US customs bar fashionista druggie writer for "moral turpitude"
On the one hand, this is a PR win for Horley, who'll probably sell a crapload of books on the back of this, but on the other hand, does US customs really think that Americans aren't capable of hearing some fashionista recount his drug stories without falling into a pit of dissolute decadence?
Link (Thanks, DbZeroOne!)British writer and self-styled dandy Sebastian Horsley was denied entry to the United States after arriving to promote his memoir of sex, drugs and flamboyant fashion.
Sebastian Horsley was deemed "not admissible" by U.S. customs agents.
Horsley said he was questioned for eight hours Tuesday by border officials at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey before being denied entry on grounds of "moral turpitude."
The 45-year-old author was traveling to New York for the U.S. launch of "Dandy in the Underworld," his account of a life dedicated to sex, drugs and finely tailored clothes.
"I was dressed flamboyantly -- top hat, long velvet coat, gloves," Horsley said. "My one concession to American sensibilities was to remove my nail polish. I thought that would get me through."
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> Does US customs really think that Americans aren't capable of hearing some fashionista recount his drug stories without falling into a pit of dissolute decadence?
Yes.
Consider this book sold, at least to me.
From a PR perspective, being denied entry to the US might be one of the best things that could have happened to him.
Just what the heck is "turpitude" anyway? I always think it has something to do with turpentine.
Great, the British and other foreigners already think that *all* Americans are this stupid and small minded, just one more thing to convince them of that...
A hilarious satire of this kind of moral majority smugness is "The Department of Homeland Decency: Decency Rules and Regulations Manual." The department's motto: We are marching proudly backwards to the future.
And we're obviously marching backwards really fast.
It's website is www.homelanddecency.com
And yet all of our American politicians can come and go as they please.
Hmmm, I saw that article in the NY Times yesterday and couldn't help but think that if every cross-dressing, drug-abusing, sex-crazed member of our government were subject to the same scrutiny by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, they would have been locked out of here a long time ago. Something to dream about.
at first it's a little funny, then it gets really scary.
is there a list somewhere of all the reasons for which a traveller can be denied entry ? exactly what sort of training do these officials receive in the matter of determining morality, aesthetic value, or creative license ? is this supposed to be based on threat level ?
this is just THOUGHT POLICE, plain and simple. yikes.
After reading this I bought crack, went to an orgy and joined the church of Satan. Now I'm off to get exfoliated.
I hope no one else read about it this country is in big trouble.
This guy is going to get more teenage lust aimed at him than he can shake his stick at.
Maybe outlawing cigarrettes would make them less attractive to the easiliy influenced also?
I'd think twice about ever going to the US. They could be letting you in, never to let you go home again!
#9 If you rtfa you will see that he was traveling under the visa waiver program and could be denied entry if he was convicted of a felony or addicted to narcotics. So, yes there is a list of reasons for which a traveler can be denied entry. The fear here is that he is statistically likely to commit a crime while in the US so they don't want to let him in without doing a deeper background check via the visa application process.
The scary thing here is how people don't look any further than a slightly skewed writeup on Boing Boing. The link to the CNN story is right there and it's not a very long read.
If they kept this guy out then I'm never going to be able to see the 'Stones live.
A wealthy heiress dedicates her life to sex, inebriants, and fashion, and we wallow in some good old-fashioned schadenfreude when she gets hauled off to jail.
The son of a millionaire businessman grows up to be a fashionista who's dedicated his life to sex and inebriants. He gets denied entry to the US, and suddenly we can't wait to read his book.
Huh.
Hm hm hm.
Dude, seriously...put down the monocle and top hat until you get inside. Then you can dandy around all you want.
You're not being treated unfairly by the law, you're being treated unfairly by the the power-tripping "agent" RLRPing as Judge Dredd.
Get over yourself and realize that not all of us get to go travel at high altitudes wearing goggles and a red cape holding a balloon.
Probably not cheap, but some avant-garde art group that's out there with lots of cash should try getting through airports with no luggage wearing the most outlandish clothing and see how many get through. Obviously nothing threatening (turbans/middle eastern garb).
It would be hilarious to see a man in a three piece tuxedo travelling economy. Better yet, Colonial garb if you really want to make a statement.
Maybe Idi Amin or similar bemedalled dictators with sashes and insane amounts of ribbons/medals.
