tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/sexuality-335/articlesSexuality – The Conversation2024-03-12T11:39:11Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2233842024-03-12T11:39:11Z2024-03-12T11:39:11ZFamily unbound: how western society is redefining and assembling families through digital platforms<p>Modern Western life offers a wide range of possibilities of what “family” can be: single parents, rainbow families, patchwork constellations, co-parenting, adoption, surrogacy and <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/us/childfree-by-choice-women-birth-rate-decline-cec/index.html">partnerships without children</a>. Family forms are diversifying and extending beyond the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jomf.12712">traditional</a>.</p>
<p>In many ways, the landscape of this fundamental institution is changing faster than laws and other institutions that can accommodate. As a result, certain online platforms are now seeking to bridge the gap, connecting individuals who are interested in forming non-traditional families and seeking guidance on how to do so.</p>
<h2>A Zeitgeist shift</h2>
<p>A website operating in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, <a href="https://www.familyship.org">Familyship.org</a>, is looking to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/14705931231201780">bridge this institutional and cultural gap</a>. Two women, Miriam Förster and Christine Wagner, set it up in order to form their ideal family. Together they found a co-father to take an active parental role and to provide ongoing support for the infant. While the women later ended their relationship, Christine and the co-father, who is gay, have continued to raise the child together.</p>
<p>The site was designed to help people weave new family ties according to a range of desired constellations. Regardless of relationship status, sexual orientation or gender, it’s designed to help anyone with a non-traditional understanding of family to conceive and raise a child. Over the past decade, more than 12,000 people have used the platform.</p>
<p>Users can seek various types of co-parents: hands-on, those with more passive “aunt or uncle” functions, or sperm donors who are less involved in the upbringing of the child. It is also possible to “mix and match” these parental roles as desired. The community is diverse with regard to gender, sexual orientation, relationship status, the desired form of family, and geographic location. Most users are based in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and they’re generally politically liberal and well educated.</p>
<p>The overall goal of the platform was to help those wishing to be parents develop a child-centric family structure. Users are looking for ideal co-parenting partners to bear and rear offspring, not for romance or life partners. The platform affords privacy and protection for its users by offering strict privacy regulations and community access upon registration for a user fee.</p>
<h2>Liberation through innovative family models</h2>
<p>In our research, published in <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/14705931231201780"><em>Marketing Theory</em></a>, we analysed discourses in media coverage, interviewed the site’s founders, and accompanied 23 families or to-be families over a period of a year and a half. All names have been changed for privacy reasons.</p>
<p>Our analysis showed that there is a demand for platforms that enable and support individuals who question the societally dominant meanings of family. For example, Carlotta, a 38-year-old architect who is bisexual, describes herself as someone who struggles to maintain long-term relationships. After a year of reflecting on her wish to having a child, she came across the platform:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“At some point I [searched the Internet] and found a concept called co-parenting – it made total sense to me. I couldn’t believe that after all this worrying and thinking, my solution was right there. From one moment to the next, the burdening feeling was gone, and I felt so relieved to see a realistic option for having a child.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>She is now raising a child with a homosexual man in a co-parenting arrangement.</p>
<h2>Separating parenthood from romantic partnerships</h2>
<p>The platform’s co-founder, Christine Wagner, takes issue with the role of romantic entanglement in family formation and childrearing:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Eventually, it became obvious to me that this separation between the desire for children and partnership had to happen. This traditional coupling was also deeply rooted in my mind.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The disentanglement between romance and family formation is also a key reason for the popularity of the platform among heterosexual men and women. The platform was initially founded by a lesbian couple and used predominantly by the LGBTQIA+ community in the earlier years of the platform. Many users are drawn to the platform because they desire to reduce the perceived risk inherent in romantic relationships.</p>
<p>Emilia, a 37-year-old heterosexual woman, is one of them. An expatriate with a degree in literature and history, she co-parents with a homosexual man she found after moving to Berlin, which she dubs the “singles’ capital” of the world. Their second child is already in the planning. She reflects upon her journey:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I always knew I wanted to have a family and become a mother… But at the same time, I increasingly worried. My parents got divorced, as with so many other families. I see the marriages of my friends and the unstable relationships children are born into. And if you look at the official statistics, the divorce rates speak for themselves. To be honest, I don’t believe in this family model anymore. It is too risky to base a family on romantic emotions between two people. I want to find a stronger basis for my child’s future.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Claudia, a 35-year-old who graduated in design and business, is also co-parenting a child with a homosexual man. Her thoughts echo Emilia’s:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I actively thought about questions like: How important is it for me to have children? I came relatively quickly to the conclusion that it is very important for me to have children. But I really do have big doubts about the concept of a traditional family, and it doesn’t really suit me either.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Family creation afforded by platforms</h2>
<p>Social scientists have started to question the changing role of relationships and <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-fr/The+End+of+Love:+A+Sociology+of+Negative+Relations-p-9781509550258">love in the contemporary era</a>, in which popular social media and dating apps greatly influence our interactions and how we meet others. In this respect, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/14705931231201780">our study</a> helps advance understandings of “platformisation” of consumer culture. In practice, this means that corporations are once again closely involved in shaping our intimate relationships.</p>
<p>As a digital platform, Familyship.org contrasts with such trends. It can be better understood as a “social enterprise”, given it was a created by ordinary people as a nonprofit. In doing so, it became a successful initiative in shaping and re-imagining one of the most intimate spheres of our lives – the way people think about, create, and enact family.</p>
<p>For policy-making purposes, we consider the model of Familyship.org to be an interesting one to learn from. Its collaborative model helps individuals to share life experiences and find solutions to complex social and legal constraints in ways that leverage a network of expertise. The site protects privacy, enabling participants to talk freely and creatively about their desired family constellations in a closed community space.</p>
<p>As a <a href="https://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article/1/2/145/9448/The-Process-of-Social-Innovation">2006 paper</a> published in the MIT journal <em>Innovations</em> notes, “people are competent interpreters of their own lives and competent solvers of their own problems”. Similarly, policymakers should follow suit and foster the creation of similar kinds of protected platform spaces for social innovation and experimentation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223384/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Part of the research project was funded by the the Swiss National Science Foundation P1SGP1_188106. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Schouten et Joonas Rokka ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur poste universitaire.</span></em></p>Whether LGBTQIA+, or sceptical of romantic love as the best foundation for their family, many are looking to the Internet to find co-parenting partners with whom to raise a child.Lydia Ottlewski, Assistant professor, University of Southern DenmarkJohn Schouten, Canada Research Chair in Social EnterpriseJoonas Rokka, Professeur en marketing, EM Lyon Business SchoolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2220542024-02-13T19:31:34Z2024-02-13T19:31:34ZShowing love on Valentine’s Day by embracing disability<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574603/original/file-20240209-16-r7k1o3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=110%2C0%2C7238%2C4912&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Stereotypes often mean people with disabilities are told to wait and delay their engagement in any romantic or sexual experiences.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Valentine’s Day is a time when love and intimacy are celebrated with fervor. Yet, the challenges some face in this regard are not often recognized. In particular, people with disabilities face discrimination and obstacles when seeking love, affection and sexual fulfillment.</p>
