Q: why is it that the VA Code § 18.2-417 only speaks of females in context? do slander and libel laws not protect males?
A:
They do. You have to break down the reading of the statute in this way that skips over the language specific to females by paying particular attention to the use of "or":
"Any person ... who shall falsely utter and speak, or falsely write and publish, of and concerning another person, any words which from their usual construction and common acceptation are construed as insults and tend to violence and breach of the peace ... shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor."
I am not a slander & libel attorney, but upon a brief review of the cases, when we think of slander and libel, the courts are focused on those parts of the statute.
Interesting question!
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