English Court dress (without the sword).
Colonial Viper Pilot or BSG Dress blues, Tigh's eyepatch and a subservient aide to give it an officious air.
Thanks Zuzu, I've seen dictionaries before. I was just trying to be funny (apparently failing). Seriously though, I've always had a problem with that phrase. Doesn't the word turpitude imply moral? I mean what other kinds of turpitude are there besides moral turpitude?
which is scarier : boing boing reader at work trying to fire off a comment or zealously moralistic border police ? hmmm...
thanks agies, i see yr point and thanks for clarifying.
The Guardian employed Horsley as an agony aunt type columnist that lasted approx two days due to a deluge of complaints,the majority accusing poor litte Seb of somthing akin to the aforesaid moral turpitude.Antway I'm sure he'll take the public opprobrium on the chin, Its not as if he is unused to being crucified after all!
http://www.crucifixlaneproject.com/
The last time I entered the US I took the time to ask the agent dealing with my admission to explain the concept of moral turpitude for me.
He was very helpful, then sent me off for a thorough USDA spot check.
Lovely chap -- but I still snuck my mexican limes through!
#13, Agies: Here's the thing. The article says "he said his only conviction stemmed from an arrest 25 years ago for possession of amphetamine sulfate, for which he was given a conditional discharge." That implies that he could be forgetting about other convictions, intentionally or not - and why should the AP bother doing some background research? It would be so unlike them, they're too busy digging through Hilary's White House schedule anyway (omg omg she was eating while Bill was getting a blowjob!!!). But if it was true, is one drug conviction from 1983 enough justification to deny grounds? And I think we've seen enough Miami Vice to know the "we know you're a heroin addict, we know you're a crack addict, we know you're involved in prostitution" line is the oldest trick in the book and doesn't mean a thing. The idea of this person intentionally comitting a crime while on a fricking book tour is as ludicrous as denying him entrance on grounds of "moral turpitude".
#17--'the power-tripping "agent" RLRPing as Judge Dredd.'
Now that image is stuck in my head.
"Nice hat, creep."
Is everyone just pretending not to know that 'moral turpitude' is the classic euphemism for "because you're a faggot"? They may be claiming it's because of the drug offense in 1983 (but jeeze, what rock star hasn't had one of those?), but I bet the real issue was the top hat, velvet coat, and gloves.
(And no, I'm not saying he's gay (and the article gives no hint either way, thought they probably would have said "male prostitutes" if they had been). I'm saying his clothing made them decide he was a "faggot" and look for an excuse to bar him.)
Nice that he can apply for a visa. I wonder if it would be quicker for him to just wait for the next administration to take power?
a better justification for the customs officials would have been that our airhead-fop quota has already been reached.
To #16 zuzu: corrupt or depraved or degenerate as synonyms for turpitude seem equally meaningless to me. What I hear is that blzzpr means wwcps, or zlckkw, or a00c8w.
Sproing3@26. Strangely enough, the US court system seems to agree with you.
One funny thing is that the various officials almost certainly live in the New York Tri-State area, probably New Jersey or maybe Staten Island. I'm amazed they can actually accuse any traveler in that airport of "moral turpitude" without laughing, compared to what happens around here on a regular basis. Both in and outside the three state governments.
Looks like an interesting book, perhaps...
They aren't admitting either way if he admitted to a drug conviction on the form that I guess you have to fill out. If he put that, then I guess that is enough to keep him out under the rules. But yeah- one conviction, 25 years ago? That's a little silly, if you ask me.
Mindy
eevee@27: A bitter twist the meaningfullness of moral turpitude, is that genetics play a part in our ability to recognize it. It seems that some portion of the population, usually defined as liberal, have 3 morals, and another has 5. The extra two that conservatives have are Purity and Authority.
Isn't that amazing? Humans have genetic classes - we have a Police/Warrior/Religious-idiot class.
I was doing my usual thing of quickly "scrollwheel-clicking" away at various links of subtle interest, etc. to be looked at later in the collection of mounting browser tabs my clicking was creating.
By accident the Boing Boing headline/article below got nestled in with Onion YouTube "news" video tabs....
US customs bar fashionista druggie writer for "moral turpitude"
Later, after viewing tons of Onion fake news videos, I had forgotten that I had added that BB article to the tabs. When I finally got to its tab, it first came up and started loading just the title in the title-bar and I fully expected to see an Onion fake "news" video based on the ridiculous, hilarious title... but, then BB loaded up and it dawned on me... this shit is real...
