Mass. bill would require divorcing parents to obtain judge's approval for sex

The Massachusetts legislature is conducting hearings Wednesday on a bill that would bar divorcing couples with children from carrying on a sexual relationship while in their own home.

The bill would prevent parents from "conducting a dating or sexual relationship within the home" until the divorce is final.

Although seemingly written to spare children the pain of seeing their parents become involved with other people, the bill's language is so broad it can easily be interpreted as forbidding sex entirely.

Parents that wish to have sex would need to get a judge's approval.

State Sen. Richard Ross sponsored the bill on behalf of his constituent Wrentham Selectman Robert Leclair.

"It's not intended to abridge the rights of anybody," Leclair told The Boston Herald. "If they want to have an extra-marital affair, just get away from the home."

Leclair, who is former president of Fathers United for Equal Justice, has reportedly gone through a bitter divorce.

"Clearly, this bill is going nowhere," noted Just Enrichment's Amanda Rice. "And even if it were, I don’t think it would make one lick of difference — divorcing parents carrying on sexual relationships in their homes probably already attempt do so discretely."

h/t: Jonathan Turley