The following is an essay I wrote, and have recently submitted, for my Sexualities class. A bit long perhaps but the blog’s been kind of short of stuff recently and I thought it might interest some people. Have included the bibliography in case anyone wants to do some further reading.

In this essay I will discuss the issue of pornography which has divided feminists for decades and was, above all else, the defining issue of the so-called ‘feminist sex wars’ of the 1980s. For radical feminists, pornography is widely seen as a form of male violence against women and is believed to contribute to a patriarchal and heteronormative ideology in which women are reduced to objects existing purely for men’s sexual gratification. Many of those liberal or socialist feminists who support pornography on the other hand emphasise its supposed potential to bring about sexual liberation and openness and to allow women to more freely express their sexual needs and desires in a world where traditionally only men have been seen as enjoying a sexually active role. Such feminists claim also that any form of censorship would be inherently detrimental to the rights of women and other historically oppressed or marginalised groups. Although the definition of pornography among feminists and academics is widely disputed I will, for the purposes of this essay, accept the dictionary definition of pornography as being “printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to stimulate sexual excitement” (Oxford Dictionary, 2011).

While the above definition is largely neutral and would encompass a diverse range of erotic material I feel it is important to place most of my focus on those forms of pornography most prevalent within society and which, it can reasonably be assumed, have the greatest impact and influence within the sexual sphere. In this essay I will attempt to explore in more detail some of the feminist debates around pornography, making particular reference to recent developments and research which has been carried out on the issue. Fundamentally important to any understanding, from a feminist perspective, of pornography and how it operates is the issue of power relations and inequalities between the sexes. I will discuss, in detail, the capacity of pornography to either assist or hinder in the building of a more egalitarian and sexually liberated society. For an understanding of what such a society may look like I will, in particular, draw upon prominent radical feminist writers such as Millett and Dworkin who have been instrumental in having sexuality recognised as a sphere through which gender relations built upon male dominance and female submission can be recreated and reinforced.

Background to the debate

The emergence of the so-called ’second wave’ of feminism in the 1960s coincided which what is widely referred to as the sexual revolution. At this time many people began to rebel against the traditional religious and family-based notions of sexual morality which had regained support and prominence in the 1950s. Growing tolerance towards, for example, sex outside marriage, homosexual relationships and public expressions of sexuality went alongside the development of new methods of birth control, heralding a major shift away from the view of sex as existing ideally for procreation within marriage and in favour of an embracing of sex for recreation. During this period in many countries homosexuality was legalised and restrictions on abortion also began to be lifted. Pornography too was legalised in a number of countries, the first being Denmark in 1969. Read the rest of this entry »

The Guardian has today highlighted a collection of postcards designed to be auctioned of to raise money for the Feminism in London conference which takes place in a few weeks. The conference is organised by the fairly radical London Feminist Network, and is sounding like it could be quite good, featuring workshops on feminist self defence, feminist parenting, reproductive health, male privilege, an anti-pornography slide show and such speakers as the inspirational Rebecca Mott.

So, why then, are some of the postcards to be auctioned so weird and… misogynist?

Take this postcard, designed by David Rusbatch, whose website doesn’t work so I can’t find out much about him.

Pre-feminism… those blissful days where men could be men, women could be women, and everyone was happy… especially Frida Kahlo. She was totally content as a woman, as you can see in her very cheerful paintings. Never mind her communist beliefs, dissatisfaction in her marriage and and the fact that she was recognised as an artist only secondary to her husband – and her eventual affair with Leon Trotsky.

Next, the artist seems to have chosen the least flattering image of Germaine Greer he could possibly find to represent feminism – in the same way that the Daily Mail uses pictures of feminists looking crazy and/or ugly to try to discredit our politics.

The most striking image of the three is the last one, post-feminism. Featuring a young woman’s face soaked in semen, presumably a still from a porno. Why does this represent post-feminism? Because feminism has made young women sluts who think we’re being liberated by appearing in pornography? Er, no – as proven by the anti-pornography workshops and speakers planned for the conference, and the anti-pornography women’s rights campaigners in the London Feminist Network!

The boundaries have shifted a lot since the beginning of feminism’s second wave in the 50s and 60s. Pornography is a lot more prevalent and accepted in society than it ever has been before. Why is that? It’s not because of feminists and our loose morals and demands for sexual equality – it’s because as men have lost the power that they traditionally held over women in the family and the workplace, misogynist men who feel alienated and less-than because of our fucked up capitalist system have to look elsewhere to exert power over someone. They may not be able to get away with beating their wife for burning the dinner anymore, but they’re more than free to use and abuse the sluts, bitches and cunts in the sex industry.

Not to mention the fact that in the 50s and 60s, if you wanted to get hardcore pornography, you had to go and buy it from a shop or a dodgy guy in an alley – whereas now, everyone and their dog has access to horrific abuse of women for free on the internet, anonymously. Upwards of 90% of children in Scotland have viewed online pornography.

Feminists did not cause the abuse of women through pornography, patriarchy did – and we’re mounting a serious fightback.