On Tue, 22 Oct 2002 14:27:32
joanna bujes wrote:
>At 04:58 PM 10/22/2002 -0400, Anthony wrote:
>> But to totally dismiss the more positive and potentially progressive
>> aspects of erotic entertainment and sexually-oriented material in
>> educating people (especially women) whom have been denied the most basic
>> information about their bodies is basically criminal.
>
>The most basic information about your body is IN your body. If you want to
>find out...there it is, to play with and experiment with and enjoy. The
>"liberating" effect of going to Good Vibrations and returning home with a
>vibrator, book, sex toy, etc. is probably more connected to the implicit
>social approval: "look, a real store that other people go to who are
>interested in the same thing I'm interested in" than it is in the
>vibrator/book/sex toy in question.
>
>(Good Vibrations is a lesbian-run sex info/sex toy store in the bay area.)
Actually, as a previous poster pointed out, Good Vibrations is more of a sex-positive respository for people of ALL sexual orientations, not just lesbians. And it features exactly the type of progressive approach that I'm talking about. BTW....the founder of GV, Joani Blank, just so happens to be a staunch feminist; and the director of continuing education, Dr. Carol Queen, just so happens to be a progressive, albeit somewhat jaded by her rejection by more mainstream feminism due to her experiences as a sex worker/sex educatior/cultural sexologist.....in sum, exactly the type of pro sex leftist that I was trying to promote. If you want proof, just visit the GV site at http://www.goodvibes.com, or visit Dr. Queen's personal site at http://www.carolqueen.com.
And exactly how and where do you expect people to learn more about their sexual bodies....in the dominant ignorance and denial of the conventional media??
>
>>And in fact, there are millions of people -- and some of them just so
>>happen to be leftists -- who consume and enjoy the erotic medium (and, I
>>would guess if it was decriminalized and reformed, prostitution as well)
>>quite well, yet manage to retain their progressive bearings.
>
>Please explain to me how prostitution is liberating?
Now, where did I say that, Joanna??? All I said was that if prostitution was decriminalized and reformed so that those who are really being oppressed could leave it while those who weren't could freely exercise it as a choice, more people would choose it and still maintain their progressive politics. Besides, I wasn't just talking about prostitution; I refered to the entire medium of erotic entertainment.
>
>>You don't have to like what other people do with their bodies, but as long
>>as they respect the integrity and the sensibilities of other people, I
>>don't think that their personal sex lives should be an issue for condemnation.
>
>Please explain to me how I am respecting the integrity and sensibility of a
>woman (or man) whom I pay for sex....not to mention my own integrity or
>sensibility.
Well, you tell me how I am NOT respecting the integrity and sensibility of the cashier at the local Wal-Mart when I pay for groceries. In this system of capitilism EVERYTHING is commodified; why should sex be any different??? Of course, in a different system, maybe sex would be freely sought and freely given; but in the meantime, sex work is for most people the only means to satisfy their legitimate sexual urges. If you don't happen to believe that these urges are legitimate, then that's your position; I simply happen to disagree.
>
>I am raising these issues not because I think porn should be outlawed or
>because I think prostitution should not be legalized. But the fact of
>legality and the fact of liberation are quite different.
>
>Joanna
>
So acknowledged and respected....but I stand by my beliefs.
Anthony
____________________________________________________________ Get 250 full-color business cards FREE right now! http://businesscards.lycos.com