“[T]he fact that the governing majority in a State has traditionally viewed a particular practice as immoral is not a sufficient reason for upholding a law prohibiting the practice . . . .”
With this single sweeping statement in Lawrence v. Texas, the Supreme Court threw the validity of an entire class of laws and a long line of precedents into doubt. In dissent, Justice Scalia asserted that “[t]his effectively decrees the end of all morals legislation.” “State laws against bigamy, same-sex marriage, adult incest, prostitution, masturbation, adultery, fornication, bestiality, and obscenity are . . . sustainable only in light of Bowers’ validation of laws based on moral choices. Every single one of these laws is called into question by today’s decision . . . .”