Politicizing the Personal.
It’s not difficult to see why sexuality is a major issue among feminists, even though feminist theory engages discussion on other issues as well. Historically, enormous efforts have been made to control female sexuality and to tie women to men through monogamous heterosexual relationships. A double standard of morality has entitled men to certain sexual freedoms that have otherwise been denied to women. It has divided women into categories: the respectable virgin or the rebarbative whore. Women’s sexuality has simply been both monitored and regulated in a way that men’s sexuality has not. Women’s sexual proclivities have been associated with a loss of reputation, unwanted pregnancy or communicable diseases. But women have also been subject to sexual violence and coercion (and often held responsible for her and her perpetrator’s behavior), and this remains a huge problem in the U.S. and elsewhere.
It’s no secret that we’re all sexual creatures by nature. Some people, both female and male, are more comfortable with public displays of sexuality than others. Some women find it empowering that, not only are they comfortable with their sexuality and enjoy sex (yet do not personally feel the need to, or comfortable with putting their sexual endeavors on public display), they also enjoy domestic work like sewing, cooking and ironing, and still look and feel damn good in a dress and a pair of stilettos. This does not necessarily make them less of a “feminist.”
I think that sexually perpetrated violence is singularly the most degrading act that can be inflicted upon a woman, yet it is also still among the most pervasive crimes within this country. One element that the vast majority of women within the sex industry share is childhood sexual abuse or sexual assault. For this reason, I don’t see how women posting images of themselves splattered in cum or in sexually compromising positions, or publicly ruminating over the details of their sexual excursions empowers the 11-year-old girl who is being abused by her stepfather, as maybe supporting a battered women’s shelter or advocating for stronger laws protecting victims of sexual violence might, though I’d love to be enlightened on this topic.
At the end of the day, I don’t think the question is whether you’re a feminist per se, but what you personally are doing to empower women and break certain stereotypes.
