The Sensibilities of Our Forefathers The History of Sodomy Laws
in the United States By George Painter © Copyright, George
Painter 1991-2002 "[Spokane] will become a city of sodomy." The
Post-Revolution Period, 1776-1873 The organic act for the
Washington Territory1 adopted all laws of Oregon extant as of
March 2, 1853, the date of the organic law. Fortunately for
Washingtonians, Oregon did not have a sodomy law on the books on
this date, but did several months afterwards. As a result,
sodomy was legal in Washington. Period Summary: Washington had
the good fortune of being created as a territory when it was,
because only a year later, its history would have been
different. At its creation, it received the laws of Oregon.
Early in 1853, Oregon was without a sodomy law, but enacted one
toward the end of the year. The Victorian Morality Period,
1873-1948 Although there was no sodomy law, in 1875 a vagrancy
statute was enacted.2 Included in the definition were any
"disorderly persons,"3 a convenient catchall that