Hmmm... maybe it's time to study areas of the World that still harbor the last vestiges of Democracy and move there? The U.S. seems to be getting pretty tapped out to the point of absurdity.
The NY Times article features a US Customs & Border Protection Spokeswoman saying that
“travelers who have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude (which includes controlled-substance violations) or admit to previously having a drug addiction are not admissible.”
It doesn't even matter if you're getting high now or not (although you could as long as you don't ADMIT it). jesus christ.
This is the same shit they used to try and keep John Lennon out of the country back in the day.
So. . . he can't come into the US because of moral turpitude, but those of us citizens in the US who've already developed an equal (or greater) level of moral turpitude are OK to stay here? Or are they gonna kick us out next?
Seems that's the big question. If moral turpitude is so evil as to keep an author out, how do we justify allowing US citizens of equal turpitude to stay.
Which reminds me-- how many drunks and drug users have we placed on postage stamps in the US? (Let's see. . . Elvis, Billie Holiday, Poe, Hemingway, Ulysses S. Grant . . . )
To #32 Cowicide: I'm not sure "democracy" is either real or the answer. All governments are corrupt. A government where corruption is available at low cost to the common folk is the government for me.
Democrocy is as real as Cinderella's marriage.
Love the name of the airport - Liberty. A truly Orwellian name in the circumstances.
He should have flown directly to Los Angeles. They see stranger stuff than him all the time.
Maybe they thought he would corrupt Newark.
@ #34 US born don't have to take a citizenship test either. Maybe it ties into that whole possession is 9/10 of the law. If you're a homie, they're stuck with ya.
Although, now that I think of it, exile is a time honored tradition too.
any non-American entering the USA can be denied entry by any border agent who asks: "Have you EVER used drugs? (ie: smoked marijuana)" If the answer is "yes": entry denied. If the answer is "no": "if IN THE OPINION OF THE BORDER GUARD the prospective entrant is lying": entry denied - with a further ban for "lying", because of the "opinion" of the border guard.
There really is no percentage in visiting the USA if you don't even have the minimal protections (fast fading) of citizenship. It is really not much different than visiting Dubai in terms of arbitrary risk.
In related news:
Libby Disbarred; Court Cites ‘Moral Turpitude’
And this is why some European writers that I've heard of (and who sell a lot of books to Americans), don't shoot their mouths off and earn a rap as Anti-American--because someone just might put their name on a list. I know this is true and understand the concern. Book publishers based in New York probably see the importance of authors coming to visit the fans that are living in this great, if not a bit flawed, country of ours. But I also see the hypocrisy in being self-censored when one constantly talks about the importance of social transformation. We don't always get to have it both ways. Sometimes we have to tell it like it is, or suffer the fate of hypocracy.
And I'm not talking about C.D.
This is the best possible thing that could have happened for this guy's career, because the book SUCKS. Fuck you, TSA, for making a bestseller out of something that should have immediately sunk out of sight.
(And, not that it matters in any way, but he ain't no faggot, he spends much of the book talking about all the chicks he's banged.)
My favorite part of the book, actually, is the interview with his mother in the back. Because imagine what it would be like to have Britney Spears or Paris Hilton as your mother, only more British-- and you have Mrs. Horsley, admitting she was wasted drunk and partying throughout her pregnancies. I'd read a book by HER before him.
Having just returned from the New York fiasco launch of Sebastian's Book, I am convinced that the U.S should offer to let him in, and that he should refuse it.
The Rubbishmen
This isn't new. They've been able to keep people out for "moral turpitude" since ... I'm not sure when it started. Well back into the 19th Century, at minimum.
I read his book and liked it quite a lot. I would very much like to meet him during a book tour. He seems unforgettable.
On the other hand, Customs' refusal to permit Horsley entry isn't an example of Gubmint playing the role of big brother. Please cease your endless prattling. It's tiresome. "Moral turpitude" is a legal term of art.
All non-citizens are subject to the same assessment upon entry. Sebastian freely admits to being a drug addict, prostitute, solicitor of prostitutes, etc. All that's illegal. He was denied entry based on his lifestyle. The rules are in place to prevent against the likelihood of non-citizens entering and committing crime.