Larry Flynt, Hustler publishing tycoon and celebrity Hillary Clinton supporter, plans to send free copies of the explicit magazine to members of the Utah state legislature.
Flynt announced the move in response to Utah’s declaration of pornography as a "public health hazard" on Tuesday, the Washington Times first reported. Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican, signed a resolution calling for "education, prevention, research, and policy change at the community and societal level" to push back on pornography.
"[T]he Utah Legislature is obviously confused about what constitutes a public health crisis, so I’ll send them our latest issue and they can see for themselves that we’re no danger to the public, only to the repressed," Flynt said in a statement.
"In 1969, President Lyndon Johnson and the President’s Commission on Obscenity and Pornography found that no evidence exists that exposure to explicit sexual materials causes any kind of criminal behavior. This report has been gathering dust for over 40 years, and Utah is only dragging out this issue now to satisfy religious zealots," Flynt continued.
Utah is the first state to declare pornography a hazard to public health. The resolution Herbert signed on Tuesday does not set aside funds to complete the proposed tasks, nor does it place any bans on pornographic material in the state. However, it calls for increased efforts to prevent exposure to pornography.
"Pornography perpetuates a sexually toxic environment," the resolution states. "Efforts to prevent pornography exposure and addiction, to educate individuals and families concerning its harms, and to develop recovery programs must be addressed systemically in ways that hold broader influences accountable."
Larry Flynt has been sending free issues of Hustler to members of Congress for more than three decades.
Flynt, a consistent supporter of Democratic politicians, endorsed Hillary Clinton last year. The publisher has contributed the maximum amount to Hillary Clinton’s primary and general election campaigns, according to a review of Federal Election Commission records.