User:Pearman77/Sex positive feminism

Sex-positive feminism, also known as pro-sex feminism, sex-radical feminism, or sexually liberal feminism, is a feminist movement centering on the idea that sexual freedom is an essential component of women's freedom. During the 1990’s, the Third Wave of Feminism began, and the new generation of women started the Sex Positivism movement. With this new wave of feminism, women started to question the anti-sex and anti-porn arguments of the past two waves of feminism. The third wave feminists’ point of view of sex was empowering. Sex, according to sex positive feminists, was not harmful or demeaning to women.

Some feminists became involved in the sex-positive feminist movement in response to efforts by anti-pornography feminists to put pornography at the center of a feminist explanation of women's oppression. For the first and second feminism waves feminists fought against the sexualizing of women in society. Women Against Pornography and other organizations were started by the feminist of the first and second waves against pornography. In their views pornography and other sexualized forms of women were degrading and harmed women’s status in society. The issues the ant-sex or anti porn feminists of the second wave had were women being seen as sexual objects demeaned women and the feminist movement. Since the second wave was fighting against the power men had in society, the fight against pornography was seen as a fight against the patriarchy and the power of men. Prostitution was seen as another form as male dominance. The Third Wave feminist viewed prostitution and pornography differently. Pro sex feminist regarded sex as something to be cared for and embraced. Instead of looking to end pornography and sex work the pro-sex feminists tried to improve the public’s opinion about these two professions. Women being sexualized was a form of freedom for women to expressed themselves in society. The feminist of sex positivism worked with sex workers to help improve their working conditions by protecting them from diseases and bosses that were abusive to them. Pro sex feminists promoted pornography that increased women’s ownership over their sexuality and sexual pleasure. One example of improving the rights of sex workers occurred at the Lust Lady in San Francisco. As the employees demanded better benefits, an employee named Julie Query made a documentary about the experiences of the sex workers at the Lust Lady. This documentary, named Live Nude Girls Unite, led to the unionization of the Lusty Lady.

This period of intense debate and acrimony between sex-positive and anti-pornography feminists during the early 1980s, often referred to as the feminist sex wars, ushered in the third wave of feminism in the early 1990s. Other feminists identifying as sex-positive became involved in the debate, not in opposition to other feminists, but in direct response to what they saw as patriarchal control of sexuality.

Butch/Femme Changes Feminism
The main goal of the new sex positive feminism was freedom from the norms of society that were repressive. Whereas past waves of feminism focused on social liberation of women, the third wave of feminism would focus on personal liberation of women. Sex positivism looked to rid society of the negativity that hetero sexism had placed on sexuality, by reconstructing the feminist identity. Exploring one’s own sex, gender, and sexuality became new radical acts in the Third Wave of feminism. The sex positive feminism would include new feminists that had been disregarded by past feminist waves. One marginalized group, which focused on personal liberation was the butch/femme lesbians. The butch/femme lesbians, a subgroup of lesbians, that are women who embrace a masculine (butch) or feminine (femme) gender styles polarized the lesbian feminist community. These women were part of the working class that had been rejected by past feminists. Society felt discomfort towards butch feminist, due towards their gender status being unknown. They were women whose fashion style and physical appearance emphasized maleness. Heteronormative society rejected the butch feminists because they were perceived a woman fulfilling the role of a man as a threat to masculinity in society. The reason for rejection from certain feminists groups was due to their belief that the butch/femme encompass a patriarchal tone in lesbian relationships. For 'anti-sex" lesbians, butch/femme lesbians were promoting objectification of women. The butch lesbians playing the role of a man and the femme lesbians playing the role of a woman, led to the butch/femme lesbians being called imitations of heterosexuality. Acceptance would come as the butch/femme lesbians started organizations and the Butch/Femme Network, which helped create change by redefining  gender identities.

Key Figures in the Sex Positive Feminism
Rebecca Walker: Created the Third Wave Feminism, after the sexual harassment trial of Clarence Thomas. Rebecca Walker was born in Jackson, Mississippi in 1969. She attended Yale University and graduated in 1992. Rebecca Walker involved herself with the feminist movement, after deciding a new direction needed to be taken for feminists. She started the Third Wave Foundation, which looked at new strategies for the feminist movement. The Fund for the Feminist Majority rewarded Rebecca walker the Feminist of the Year after her contributions of promoting voting registration in urban areas during the 1992 presidential election. Rebecca Walker has written several books, including To Be Real: Telling the Truth and Changing the Face of Feminism.

Carol Queen: Sex positive educator and sexologist, author of the book The Sex and Pleasure Book. Queen is the co founder of the Center of Sex and Culture in San Francisco, California. Carol Queen attended University of Oregon (Phi Beta Kappa) in 1985, where she studied sociology. She has a doctorate in Human Sexuality, and is known for her sex education advocacy.

Susie Bright: Sex positive feminist and sex expert. The author of Susie Bright's Sexual State of the Union (1997) and Big Sex, Little Death: A Memoir (2011).

BDSM
Main article: Feminist views on BDSM Women acting as bondage riggers for other women.

Sadomasochism (BDSM) has been criticized by anti porn feminists for eroticizing power and violence and for reinforcing misogyny (Rubin, 1984). They argue that women who choose to engage in BDSM are making a choice that is ultimately bad for women. Anti porn feminist also stigmatized women who enjoyed BDSM activities as having mental health issues. Sex-positive feminists argue that consensual BDSM activities are enjoyed by many women and validate these women's sexual inclinations. Sex positive feminists also argued that BDSM was a form of sexual liberation for women. They argue that feminists should not attack other women's sexual desires as being "anti-feminist" or internalizing oppression and that there is no connection between consensual sexually kinky activities and sex crimes.

While some anti-porn feminists suggest connections between consensual BDSM scenes and rape and sexual assault, sex-positive feminists find this to be insulting to women. It is often mentioned that in BDSM, roles are not fixed to gender, but personal preferences. Furthermore, many argue that playing with power (such as rape scenes) through BDSM is a way of challenging and subverting that power, rather than reifying it.

While the negativities about BDSM are discussed a lot, sex-positive feminists are focusing on safety in the BDSM community. Consent is the most important rule when it comes to BDSM.

Cara Dunkley and Lori Brotto discuss the importance of consent in their journal:"Consent represents an ongoing interactive and dynamic process that entails several precautionary measures, including negotiations of play, open communication of desires and boundaries, mutually defining terms, the notion of responsibility and transparency, and ensuring protection from harm through competence and skill."Critics discuss that communication with sexual partners is very important.