<p>People with disabilities often contend with persistent stereotypes when it comes to their love lives. A lack of comprehensive and accessible sex education also leaves people with disabilities ill-equipped to navigate the complexities of relationships and intimacy.</p>
<p>At the University of Calgary’s <a href="https://www.disabilitysexualitylab.com/">Disability and Sexuality Lab</a>, we are working to address these challenges. Our team has undertaken a comprehensive series of interviews with individuals living with disabilities, delving into their personal journeys with love, romance and sexuality. </p>
<p>These conversations reveal the complex realities they face in their quest for intimate connections and underscore the urgent need for greater awareness, and inclusivity within the intersection of disability and sexuality.</p>
<h2>Stereotypes about disability and sexuality</h2>
<p>Individuals with disabilities frequently confront a <a href="https://theconversation.com/people-with-disability-face-barriers-to-sexual-and-reproductive-health-care-new-recommendations-are-only-the-start-206746">multitude of stereotypes</a> that limit their opportunities to form intimate relationships and have sex. These perceptions can deeply affect their experiences and how society treats the topic of disability and sexuality.</p>
<p>Initially, there’s a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3109/09638280903419277">pervasive stereotype</a> that portrays disabled people as lacking sexual desires or being incapable of making good decisions regarding their intimate lives. This view unfairly categorizes people with disability as a “danger” to the community, fostering unnecessary fear and discrimination. Such a narrative not only marginalizes their experiences but also unjustly strips them of their rights to make personal decisions about their bodies and relationships.</p>
<p>Simultaneously, they are subjected to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460716688680">infantilization and de-sexualization</a>. This process where their capacity for adult relationships and sexuality is either ignored or denied, undermines their autonomy and contributes to a broader societal narrative. It fails to recognize disabled people as fully rounded individuals with the same spectrum of desires and needs for intimacy as anyone else.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575093/original/file-20240212-22-lcuw8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man and woman communicate using sign language." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575093/original/file-20240212-22-lcuw8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575093/original/file-20240212-22-lcuw8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575093/original/file-20240212-22-lcuw8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575093/original/file-20240212-22-lcuw8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575093/original/file-20240212-22-lcuw8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575093/original/file-20240212-22-lcuw8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575093/original/file-20240212-22-lcuw8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Stereotypes and perceptions can deeply affect how broader society views disability and sexuality.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Being told to wait</h2>
<p>Infantilization often means people with disabilities are told to wait and delay their engagement in any romantic or sexual experiences.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003163329-57/intersection-sexuality-intellectual-disabilities-alan-santinele-martino">Our comprehensive interviews with 46 adults who have intellectual disabilities</a> in Ontario highlighted how participants were often advised that they should defer sexual activity until their late 30s, 40s, and in some cases, even their 50s. </p>
<p>This guidance, ostensibly for their protection, underscores a broader societal issue where people with disabilities are not afforded the same autonomy to explore their sexuality compared to those without disabilities.</p>
<p>For instance, Randy, a 39-year-old man with a mental disability, told us he was advised not to pursue intimate relationships. “My mother told me I am not ready,” he said. Often, people with disabilities, especially those with intellectual disabilities, are told to wait.</p>
<p>This represents further the perceived notion that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10714413.2012.687241">people with disabilities are not knowledgeable</a> about their own sexuality and intimate lives. For instance <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10185-w">Priscilla, a 43-year-old bisexual woman, said:</a> </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“When you have a developmental disability, people think that you don’t know what you’re talking about. Or when you say I’m bisexual or gay, whatever, they think that you don’t actually know what it means.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Sex education inaccessible and inadequate</h2>
<p>In ensuring individuals are informed about their options in terms of sex, sexuality and gender, sex education is often where these conversations begin. Unfortunately sex education is often delivered in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02755-8">inaccessible and ineffective ways</a> to people with disabilities, particularly those who are 2SLGBTQ+. This is what we found in our other research project about the intimate lives of 31 2SLGBTQ+ individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in Alberta, Canada. </p>
<p>Sex education is often delivered in ways that focus on heterosexual and cisgender experiences. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02755-8">Aubrey, a 30-year-old queer trans man said</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“You know, for myself as a gender diverse person, I really would have benefited from that [sex education], because I hadn’t even known about that possibility until much later in my life.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Partly due to this lack of education, studies have shown that people with disabilities experience greater vulnerability. The <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/01/08/570224090/the-sexual-assault-epidemic-no-one-talks-about">rates of sexual abuse</a> are higher among disabled people compared to non-disabled people. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575087/original/file-20240212-30-lntkxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman sits on the lap of another woman in a wheelchair. They look at each other lovingly." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575087/original/file-20240212-30-lntkxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575087/original/file-20240212-30-lntkxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575087/original/file-20240212-30-lntkxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575087/original/file-20240212-30-lntkxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575087/original/file-20240212-30-lntkxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575087/original/file-20240212-30-lntkxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575087/original/file-20240212-30-lntkxr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Disabled 2SLGBTQ+ people often face overlapping forms of discrimination.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2SLGBTQ+ disabled people being left behind</h2>
<p>Individuals with disabilities who are also 2SLGBTQ+ often find themselves facing multiple forms of discrimination, including ableism, homophobia and transphobia. </p>
<p>Yet, our interviews with 2SLGBTQ+ adults with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities reveal not just the barriers these individuals face but also their profound resilience and desire for love. For instance <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2023.2276320">Tracey, a 19-year-old gender fluid person, said</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I just wish there were more like spaces where disabled people could also enter because you know, when you also think of like, people who are physically disabled, they can’t go out clubbing. They physically can’t, then so it’s like, there’s not many activities, there’s not many ways for us to engage in our own community.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Our research shows significant gaps in information and conversations about disability and romance, emphasizing the necessity for accessible education, resources and spaces. Recent 2SLGBTQ+ rights challenges, like <a href="https://theconversation.com/albertas-new-policies-are-not-only-anti-trans-they-are-anti-evidence-222579">Alberta’s parental rights policies</a>, underscore the urgency of challenging new transphobic policies. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/albertas-new-policies-are-not-only-anti-trans-they-are-anti-evidence-222579">Alberta's new policies are not only anti-trans, they are anti-evidence</a>
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<h2>Disabled activists push back</h2>
<p>Valentine’s Day, with its emphasis on love and connection, brings to light the importance of inclusivity. It’s a fitting moment to reflect on how everyone desires to love and be loved. The work of disabled activists like Andrew Gurza, host of the podcast <a href="http://www.andrewgurza.com/podcast">Disability after Dark</a>, and Eva Sweeney, creator of <a href="https://www.crippingupsexwitheva.com/">Cripping up Sex with Eva</a>, is particularly illuminating. They courageously open up conversations about disability and sexuality, challenging norms and pushing the boundaries of what’s often considered a taboo subject.</p>
