We've seen the movies, made the jokes, and (probably) have secretly fantasized about it. But, like, are orgies legal?  Asking for a friend! 

Ancient Orgies

The word orgy is derived from Greek origin, which is not surprising considering that the Greeks and Romans are famous for their uninhibited sexuality and debauched eroticism. Most commonly associated with the bathhouses of the time, orgies were not considered to be immoral or illegal back in the day. In fact, these historic scenes of sexual freedom involving multiple simultaneous partners were revered and were depicted in full detail in their ancient artwork.

Orgies, Consent and Condoms

Determining the legality of orgies also involves the explicit and expressed consent given by each person before an orgy begins. Without consent from each individual involved, legal problems can quickly arise from any less-than-willing or hesitant person who may feel pressured or forced to be involved in some way. The bottom line is, to follow the law and to be a good person- so be a gent and get consent, and be a lady and don't be shady.

Similarly, if any active participants request to use a condom and/or a dental dam (and let's hope they all do), this request should absolutely be honored and abided by. Statistically, the more people you sleep with, the higher the chance is of contracting and/or transmitting a STD (although you can still totally get one or more of them even if you’ve had a very small number of partners), especially if the condom is not changed in-between contact with each partner. This applies to using condoms on adult toys or other insertable objects as well.

Also remember that STDs are a thing. Even if adult films glamorize raw dogging, it's important to remember that people can be a) unaware they even have an STD or b) lie about having an STD. Please don't be either of those people. Get tested, use condoms, and take care of yourself and, by default, your sex partner(s).

Alcohol, Age and Orgies

The actual dictionary definition includes alcohol consumption as a being an integral part of orgies, “a wild party, especially one involving excessive drinking and unrestrained sexual activity.” When it comes to orgy and age, things get a bit dicey with the law. Of course, we all know that involving minors in an orgy would be both immoral and illegal, but what about those fun loving folks in the grey area, who are old enough to attend an orgy, but are not yet old enough to drink (18-20 years old in the US)? Well, underage drinking could lead to the otherwise legal orgy becoming an illegal event if underage drinking is occurring. So, if you’re under legal drinking age and above the age of consent, and you don’t wanna get arrested while you’re naked, keep on humpin’ on- but say no to the the Fireball shots.

Recent Newsworthy Orgies

Two recent orgy-related events have made national headlines due to their illegal natures. One such illegal orgy involved an attempted revenge following a neighborhood feud in Connecticut. An enraged neighbor posted a counterfeit orgy invitation with his neighbors' address on Craigslist and ended up getting 3 years of probation after the neighbor’s unsuspecting underage daughter was groped by a Craigslist invitee.

Another unintentional and illegal orgy recently occurred when a New York resident rented out his apartment to a stranger on Airbnb. What happened during their stay was dubbed a “Manhattan freak fest,” in which even the resident stuffed animals were fair game. Not only is subleasing through Airbnb technically illegal for tenants to do without the landlord's knowledge, the resulting $87,000 damage to the apartment from the orgy was no slap on the wrist for this NYC resident either.

International Orgies

If you live overseas or you plan on visiting another country, err on the side of safety and be sure to check up on local laws before participating in an orgy. For instance, in Zimbabwe- orgies may be considered to be Satanic and are therefore illegal. In the entire nation of China, the government has declared orgies, also known as “crowd licentiousness,” to be completely illegal, and this law even includes threesomes. In the UK, the orgy laws become less cut and dry. Technically orgies are legal, but soliciting an orgy or having an orgy in a public building is illegal.

Before Bending Over, Buyers Beware

The number one main reason for an orgy to be classified as being an illegal activity is if the host, hostess or event organizer charges an admission fee upon entry to the orgy. This would technically make the orgy into a prostitution ring and the recipient of the money and all of the orgy attendees could incur this type of conviction or charge, if caught. So, if any Benjamins were exchanged prior to the bodacious booty tappin,' beware of the laws against this monetary transaction before bending over.

At the end of the day: are orgies legal?  The answer depends on where you live. Your biggest worry should be about staying safe, consensual, and respectful for all parties involved... even if there are a bunch of them.