It is not exactly clear where or when exactly sex-positivity started. Some argue that it began with Wilhelm Reich in the 1930s, or around the 1950s with Alfred Kinsey, or in the 1970s as part of the “free love” movement (Rad). I personally believe that the beginning of the sex-positive movement had a lot to do with the reaction to anti-pornography feminism in the early 1980s, a time commonly referred to as the “feminist sex wars”. Anti-pornography feminists saw pornography as a tool of patriarchy used to promote male dominance over, control of, and violence against women. This view came out of the lesbian separatist feminist movement, which had as one of its key concepts the notion that “patriarchal sexual relations are based on male power backed by force” (Willis 464). Due to their negative view of pornography many of these feminists such as Andrea Dworkin and Catherine MacKinnon, advocated “the use of censorship and other forms of state repression in order to contain sexual violence against women” (Glick 22). However, not all feminists at this time felt this way. Sex-positive feminists hold the view that there is nothing wrong with any sort of sexual activity between consenting adults, and that sexual freedom is essential to women’s liberation. Therefore, they are opposed to any sort of legal or social efforts to control sexuality, including the censorship of pornography (Sex-Positive Feminism).
Several key contemporary sex-positive feminists are Carol Queen, Tristan Taormino, Betty Dodson, Susie Bright, Nina Hartley, Inga Muscio, Candida Royalle, Gayle Rubin, Annie Sprinkle, Diana Cage, and Ellen Willis. These women, as well as countless others, engage in sex-positivism activism in numerous ways, ranging from directing and acting in pornography specifically for women, writing books and articles that focus on women’s sexual pleasure, teaching sex-positive education seminars, etc. (Sex-Positive Feminism).
There are numerous definitions for sex-positivity today, but my favorite definition is by Carol Queen (and, yes I know that I included this definition in an earlier post, but it’s so perfect I had to use it again). It states that sex-positivity is “the cultural philosophy that understands sexuality as a potentially positive force in one’s life, and it can, of course, be contrasted with sex-negativity, which sees sex as problematic, disruptive, dangerous. Sex-positivity allows for and in fact celebrates sexual diversity, differing desires and relationships structures, and individual choices based on consent” (Queen).
Works Cited
Glick, Elisa. “Sex Positive: Feminism, Queer Theory, and the Politics of Transgression.” Feminist Review 64 (2000): n. pag. JSTOR. Web. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1395699>.
Queen, Carol and Comella, Lynn. (2008). The Necessary Revolution: Sex-Positive Feminism in the Post-Barnard Era. The Communication Review 11(3):274–291. doi:10.1080/10714420802306783.
Rad, Laura. “Sex-Positive…What Is That?” Strong, Sexy, and Stylish. N.p., 15 Feb. 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. <http://www.strongsexystylish.com/2012/02/sex-positivewhat-is-that.html>.
“Sex-Positive Feminism.” Wikipedia. N.p., 25 Oct. 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex-positive_feminism>.
Willis, Ellen. “Feminism, Morality, and Pornography.” In Powers of Desire: The Politics of Sexuality, edited by Ann Snitow, Christine Stansell, and Sharon Thompsen, 460-467. New York City: Monthly Review, 1983.
Sex-positive feminist 