<p>In a simple yet profound expression, a young man with Down Syndrome shared his insight, saying, <a href="https://hollandbloorview.ca/sites/default/files/2021-04/Presentation%20Slides-%20Talk%203%20Speaker%201%20Dr.%20Alan%20Martino_0.pdf">“love is natural, we all love.”</a> This statement serves as a powerful reminder, especially on Valentine’s Day — a time often saturated with conversations about sex, intimacy and romantic connections. It’s a period that underscores the significance of making sure everyone feels seen and included.</p>
<p>Their efforts highlight a critical message: The more we talk about it, the less of a taboo topic it becomes. </p>
<p><em>Eleni Moumos, an undergraduate student in Psychology minoring in Disability Studies at the University of Calgary, co-authored this article.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222054/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alan Santinele Martino receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.</span></em></p>Individuals with disabilities frequently confront stereotypes that limit their opportunities to form intimate relationships and have sex.Alan Santinele Martino, Assistant Professor, Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies, University of CalgaryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2147582024-02-13T15:05:19Z2024-02-13T15:05:19ZGirls and pornography in South Africa: going beyond just the negative effects<p><em>Academic research tends to focus on the negative aspects and sexual dangers of girls and young people viewing porn. But what do girls themselves say about growing up in a world where porn is so readily available from such a young age? It’s a question Deevia Bhana, a professor in gender and childhood sexuality, sets out to answer in her <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Girls-Negotiating-Porn-in-South-Africa-Power-Play-and-Sexuality/Bhana/p/book/9781032028897">book</a> Girls Negotiating Porn in South Africa: Power, Play and Sexuality. We asked her five questions.</em></p>
<h2>What’s the book’s central idea?</h2>
<p>When it comes to porn, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23268743.2015.1051914">research suggests</a> there are differences between boys and girls, where it is more acceptable for boys to view porn than it is for girls. These gendered differences are based on gender roles and identities where boys’ interest in and expression of sexuality is deemed to be more appropriate than that of girls, who are expected to be sexually innocent and subdued. </p>
<p>In South Africa, these divisions are made deeper by <a href="https://www.afrobarometer.org/publication/ad738-south-africans-see-gender-based-violence-as-most-important-womens-rights-issue-to-address/">sexual violence</a> and <a href="https://www.inclusivesociety.org.za/post/understanding-gender-inequality#:%7E:text=%5B1%5D%20Its%20inequality%20is%20profoundly,lower%20than%20that%20of%20men.">gender inequalities</a> where girls are seen as passive victims of sexuality. Putting girls and porn together as this book does is taboo. There are many reasons for this, including perceptions of respectability. </p>
<p>In contrast, the book provides evidence of girls’ widespread engagement with porn. Digital technologies, social media platforms and a wide array of online sites offer access to sexually explicit material. Sex is all over the internet and porn is everywhere. And girls do engage with it to expand their knowledge – whether teachers and parents like this or not. </p>
<p>The book elaborates on girls’ sexual curiosity, their ideas of sexuality and bodies and their objection to racial categorisations and sexual objectification. It opens up and broadens the conversation about how girls engage with porn in a far more nuanced way beyond danger narratives. The book advocates for a more open and nonjudgmental approach to understanding teenage girls’ experiences with porn, focusing on their voices, experiences and perspectives. </p>
<h2>What research was involved?</h2>
<p>The book is based on focus group discussions and individual interviews with 30 teenage girls between 14 and 18. It draws on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/photo-elicitation">photo-elicitation</a> methods, drawings and poster making. The girls presented visual images and drawings to describe what porn meant to them. </p>
<h2>What did girls tell you about their experiences of viewing porn?</h2>
<p>The book opens with 17-year-old Nqobile (not her real name). She recalls she first encountered sexual scenes on TV when she was eight, but knew this was something that she couldn’t discuss with her parents. She found this exciting and wanted to know more about it. Like other girls in the study, she spoke about what online porn meant to her. </p>
<p>The girls in the study did not have to access porn online to see porn. They said porn was everywhere, in billboards, movies, music videos… Porn is a normalised aspect of everyday life and the online world. They openly mocked and discarded dominant understandings of porn and sex as inappropriate in their young lives. </p>
<p>They spoke about the excitement of forging sexual relationships, their concerns about first-time sex and their desire to learn about sexual intimacy. One participant said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Maybe, if you are very inexperienced with sex, you can watch something or look at something to give you an idea of what to expect, and just how to approach the situation, what to do in the situations so that you don’t feel inexperienced.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>When girls engage with porn they don’t simply see sexual content. They also see women whose bodies don’t reflect reality. These images can shape girls’ perceptions of their own bodies and a desire to conform to certain beauty standards which are gendered and racialised. The book shows that girls may find themselves pursuing these elusive “ideals”, but may also challenge them. Many were aware of slim, straight haired, fair skinned and blonde ideals. </p>
<p>Rather than reinforce outdated beauty norms, the girls suggested alternative media and social media platforms that celebrate the real variety of bodies. They also used discussions about porn to talk about male power and female sexual subordination. That only men were seen as deriving pleasure from porn was viewed as one-sided. Women too, the girls argued, experienced pleasure. </p>
<h2>Where do power, play and sexuality fit in?</h2>
<p>Girls engage with porn through their online adventures as they play with the boundaries of respectability. Play also indicates the fun and pleasure they derive from talking about their online encounters with sexuality. So, they play with porn, make jokes about its content, learn about sexual relationships, while they also critically object to the domination of heterosexuality and racialised and gendered patterns of inequalities. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/help-ive-just-discovered-my-teen-has-watched-porn-what-should-i-do-215892">Help, I've just discovered my teen has watched porn! What should I do?</a>
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<p>The lack of comprehensive sex education that addresses girls’ desires and porn can leave young people with limited resources for understanding healthy relationships, consent and sexual pleasure. Online porn becomes a primary source of information. </p>
<p>But relying solely on online porn for sexual knowledge can lead to perceptions of intimacy that are unrealistic, where understandings of boundaries and consent reinforce male power. Additionally, girls’ engagement with porn without proper context or guidance can contribute to feelings of shame, guilt and confusion about one’s own desires.</p>
<p>In South Africa, while comprehensive sexuality education is compulsory in schools, a focus on disease, poor health, violence and the need to abstain is prominent. Sexual desires, pleasures and discussion of first-time sex are often of marginal consideration. In fact <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-82602-4">across the globe</a> young people are denied sexuality education that actually takes heed of pleasure.</p>
<h2>What do you hope readers will take away?</h2>
<p>The research offers five key insights:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Girls are not passive recipients: The book challenges the prevailing notion that teenage girls are passive victims of sexuality. Instead, it highlights they actively engage with and navigate the complex world of online porn.</p></li>
<li><p>Girls’ experiences are complex: The research shows girls have a wide range of thoughts, feelings and reactions to porn, including curiosity, playfulness and critical thinking. This challenges the view that porn is universally harmful.</p></li>
<li><p>Context matters: The study highlights the importance of considering the specific social, economic and cultural contexts in which girls are growing up. It recognises that girls from privileged backgrounds may have different experiences and access to online resources that permit ways of learning about porn.</p></li>
<li><p>Better sexuality education is crucial: Instead of shunning discussions about sexuality and porn, the book shows that girls do want to have conversations about these topics. It is adults who refuse to do so. </p></li>
<li><p>We should listen to girls’ voices: The book underscores the importance of valuing girls’ voices and perspectives. It advocates for an approach that recognises that girls both desire and object to porn’s racialised and sexist messages.</p></li>
