Ding dong, the Child Online Protection Act is dead, and in no small part thanks to smart sex artists, writers, and bloggers. Heather Corinna, of the landmark young adult sexuality education website Scarleteen, was a plaintiff in the case, along with Salon and Nerve, making this not quite the “porn law” that it is being spun to be. Heather has also richly blogged her process challenging COPA, as to how a law intended to ‘protect’ children and young adults would ultimately harm them.

So it is no small victory for smart sex when, in handing down his decision, U.S. District Judge Lowell Reed, veritably channeling the outcry of years of online sex media makers, offers that…

Perhaps we do the minors of this country harm if First Amendment protections, which they will with age inherit fully, are chipped away in the name of their protection.

That’s right — someone, somewhere in the halls of government in America admits that maybe, ignorance, fear, and control are more dangerous than making space for a culture to share a conversation on sex. Sex, and not just porn. Sex, and not just disease. Sex, and not just marriage. Sex, no matter how old you are, hot you are, or how moral you are, or your lawmakers wish you to be.