Republicans may have just targeted their own base with the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act, according to an opinion by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Kristin Brey.
The act introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)and Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) would criminalize pornography.
According to the proposed legislation, any content with "actual or simulated sexual acts with the objective intent to arouse, titillate or gratify the sexual desires of a person" could be banned.
According to Brey, the verbiage is so wide it would also rid the internet of “a whole lot of HBO shows” as well.
“If this legislation were to actually gain momentum, we could witness the GOP alienate one of its newly secured voting blocs: chronically online young men,” Brey said.
Many of them are consumers of the “manosphere.” Merriam-Webster describes the term as “male-centered websites, Internet communities, and other digital media regarded collectively as espousing anti-feminist views, typically involving misogyny and associated with far-right ideologies.”
“We know that young men helped elect Trump. They're enmeshed in online political discourse. And yes – many of them are consumers of exactly the content this bill targets,” Brey said.
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“These young men have been told, repeatedly, that their frustrations with feminism, social progress and a rapidly changing culture are valid – and that the right will fight for them. But this bill does the opposite. It tells them: You, too, are the problem.”
According to Brey, “It's hard to overstate how deeply ingrained online adult content is in the digital ecosystem these voters inhabit.”
She called porn platforms “a major outlet” for young men. Especially those who might feel “disconnected” from relationships or economically left behind. “Taking that away, without offering anything in its place, is a recipe for alienation and backlash.”
It’s more than just the “manosphere,” which could be affected, she said, “personal freedom” would also be affected.
“This is a policy so extreme that it risks turning a culture war into a self-inflicted political wound. Banning all porn doesn't just raise enormous First Amendment concerns – it invites backlash from libertarians, moderates, and yes, the online foot soldiers of the ‘anti-woke’ movement.”
Brey noted it might not be likely that this legislation makes it to Trump’s desk. However, “one of Project 2025's many goals was to permanently criminalize all pornography.”