</ol><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214758/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deevia Bhana receives funding from the National Research Foundation. This work is based on the research supported wholly by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (Grant Number 98407).</span></em></p>Sex is all over the internet, and girls engage with it in many different ways. They shouldn’t be judged for it.Deevia Bhana, Professor Gender and Childhood Sexuality, University of KwaZulu-NatalLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2223432024-02-01T11:17:41Z2024-02-01T11:17:41Z‘Sexualised’ Jesus causes outrage in Spain – but Christians have long been fascinated by Christ’s body<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572452/original/file-20240131-21-g605ou.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C8%2C5551%2C3692&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Holy Week in Seville has attracted some controversy.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/seville-spain-september-28-2022-view-2321982699">Kirk Fisher/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>There has been backlash from some conservative Catholics in Spain this week, who object to an image of Jesus on a poster used to promote Holy Week in Seville. The image has been described as <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/homoerotic-christ-posters-holy-week-divides-spain-seville-667rcrrm0">homoerotic</a>, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/01/29/spanish-catholics-denounce-offensive-jesus-poster/">effeminate, camp</a> and <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/01/29/spanish-catholics-denounce-offensive-jesus-poster/">sexualised</a>. </p>
<p>Religious imagery is widespread in western popular culture, from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79fzeNUqQbQ">music videos</a> to <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-pope-wears-prada-how-religion-and-fashion-connected-at-met-gala-2018-96290">fashion</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=2NW_G20ioJ4">TV shows</a> to advertising. In her book <a href="https://sheffieldphoenix.com/product/admen-and-eve-the-bible-in-contemporary-advertising/">Admen and Eve</a>, writer Katie Edwards explains that “Eve is quite the money maker” and signposts the prolific use of Eve in marketing campaigns for products including <a href="https://www.origsin.com/original-sin-hard-cider-genesis">cider</a>, <a href="https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/snow-white-eve-apples">cereal</a>, <a href="https://tobacco.stanford.edu/cigarettes/womens-cigarettes/eve/">cigarettes</a> and <a href="https://www.fashiongonerogue.com/dkny-be-desired-perfume/">perfumes</a>. </p>
<p>In my own research, I have explored representations of <a href="https://www.bibleandcriticaltheory.com/vol-16-no-1-2020-profit-over-prophet-a-critical-analysis-of-moses-in-advertising-christopher-greenough/">Moses in advertising</a>. The figure of Moses, an elderly, male, disabled prophet from the book of Exodus, is usually replaced by young, nude women shown parting the red sea, in various advertisements including <a href="https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/pool-ea7d93d0-b491-4333-99e8-299bc10fbb21">one for suncream</a>. </p>
<p>While the use of religious characters such as Eve and Moses often goes unnoticed, adverts that use the image of Jesus frequently cause an outcry. There’s been a backlash against using his image in advertising, including for <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-41997936">Greggs’ vegan rolls</a>, <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/phones4u-jesus-ad-samsung_n_952666">Samsung mobile phones</a> and even <a href="https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/jesus-mary-what-a-style">jeans</a>. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1752323109737124026"}"></div></p>
<h2>The history of icons and the church</h2>
<p>The current outrage in Spain has precedents. There has been anger about explicit images of Jesus used in films about his life such as Monty Python’s <a href="https://www.montypython.com/film_Monty%20Python's%20Life%20of%20Brian%20(1979)/14">“blasphemous”</a> film Life of Brian (1979) and Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ (2004), which depicts the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/passion-of-the-christ-15-years-mel-gibson-jim-cavieziel-movie-reaction-christianity-a8788381.html">crucifixion as a bloody sacrifice</a>. Some portrayals of the crucifixion have been implicit, such as Cersei’s walk of shame in <a href="https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4z7zlm">Game of Thrones</a>, which echoes the <em><a href="https://www.holylandsite.com/via-dolorosa">Via Dolorosa</a></em> — the path Jesus walked to the crucifixion.</p>
<p>Certain denominations of Christianity, such as Pentecostalism and Methodism, do not engage with icons or images of God, following their prohibition in the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2020%3A4&version=NIV">book of Exodus</a>. Yet, icons have a long and significant history in the Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions, as objects worthy of veneration. </p>
<p>Representations of Jesus are prolific in this sense. The depiction of the crucifixion – his semi-nude, broken body on a cross – adorns churches and jewellery worldwide. So much so that we have become almost desensitised to the violence depicted in this type of image. These images are often in children’s classrooms if they attend faith schools. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A crucifix necklace" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572496/original/file-20240131-15-40nwq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572496/original/file-20240131-15-40nwq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572496/original/file-20240131-15-40nwq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572496/original/file-20240131-15-40nwq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572496/original/file-20240131-15-40nwq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572496/original/file-20240131-15-40nwq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572496/original/file-20240131-15-40nwq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The depiction of the crucifixion adorns jewellery worldwide.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/crucifix-necklace-on-marble-background-2184162495">Jack Hamilton Photography/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Christianity and the body</h2>
<p>Art critic Leo Steinberg’s book, <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo4092467.html">The Sexuality of Christ in Renaissance Art and Modern Oblivion</a> (1983), showcases how crucifixion imagery was once quite explicit, as historically many images did not afford Jesus the modesty of a loincloth. Jesus’ body has always been a <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Indecent-Theology/Althaus-Reid/p/book/9780415236041">site of controversy</a>, despite Christianity being a religion that is quite concerned with bodies. </p>
<p>Christianity is an embodied religion, where beliefs are not simply spiritual, but are enacted through, by and on the body. Think <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%201%3A18-25&version=NRSVACE">immaculate conceptions and virgin births</a>. Sacraments such as baptism (immersion in water), anointing and the Eucharist involve physical movements (praying, bowing) and the senses (tasting, smelling) alongside visual, sacred symbols.</p>
<p>God becoming flesh – the incarnation – is the basis of Christian understandings of Jesus. In Roman Catholicism, there is a belief in <a href="https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/transubstantiation-for-beginners">transubstantiation</a>, that Christ is present in the consumption of the bread and wine (representing body and blood) during holy communion. The bread, or wafer, literally becomes Christ’s body for human consumption, following Jesus’ instruction <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Matthew%2026%3A26">“take this and eat it, this is my body”</a>. In her book <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Indecent-Theology/Althaus-Reid/p/book/9780415236041">Indecent Theology</a> (2000), the late queer theologian, Marcella Althaus-Reid describes such an activity as “cannibalistic”. </p>
<p>In my own book <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Bible-and-Sexual-Violence-Against-Men/Greenough/p/book/9780367562878#:%7E:text=The%20Bible%20and%20Sexual%20Violence%20Against%20Men%20argues%20that%20the,world%20and%20biblical%20texts%20themselves.">The Bible and Sexual Violence Against Men</a> (2021), I explore how Jesus is presented as asexual, both in the Bible and in Christian theology. The Bible tells very little of Jesus’ sexuality, and for a Jewish man in his thirties, the absence of wife and family would have been noticeable.</p>
<p>Asexuality seems to be a family affair. It’s suggested that his earthly parents, the virgin Mary and Joseph were both abstinent or celibate. Such celibacy is prescribed for priests in Roman Catholicism, and marriage is tackled in Paul’s <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%207-9&version=NIV">letter to the Corinthians</a>, where he says “it is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do”.</p>
<h2>Representation and reception</h2>
<p>Those in Spain who have objected to Jesus being portrayed as “effeminate”, “camp” or “sexualised” seem to imply that there is something wrong or deviant about such portrayals. More globally, this speaks back to the legacy of homophobia in certain conservative Christian settings and the use of <a href="https://theconversation.com/using-the-bible-against-lgbtq-people-is-an-abuse-of-scripture-110128">the Bible in this</a>. The debate continues, even with inclusive advancements from Pope Francis in relation to the <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/pope-francis-eases-barriers-blessing-same-sex-marriage-1864328">blessing of same-sex unions.</a></p>
