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==Founders of America on Homosexuality==

==Founders of America on Homosexuality==

Sir William Blackstone, whose authored extensive ''Commentaries on the Laws of England'' from 1765-1769 became the preeminent legal authority that were admired and used by America’s Founding Fathers, stated:

Sir [[William Blackstone]], whose authored extensive ''Commentaries on the Laws of England'' from 1765-1769 became the preeminent legal authority that were admired and used by America’s Founding Fathers, stated:

{{cquote|IV. WHAT has been here observed..., which ought to be the more clear in proportion as the crime is the more detestable, may be applied to another offence, of a still deeper malignity; the infamous crime against nature, committed either with man or beast.... But it is an offence of so dark a nature...that the accusation should be clearly made out....

{{cquote|IV. WHAT has been here observed..., which ought to be the more clear in proportion as the crime is the more detestable, may be applied to another offence, of a still deeper malignity; the infamous crime against nature, committed either with man or beast.... But it is an offence of so dark a nature...that the accusation should be clearly made out....

Sodomy was a criminal offense at common law and was forbidden by the laws of the original 13 States when they ratified the Bill of Rights. In 1868, when the Fourteenth Amendment was ratified, all but 5 of the 37 States in the Union had criminal sodomy laws. Until 1961, all 50 States outlawed sodomy, with about half in 2003 continuing to provide criminal penalties for sodomy performed in private and between consenting adults.<ref>JOHN GEDDES LAWRENCE and TYRON GARNER, PETITIONERS v. TEXAS</ref>

Sodomy was a criminal offense at common law and was forbidden by the laws of the original 13 States when they ratified the Bill of Rights. In 1868, when the Fourteenth Amendment was ratified, all but 5 of the 37 States in the Union had criminal sodomy laws. Until 1961, all 50 States outlawed sodomy, with about half in 2003 continuing to provide criminal penalties for sodomy performed in private and between consenting adults.<ref>JOHN GEDDES LAWRENCE and TYRON GARNER, PETITIONERS v. TEXAS</ref>

Miller<ref>[http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/3769Dave Miller, Ph.D, ''The Founders on Homosexuality'', Apologetics Press]</ref> reports that the penalty for homosexuality in several states was death — including New York, Vermont, Connecticut, and South Carolina.<ref>Barton, 2000, pp. 306,482</ref>  Thomas Jefferson advocated “dismemberment” as the penalty for homosexuality in his home state of Virginia, and even authored a bill to that effect.<ref>[http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/jevifram.htm.Jefferson, Thomas (1781), ''Notes on the State of Virginia''], The Avalon Project at Yale Law School</ref><ref>1781, Query 14; cf. 1903, 1:226-227</ref>  

Miller<ref>[http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/3769Dave Miller, Ph.D, ''The Founders on Homosexuality'', Apologetics Press]</ref> reports that the penalty for homosexuality in several states was death — including New York, Vermont, Connecticut, and South Carolina.<ref>Barton, 2000, pp. 306,482</ref>  Thomas Jefferson advocated “dismemberment” as the penalty for homosexuality in his home state of Virginia, and even authored a bill to that effect.<ref>[http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/jevifram.htm.Jefferson, Thomas (1781), ''Notes on the State of Virginia''], The Avalon Project at Yale Law School</ref><ref>1781, Query 14; cf. 1903, 1:226-227</ref>

==References==

==References==