And this is happening more and more.
> This whole notion of "sexual liberation" strikes me
as highly problematic though, as it seems that the
appeal of many of the kinds of practices Brian has
espoused (e.g. mummification) lies precisely in
the fact that they defy social conventions.
Is it possible that your seeing the appeal of this behavior as lying in its defying of social conventions is close kin to your issues with blasphemy for blasphemy's sake?
For myself, there was a time early on when I enjoyed the idea of outlaw sex, but that faded quickly. If these practices were completely mainstream I would enjoy them just as much (which I think holds true for most kinksters, though there are some for whom the outlawed is a major fetish).
But when I am fisting a man and feeling his heartbeat from the inside as his sphincters tighten around my upper forearm near my elbow, what society thinks of what I am doing is the furthest thing from my mind. I am just enjoying an intense physical, emotional and spiritual connection with another person.
Brian