<p>While controversies reign around the image of a “sexualised” Jesus in Spain, this portrayal has a more obvious controversy that has not received attention. Jesus, a Middle Eastern, <a href="https://theconversation.com/jesus-wasnt-white-he-was-a-brown-skinned-middle-eastern-jew-heres-why-that-matters-91230">brown-skinned man</a>, has been white-washed. The depiction of Jesus as a white European is <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-long-history-of-how-jesus-came-to-resemble-a-white-european-142130">problematic</a>.</p>
<p>In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus is reported to ask: <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2016%3A15-16&version=NIV" title=""">“Who do you say that I am?</a>. Representations and images of Jesus are often context specific and context based – and therefore the reception of such images are, too.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/something-good-156">Sign up here</a>.</em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222343/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Greenough does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Those in Spain who have objected to Jesus being portrayed as ‘effeminate’, ‘camp’ or ‘sexualised’ seem to imply that there is something wrong or deviant about such portrayals.Chris Greenough, Reader in Social Sciences, Edge Hill UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2206622024-01-15T19:02:39Z2024-01-15T19:02:39ZThe shame and pleasure of masturbation: Poor Things gets girls’ early sexual feelings right<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568511/original/file-20240109-23-zhaggx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C5%2C3570%2C2141&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Searchlight Pictures</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This piece contains spoilers for Poor Things.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Poor Things can be described in one word: polarising. Yorgos Lanthimos’ film follows Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a scientist’s experiment created from a woman’s body and a child’s mind. </p>
<p>It <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/jan/07/golden-globes-2024-the-full-list-of-winners">won two Golden Globes</a> and received a <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/emma-stone-poor-things-sex-nudity-venice-standing-ovation-1235695885/">standing ovation</a> at the Venice Film Festival. </p>
<p>Yet others walked out of the Venice screening during its many sex scenes, one which depicts a father teaching his two sons the birds and the bees by letting them watch him and Bella in the act. (This scene has <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/poor-things-sex-scene-reedited-uk-release-1234940615/">been re-edited</a> for the United Kingdom release to comply with local classification requirements.)</p>
<p>While some critics lauded Poor Things as a <a href="https://www.timeout.com/movies/poor-things-2023">feminist exploration</a> of sexual liberation, others saw it as a male director and screenwriter’s exploitative attempt to portray female sexuality. Vulture writer Angelica Jade Bastién took the latter view, <a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/poor-things-review-a-banal-rendition-of-sexual-freedom.html">arguing</a> the film:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>is not interested in the sex lives of women as much as the ways in which a young woman’s body can be positioned and used […] I want to see what a grown woman thinks and feels about sex!</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But I think it is wrong to read Poor Things as a film about grown women. Its most controversial scene involves children witnessing sex, and Bella begins the movie with a child’s brain. Poor Things is about the sexuality of girls. It accurately depicts girls’ early sexual feelings and shows us some more positive ways of understanding girlhood sexual desire.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RlbR5N6veqw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>Discovering sexuality</h2>
<p>I have interviewed 23 Australians who were teenage girls between 1970 and 2010 about how they learned about sex, and their experiences were echoed in Poor Things.</p>
<p>Early in the film, Bella teaches herself to masturbate and is delighted by her discovery. Many of my interviewees had similar memories, often describing themselves as “exploring” their bodies and finding enjoyable sensations in the process.</p>
<p>Nicole* grew up in the 2000s and told me she did not know what she was doing when she first masturbated, but </p>
<blockquote>
<p>somehow when I was pretty young […] [I] discovered that it felt good.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Interviewees, including Nicole, were normally aged between five and 10 during these experiences (which are <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-normal-for-girls-to-masturbate-112393">normal and common</a> among children).</p>
<p>Interviewees regularly described their early forays into masturbation as disconnected from adult sexuality. These were simply experiments with their bodies. </p>
<p>But this also meant my interviewees often believed nobody else masturbated. Sue, born in the 1960s, even created her own term for masturbation, because she had never heard anyone speak about it before:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It was my bobble wobble. I had no idea that it had a name.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Bella also thinks she is the first person to masturbate, and humiliates her maid by demonstrating her newfound discovery. This is the first of many incidents in which she learns “polite society” does not speak about sex, let alone perform it in public. While Bella mostly ignores these warnings, many of my interviewees were acutely aware of societal expectations about girlhood sexual desire.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-normal-for-girls-to-masturbate-112393">'Is it normal for girls to masturbate?'</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Girls are interested in sex</h2>
<p>In the recent past, the media depicted boys as much more sexual than girls, who were supposedly interested in romance instead. Even magazines like Dolly – which catered to girls and <a href="https://theconversation.com/goodbye-dolly-the-magazine-that-helped-so-many-young-women-grow-up-69723">spoke openly</a> about sex – assumed girls’ sexual impulses would be awakened by their boyfriends’ advances. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568510/original/file-20240109-21-m7kabg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Production image" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568510/original/file-20240109-21-m7kabg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568510/original/file-20240109-21-m7kabg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568510/original/file-20240109-21-m7kabg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568510/original/file-20240109-21-m7kabg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568510/original/file-20240109-21-m7kabg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=602&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568510/original/file-20240109-21-m7kabg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=602&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568510/original/file-20240109-21-m7kabg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=602&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bella thinks she is the first person to masturbate.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Searchlight Pictures</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is clear even in well-meaning advice to girls about not being “pressured” into sex, which presupposes girls would not initiate sex themselves. Studies about Dolly and Girlfriend have also found their columnists <a href="https://journals-sagepub-com.virtual.anu.edu.au/doi/abs/10.1177/0959-353505054717">downplayed</a> girls’ sexual desires and insisted they were responsible for <a href="https://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/n11664/pdf/01_byrnes.pdf">controlling</a> boys’ sexual behaviours.</p>
<p>These ideas clearly influenced my interviewees. Many were deeply ashamed of masturbating by the time they were teenagers. Some were told not to masturbate by their parents. Others became fearful when their friends called masturbation disgusting. Charlotte* even read a book that said masturbating children developed excess phlegm. She concluded:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>obviously you’re not meant to have fun like that […] obviously you’re not meant to do it yourself.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>None of this stopped my interviewees from masturbating. It only stopped them from talking about it or thinking anyone else did it too. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/goodbye-dolly-the-magazine-that-helped-so-many-young-women-grow-up-69723">Goodbye, Dolly, the magazine that helped so many young women grow up</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A healthy sexuality</h2>
<p>Teen media did not always have a negative influence. Several interviewees told me they learned the word “masturbation” from Dolly, which portrayed it as a normal and healthy practice. “Oh, that’s what I’ve been doing”, thought Nicole when she found instructions on how to masturbate in the magazine. This discovery was reassuring; so too were discussions about masturbation with friends (though very few people were brave enough to mention it out loud).</p>
<p>But my interviewees still felt conversations about sexual pleasure were missing from their media and their education. Jess, born in the 1990s, told me:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[In] high school, I had a great understanding of the mechanics. But pleasure had never been part of the discussion, you know?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Perhaps Poor Things could be instructive here. </p>
