Women’s sexuality seems to be threatening to men and this, I think, is the primary reason why pornography is also frowned upon. A man watches porn, that’s expected. A woman watches porn and suddenly she’s a whore. Fine, so be it, we’re all whores. If a whore means a woman who has many sexual encounters. It is the connotation of the word that gives it power, and the only way we can change the connotation is by owning the word. I think it is a fear that, if there was a word which, like “stud”, glorified women’s conquests, women’s sexuality would have massive effects on the male ego. The reason for it is the sexualisation of the western society. Sex equals power, thus words like “slut” or “whore” and the negative meaning ascribed to them is what keeps women in place, ensuring that they don’t openly enjoy sex as much as men do. Until there is not judgment passed on a sexually liberated woman, we cannot talk about equality of the sexes. Here is an interesting discussion of "sluts", rape, feminism in the Guardian,
Pornography should not be frowned upon, as there are women, many women, who enjoy such a career, they have made money from it and it shouldn’t be up to society to judge them for it. Instead of banning strip clubs with the excuse that women could be exploited, keep them legal and stimulate male strip clubs as well. As far as my liberal mind is concerned, prostitution should be legal. The reasons include security, social and economical factors. Firstly, in places where prostitution is legal, such as The Netherlands, it can be regulated, which means that there is no reason for human trafficking, thus ensuring for healthy and safe work conditions. Secondly, I struggle to find the moral problem. When we are not talking about forced sexual labour, there are women who enjoy working in the sex industry; to make it illegal on the misogynist grounds that they are exploited (in the cases when they are not!) is counter-feminist. It is a misconception that women cannot and do not enjoy sex. We do, just as much as anyone else. Thus, to take away the option of “getting laid and getting paid” appears to me to be in fact an oppressive practice, where women are made to feel victims. I am not saying that every woman should aspire to be a prostitute, not at all. All I am saying is, if she wants to be, she should be allowed to, and should do so in safe conditions because prostitution is happening whether you like it or not, and until it is legalized, millions of women are under the threat of being trafficked for a sleazy man’s pleasure in some smoky dingy flat.
And as far as the Prime Minister of Iceland, who is the first openly lesbian prime minister, she should have known better than to make strip clubs illegal! :)
Pornography should not be frowned upon, as there are women, many women, who enjoy such a career, they have made money from it and it shouldn’t be up to society to judge them for it. Instead of banning strip clubs with the excuse that women could be exploited, keep them legal and stimulate male strip clubs as well. As far as my liberal mind is concerned, prostitution should be legal. The reasons include security, social and economical factors. Firstly, in places where prostitution is legal, such as The Netherlands, it can be regulated, which means that there is no reason for human trafficking, thus ensuring for healthy and safe work conditions. Secondly, I struggle to find the moral problem. When we are not talking about forced sexual labour, there are women who enjoy working in the sex industry; to make it illegal on the misogynist grounds that they are exploited (in the cases when they are not!) is counter-feminist. It is a misconception that women cannot and do not enjoy sex. We do, just as much as anyone else. Thus, to take away the option of “getting laid and getting paid” appears to me to be in fact an oppressive practice, where women are made to feel victims. I am not saying that every woman should aspire to be a prostitute, not at all. All I am saying is, if she wants to be, she should be allowed to, and should do so in safe conditions because prostitution is happening whether you like it or not, and until it is legalized, millions of women are under the threat of being trafficked for a sleazy man’s pleasure in some smoky dingy flat.
And as far as the Prime Minister of Iceland, who is the first openly lesbian prime minister, she should have known better than to make strip clubs illegal! :)
