HoustonChronicle.com - Texas Gov. Perry calls sodomy law 'appropriate'

"I think our law is appropriate that we have on the books," Perry said.

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in 1986 that consenting adults have no constitutional right to private homosexual sex, upholding laws that ban sodomy.

Sodomy laws, which ban oral or anal sex, once existed in every U.S. state but have been thrown out in most. Nine states ban consensual sodomy for everyone: Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia.

In addition, Texas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma punish only homosexual sodomy.

The Supreme Court was told the convictions would prevent the men from getting certain jobs, and would in some states require them to register as sex offenders.

What people do in their bedroom is not the state's business.