<p>Bella does not feel embarrassed about enjoying sex, nor in talking about it. This allows her to cast aside her controlling lovers and to question the conditions at her brothel workplace. She develops a healthy relationship to her sexuality; she knows sex should be enjoyable for her, not just for men, and that she should not be coerced into it.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568967/original/file-20240111-25-1sbmqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Production image" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568967/original/file-20240111-25-1sbmqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568967/original/file-20240111-25-1sbmqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568967/original/file-20240111-25-1sbmqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568967/original/file-20240111-25-1sbmqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568967/original/file-20240111-25-1sbmqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568967/original/file-20240111-25-1sbmqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568967/original/file-20240111-25-1sbmqs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bella does not feel embarrassed about enjoying sex, nor in talking about it.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Searchlight Pictures</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Bella Baxter may be a fairy tale character who makes <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/emma-stone-yorgos-lanthimos-poor-things-interview">her own sexual rules</a>. But we can learn from her. We can treat girls’ masturbation as natural and normal. We can show future generations there is nothing shameful about sexuality. And we can teach girls to know not just their sexual rights, but also their sexual pleasures.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/poor-things-meet-the-radical-scottish-visionary-behind-the-new-hit-film-220080">Poor Things: meet the radical Scottish visionary behind the new hit film</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p><em>*Names have been changed.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220662/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Saskia Roberts does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Poor Things accurately depicts girls’ early sexual feelings and shows us some more positive ways of understanding girlhood sexual desire.Saskia Roberts, PhD Candidate, School of History, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2185072023-12-07T02:48:10Z2023-12-07T02:48:10ZSexual orientation and earnings appear to be linked – but patterns differ for NZ men and women<p>New Zealand has made substantial progress on promoting LGBTQ+ rights over the past 20 years, including legalising same-sex civil unions in 2004, <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/133003/parliament-passes-same-sex-marriage-bill">legalising same-sex marriage</a> in 2013, and <a href="https://www.tengakaukahukura.nz/banning-conversion-practices">banning conversion practices</a> in 2022. </p>
<p>One thing missing, however, is a clear view of the employment prospects and experiences of the LGBTQ+ population.</p>
<p><a href="https://docs.iza.org/dp14496.pdf">Most studies</a> from overseas show varying income patterns, with gay men generally earning less than heterosexual men, and lesbian women paid more than heterosexual women. </p>
<p>Our new research provides the <a href="https://www.aut.ac.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/824930/working-paper-23_05.pdf">first empirical evidence</a> of the relationship between minority sexual orientation and the labour market earnings of New Zealand adults. And it looks like the patterns seen overseas are being replicated locally.</p>
<h2>Identifying LGBTQ+ couples</h2>
<p>One of the biggest challenges for empirical research such as ours is the lack of relevant data on the LGBTQ+ population. Barring a few <a href="https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/one-third-of-people-who-identify-as-lgbt-plus-hold-a-bachelors-degree-or-higher/">nationally representative surveys</a>, there aren’t many sources of economic data that allow identification of individuals belonging to the Rainbow+ community.</p>
<p>To address this information gap, we used various administrative data sets in Stats NZ’s <a href="https://www.stats.govt.nz/integrated-data/integrated-data-infrastructure/">Integrated Data Infrastructure</a>. Specifically, we used data from the 2013 and 2018 Censuses, which included a household roster with detailed information on relationships among individuals. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-asked-same-gender-couples-how-they-share-the-mental-load-at-home-the-results-might-surprise-you-208667">We asked same-gender couples how they share the 'mental load' at home. The results might surprise you</a>
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<p>This allowed us to identify households with two adults of the same sex, where the second adult is described as the spouse or de-facto partner of the person completing the forms. We compared this with individuals in different-sex relationships (as opposed to heterosexual, as some partners may identify as bisexual). </p>
<p>Additionally, our analysis focused on full-time working adults aged between 25 and 64, who were unlikely to be pursuing further education during the period of our analysis.</p>
<h2>Earning profile by sexual orientation</h2>
<p>We linked our sample to the Inland Revenue’s individual tax records, which have detailed information on labour market earnings. </p>
<p>Individuals in same-sex couples appeared to be younger, more likely to have a bachelor’s degree, more likely to live in the urban areas of Auckland or Wellington, and less likely to be married than individuals in different-sex couples. We accounted for these differences in our main analysis.</p>
<p>We found that women in same-sex couples earn 6-7% more than similarly situated women in different-sex couples. For men, the opposite pattern emerged. Men in same-sex couples earned significantly less than otherwise similar men in different-sex couples by an average difference of 6-7%.</p>
<p>We also looked into different sub-groups, such as the marital status of the couple, the duration of cohabitation, or the location of residence and so on. </p>
<p>Importantly, there was no meaningful change in the earnings differences from 2013 to 2018, despite continued improvement in societal attitudes toward sexual minorities. </p>
<p>We also found the earnings differences were larger for married individuals than for people in de-facto relationships for both men and women in same-sex couples. </p>
<p>The earnings differences were smaller for younger individuals (under 45 years old) for both men and women in same-sex couples, compared to their counterparts in different-sex couples. The earnings deficit for men in same-sex couples was also significantly smaller in major cities like Auckland and Wellington, than in the rest of the country.</p>
<h2>Gaps in the data</h2>
<p>The gaps in available data mean our study has some limitations. Firstly, we do not have direct information about people’s sexual orientation. </p>
<p>Also, we were unable to identify single or non-partnered sexual minorities whose labour market experiences may differ. Hopefully, results from the 2023 Census will provide new insights. For the first time, this year’s census included questions about gender and sexual identity.</p>
<p>Finally, the data used to identify same-sex couples depends on individuals reporting they are in a same-sex romantic relationship, which may be under-reported due to stigma.</p>
<h2>The road ahead</h2>
<p>Empirical research documenting the wellbeing of Aotearoa’s LGBTQ+ population is important from a policy perspective. For example, there is <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bdbb75ccef37259122e59aa/t/629e7d2d64349d3b11b08919/1654553906843/Same+and+Multiple+Sex+Attracted_030622.pdf">ample evidence</a> of significant disparities in the mental health and wellbeing of Aotearoa’s Rainbow+ youth. There have been <a href="https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/2023-census-first-to-collect-gender-and-sexual-identity-from-everyone-in-aotearoa-new-zealand/">recent efforts</a> to address the common data-related challenges that will help inform these policies. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-parenthood-continues-to-cost-women-more-than-men-97243">How parenthood continues to cost women more than men</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Our study is part of a much wider ongoing international collaboration with the <a href="https://www.vanderbilt.edu/lgbtq-policy-lab/">LGBTQ+ Policy Lab</a> at Vanderbilt University. </p>
<p>The aim is to understand the experiences and life outcomes of individuals belonging to the Rainbow+ community. We hope to develop a knowledge base that taps into the social, economic, physical and mental wellbeing of sexual and gender minorities in Aotearoa New Zealand. </p>
<p>Understanding the experiences of this community will help us build on the progress of the past two decades to create a more inclusive Aotearoa New Zealand.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218507/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alexander Plum received funding from the Health Research Council (HRC). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>The views here are the authors' own and do not reflect those of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Federal
