Changes

==American States/Territories and their Corresponding Age of Consent==

==American States/Territories and their Corresponding Age of Consent==

Some states have "close in age exemptions" which allow those under the age of consent to engage in sexual activity with teenagers close to their age (if the age difference between the partners is small, for example 3 or 4 years or if the older partner is younger than a specified age, usually 18 or 21).

Some states have "close in age exemptions" which allow those under the age of consent to engage in sexual activity with teenagers close to their age (if the age difference between the partners is small, for example 3 or 4 years or if the older partner is younger than a specified age, usually 18 or 21).

==Initiatives to lower the age of sexual consent

==Initiatives to lower the age of sexual consent==

Steve Baldwin notes, "Homosexual leaders repeatedly argue for the freedom to engage in consensual sex with children, and blind surveys reveal a shockingly high number of homosexuals admit to sexual contact with minors."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sdn.altervista.org/ensis/Pedophilia_And_The_Homosexual_Movement.php|title=Pedophilia and the Homosexual Movement|author=Baldwin, Steve|publisher=ensis wiki}}</ref> According to political scientist Harris Mirkin, "Though pedophile organizations were originally a part of the gay/lesbian coalition, gay organizations distance themselves from pedophile organizations in the same way as feminist leaders sought to separate themselves from lesbians."<ref>{{cite journal|author=Mirkin, Harris|date=1999|title=The Pattern of Sexual Politics: Feminism, Homosexuality and Pedophilia|url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10207822|journal=Journal of Homosexuality|volume=37|number=2|pages=1-24|doi=10.1300/J082v37n02_01}}</ref> As part of this distancing, some gay rights groups have encouraged the terminology "male-male molestation" be used in place of "homosexual molestation".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_molestation.html|title=Facts About Homosexuality and Child Molestation|author=Herek, Gregory|publisher=University of California}}</ref>

Steve Baldwin notes, "Homosexual leaders repeatedly argue for the freedom to engage in consensual sex with children, and blind surveys reveal a shockingly high number of homosexuals admit to sexual contact with minors."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sdn.altervista.org/ensis/Pedophilia_And_The_Homosexual_Movement.php|title=Pedophilia and the Homosexual Movement|author=Baldwin, Steve|publisher=ensis wiki}}</ref> According to political scientist Harris Mirkin, "Though pedophile organizations were originally a part of the gay/lesbian coalition, gay organizations distance themselves from pedophile organizations in the same way as feminist leaders sought to separate themselves from lesbians."<ref>{{cite journal|author=Mirkin, Harris|date=1999|title=The Pattern of Sexual Politics: Feminism, Homosexuality and Pedophilia|url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10207822|journal=Journal of Homosexuality|volume=37|number=2|pages=1-24|doi=10.1300/J082v37n02_01}}</ref> As part of this distancing, some gay rights groups have encouraged the terminology "male-male molestation" be used in place of "homosexual molestation".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_molestation.html|title=Facts About Homosexuality and Child Molestation|author=Herek, Gregory|publisher=University of California}}</ref>