact me as you did.
If you have questions at any time about the study or the procedures, please contact us. In addition, if you feel your rights as a participant in research have been violated during the course of this project, you may contact the office for the Human Subjects Committee, Bryan Hall 110, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, (812) 855-3067 or by e-mail at iub_hsc@indiana.edu.
Sometimes when answering questions about personal matters embarrassment, anxiety, or other negative feelings may arise. Your participation in this research is voluntary and you may decline to participate, or decline to answer any particular question or questions, without penalty. If you withdraw from the study before identifying links to your data are destroyed, your information will be destroyed.
The questionnaire follows. If you are under the age of 18, you may NOT participate in the study. Finally, the information you provide is very
important to us. Therefore, if you are not in a serious mood and willing to be totally honest, please do NOT answer the questionnaire.
By pressing the button below to go to the survey, you acknowledge reading this form and consent to participate.
Martin S. Weinberg Colin J. Williams
Professor of Sociology Professor of Sociology
Indiana University Indiana University-Purdue
University at Indianapolis
Bloomington, IN 47405 Indianapolis, IN 46202 (812) 855-7208
Form date: 9-13-99
"Questionaire Removed due to length"
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