Reserve System, or Statistics New Zealand.</span></em></p>Why do gay men generally earn less than heterosexual men, and lesbian women more than heterosexual women? New research aims to find out why, and how LGBTQ+ inclusivity can be improved.Alexander Plum, Senior Research Fellow in Applied Labour Economics, Auckland University of TechnologyKabir Dasgupta, Research associate, Auckland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2186432023-11-28T11:48:11Z2023-11-28T11:48:11ZMuseum classifies Roman emperor as trans – but modern labels oversimplify ancient gender identities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561913/original/file-20231127-21-32qhzi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2560%2C1571&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Roses of Heliogabalus by Alma-Tadema (1888) depicts a feast thrown by Elagabalus.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Roses_of_Heliogabalus#/media/File:The_Roses_of_Heliogabalus.jpg">Musée Jacquemart-André </a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elagabalus">Elagabalus</a> ruled as Roman emperor for just four years before being murdered in AD 222. He was still a teenager when he died. Despite his short reign, Elagabalus is counted among the most infamous of Roman emperors, often listed alongside <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Caligula-Roman-emperor">Caligula</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nero-Roman-emperor">Nero</a>. </p>
<p>His indiscretions, recorded by the Roman chroniclers, <a href="https://penelope.uchicago.edu/thayer/e/roman/texts/cassius_dio/80*.html">include</a>: marrying a vestal virgin, the most chaste of Roman priestesses, twice; dressing up as a female prostitute and selling his body to other men; allowing himself to be penetrated (and by the bigger the penis the better); marrying a man, the charioteer <a href="https://dbpedia.org/page/Hierocles_(charioteer)">Hierocles</a>; and declaring himself not to be an emperor at all, but an empress: <a href="https://penelope.uchicago.edu/thayer/e/roman/texts/cassius_dio/80*.html">“Call me not Lord, for I am a Lady”</a>.</p>
<p>Based on this quote, North Hertfordshire Museum has <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67484645">reclassified Elagabalus as a transgender woman</a>, and will now use the pronouns she/her. The museum has a single coin depicting Elagabalus, which is sometimes displayed along with other LGBTQ+ artefacts from their collection. </p>
<p>When writing about ancient subjects, from emperors to slaves, the first question historians have to ask is: how do we know what we do? Most of our written sources are fragmentary, incomplete and rarely contemporary, amounting to little more than gossip or hearsay at best, malign propaganda at worst. It’s rare that we have a figure’s own words to guide us. </p>
<p>Elagabalus is no exception. For Elagabalus, our principle source is the Roman historian <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dio-Cassius">Cassius Dio</a>. A senator and politician before turning his hand to history, Dio was not only a contemporary of the emperor, but part of his regime. </p>
<p>However, Dio wrote his Roman history under the patronage of Elagabalus’ cousin, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Severus-Alexander">Severus Alexander</a>. He took the throne following Elagabalus’s assassination. It was therefore in Dio’s interest to paint his patron’s predecessor in a bad light.</p>
<h2>Sexual slurs and the Romans</h2>
<p>Sexual slurs were always among the first insults thrown by Roman authors. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Julius-Caesar-Roman-ruler">Julius Caesar</a> was accused of being penetrated by the Bithynian king so many times it earned him the nickname “<a href="https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Julius*.html">the Queen of Bithynia</a>”. </p>
<p>It <a href="https://lexundria.com/cic_phil/2.44/y">was rumoured</a> that both Mark Antony and Augustus had prostituted themselves for political gain earlier in their careers. And <a href="https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Nero*.html">Nero was said</a> to have worn the bridal veil to marry a man.</p>
<p>The Romans were no stranger to same-sex relationships, however. It would have been more unusual for a Roman emperor not to have slept with men. Roman sexual identities were complex constructs, revolving around notions such as status and power. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561933/original/file-20231127-17-s9tdj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A bust of Elagabalus." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561933/original/file-20231127-17-s9tdj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561933/original/file-20231127-17-s9tdj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=939&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561933/original/file-20231127-17-s9tdj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=939&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561933/original/file-20231127-17-s9tdj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=939&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561933/original/file-20231127-17-s9tdj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1180&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561933/original/file-20231127-17-s9tdj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1180&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561933/original/file-20231127-17-s9tdj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1180&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A bust of Elagabalus.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bust_of_Elagabalus_-_Palazzo_Nuovo_-_Musei_Capitolini_-_Rome_2016.jpg">Musei Capitolini/José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The gender of a person’s sexual partner did not come into it. Instead, sexual orientation was <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265950340_Masculinity_Appearance_and_Sexuality_Dandies_in_Roman_Antiquity">informed by sexual role</a>: were they the dominant or passive partner?</p>
<p>To be the dominant partner, in business, politics and war as much as in the bedroom, was at the root of what made a Roman man a man. The Latin word we translate as “man”, <em>vir</em>, is the root of the modern word “virile”, and to the Romans there was nothing <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9780691219547-003/html?lang=en">more manly than virility</a>. To penetrate – whether men, women, or both – was seen as manly, and therefore <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/roman-homosexuality-9780195388749?cc=gb&lang=en&">as Roman</a>.</p>
<p>Conversely, for a Roman man to be passive, to be penetrated, was seen as <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/roman-homosexuality-9780195388749?cc=gb&lang=en&">unmanly</a>. The Romans thought such an act of penetration stripped a man of his virility, making him <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/542474">less than a man</a> – akin to a woman or, even worse, a slave.</p>
<p>A man who enjoyed being penetrated was sometimes called a <em>cinaedus</em>, and in Latin literature <em>cinaedi</em> are often described as taking on <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3704392">the role of the woman</a> in more than the bedroom, both dressing and acting effeminately. The implication is always that the way they dressed, acted and had sex was somehow subversive – <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003184584-35/history-elagabalus-zachary-herz">distinctly un-Roman</a>.</p>
<p>The word <em>cinaedus</em> appears in Latin literature almost exclusively as an insult — and it’s this literary role that is ascribed to Caesar, Mark Antony, Nero and Elagabalus. The <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3704392">power of the insult</a> stems not from saying that these men had sex with men, but that they were penetrated by men.</p>
<p>It’s worth noting that these rules of Roman sexuality only applied to freeborn adult, male Roman citizens. They did not apply to women, slaves, freedmen, foreigners or even beardless youths. These people were all <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3704392">considered fair game</a> to a virile Roman man, as uncomfortable a concept as that might be to us today.</p>
<h2>Was Elagabalus transgender?</h2>
<p>While the Romans clearly engaged in acts that we today consider gay or straight sex, they would not recognise the sexual orientations we associate with them. The ancient Romans did not share the same conceptions of sexuality that we do. </p>
<p>Many men’s sexual behaviour was what we would now term bisexual. Some lived in a manner we might describe as gender non-conforming. The concept of a person being transgender was not unknown. But an ancient Roman would not have self-identified as any of those things. </p>
<p>We cannot retroactively apply such modern, western identities to the inhabitants of the past and we must be careful not to misgender or misidentify them – especially if our only evidence for how they might have identified comes from hostile writers.</p>
<p>In attempting to fact check the sexual slurs and propaganda from the biographical facts, there is a danger that we lose sight of the fact that ancient Romans did recognise a huge variety of sexual orientations and gender identities – just as we do today. To attempt to crudely ascribe modern labels to ancient figures such as Elagabalus is not only to strip them of their agency, but also to oversimplify what is a wonderfully, <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/roman-homosexuality-9780195388749">fabulously broad</a> and nuanced subject.</p>
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<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em>Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/something-good-156">Sign up here</a>.</em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218643/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Kenrick does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We must be careful not to misgender or misidentify people of the past – especially if our only evidence for how they might have identified comes from hostile writers.Andrew Kenrick, Visiting Research Fellow, School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, University of East AngliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2167482023-11-17T01:23:24Z2023-11-17T01:23:24ZWhat does it mean to be asexual?<p>In recent years, we’ve seen a burgeoning social movement for the acceptance of asexuality. We’ve also seen more asexual characters popping up in shows such as <a href="https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/originals/heartstopper-season-2-isaac-asexual/">Heartstopper</a> and <a href="https://www.them.us/story/asexual-representation-sex-education-o-yasmin-benoit#:%7E:text=The%20Netflix%20series%20introduced%20a,the%20course%20of%20the%20series.">Sex Education</a>.</p>
<p>Despite this, asexuality remains widely misunderstood. So what does it mean?</p>
<p><a href="https://lgbtq.unc.edu/resources/exploring-identities/asexuality-attraction-and-romantic-orientation/">Asexuality</a> refers to low or no sexual attraction. However, this does not mean all people who identify as asexual, or the shorthand “<a href="https://www.allure.com/story/asexuality-spectrum-asexual-people-explain-what-it-means">ace</a>”, never experience sexual attraction or never have sex. </p>
<p>People who identify as asexual may feel intense <em>romantic</em> attraction to someone, but not sexual attraction. Others may find sex pleasurable but rarely feel attracted to another person. </p>
<hr>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-asexuals-navigate-romantic-relationships-192685">How asexuals navigate romantic relationships</a>
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<p>There are also variations of asexual identity that fit broadly within the <a href="https://acesandaros.org/learn/the-asexual-umbrella">ace umbrella</a>. People who identify as <a href="https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211101-why-demisexuality-is-as-real-as-any-sexual-orientation">demisexual</a>, for example, experience sexual attraction only to people with whom they have a strong emotional bond. </p>
<p>Across the <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/23719054?seq=17">spectrum of ace identities</a>, many people have romantic or sexual relationships. For others, sex is not part of their lives. </p>
<p>Asexual identity also cuts across other sexual or gender identities. Some asexual people identify as queer, transgender or gender diverse. </p>
<h2>How many people identify as asexual?</h2>
<p>Asexuality, as a sexual identity or orientation, has only recently been included in large-scale surveys. So data is limited. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224490409552235">Analysis of data</a> from a <a href="https://www.natsal.ac.uk/">2004 British population-based survery</a> found 1% of respondents indicated, “I have never felt sexually attracted to anyone at all”. This measure, however, may not be accurate given many asexual people wouldn’t agree they have “never” felt sexual attraction.</p>
<p>In 2019, a large Australian survey of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA+) communities, <a href="https://www.latrobe.edu.au/arcshs/work/private-lives-3">showed</a> 3.2% of the sample identified as asexual. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.asexuality.org/">Asexual Visibility and Education Network</a>, an international online network, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/mar/21/i-dont-want-sex-with-anyone-the-growing-asexuality-movement">has more than 120,000</a> members. </p>
<h2>When did asexuality become a social movement?</h2>
<p>Asexuality has always been part of human sexual diversity. However, the <a href="https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/corvette/article/view/20810/9350#:%7E:text=asexuality%20%E2%80%94%20can%20be%20traced%20back,as%20far%20back%20as%201972.&text=324%20Kinsey%20%E2%80%9C%20Sexual%20Behavior%20in%20the%20Human%20Male%20%2C%E2%80%9D%205.">movement to establish asexuality</a> as a sexual identity, and build a community around this, has its roots in the early 2000s. </p>
<p>The rise of internet technologies created a platform for asexual people to connect and organise, following a similar path to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights activists. </p>
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<img alt="The rainbow LGBTQIA pride flag and the asexual pride flag together, lying in the grass intertwined." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559818/original/file-20231116-27-5yu1yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/559818/original/file-20231116-27-5yu1yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559818/original/file-20231116-27-5yu1yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559818/original/file-20231116-27-5yu1yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559818/original/file-20231116-27-5yu1yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559818/original/file-20231116-27-5yu1yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/559818/original/file-20231116-27-5yu1yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Asexual identity also cuts across other sexual or gender identities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/rainbow-lgbtqia-pride-flag-asexual-together-2365113237">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Asexuality, as an identity, sits alongside heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality as a description of self that is determined by the shape of one’s desire. </p>
<p>However, the significance of defining asexuality as an “identity” is often misunderstood or critiqued on the basis that many people experience low or no sex drive at some points in their life. </p>
<h2>What’s the difference between sexual identity and sex drive?</h2>
<p>In his <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Sexuality/Weeks/p/book/9781032105345">work</a> on the history of sexuality, sociologist Jeffrey Weeks points to the psychoanalytic interrogation of men attracted to men as a milestone in the contemporary Western understanding of sexuality. It was at this point, in the late 1800s, that “homosexuality” came to be seen as core to an individual’s psyche. </p>
<p>Before this, homosexual sex was often considered sinful or degenerate, but sex was seen as just a behaviour not an identity – something a person does, not who they “are”. There was no category of “<a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/1185/chapter/139930481">the homosexual</a>” and <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170315-the-invention-of-heterosexuality">heterosexuality</a> was only determined in response to this categorisation of sexuality. </p>
<p>This history means that, today, sexual identity is considered an important part of what defines us as a person. For lesbian, gay or bisexual people, “coming out” is about building a sense of self and belonging in the face of institutional and cultural opposition to homosexuality. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-hidden-in-plain-sight-australian-queer-men-and-women-before-gay-liberation-155964">Friday essay: hidden in plain sight — Australian queer men and women before gay liberation</a>
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<p>Asexuality has not been subject to legal or moral sanction in the ways that homosexuality has. However, many asexual people similarly do not conform to conventional expectations regarding sex, relationships and marriage. Families and communities often don’t <a href="https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/news/new-research-shining-light-%E2%80%98dehumanising%E2%80%99-discrimination-faced-ace-people">accept or understand</a> asexuality.</p>
<p>Sexual relationships are central to the expectations we place on ourselves and others for a “good” life. Sex and desire (or desirability), not to mention marriage and childbearing, are highly valued. People who are asexual, or who do not desire sex, are often given the message that they are “broken” or inadequate. </p>
<p>This can be reinforced through medical or psychological definitions of low sex drive as a problem that should be fixed. <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-017-9765-8_8">Hypo-active sexual desire disorder</a> is a category within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the handbook mental health professionals use to diagnose mental disorders.</p>
<p>While diagnostic categories are important to support people who experience distress due to low sex drive, they can also mean <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19419899.2023.2193575#:%7E:text=According%20to%20the%20current%20DSM,not%20identify%20as%20lifelong%20asexuals.">asexuality is viewed in pathological terms</a>. </p>
<p>Building awareness of asexuality as a legitimate sexual identity is about resisting the view that asexuality is a deficit. </p>
<p>By challenging us to rethink everyday assumptions about human sexual experience, the asexuality movement is far from anti-sex. Rather, affirming and celebrating the legitimacy of asexual identity is very much a <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/23719054?seq=2">sex-positive</a> stance – one that asks us to expand our appreciation of sexual diversity. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-asexuality-can-teach-us-about-sexual-relationships-and-boundaries-94846">What asexuality can teach us about sexual relationships and boundaries</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216748/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer Power receives funding from the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care and the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>Asexuality remains widely misunderstood. Here’s what it means and how this sexuality became a social movement.Jennifer Power, Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2161412023-10-29T14:00:49Z2023-10-29T14:00:49ZPup Play: Kink communities can help people build connections and improve their body image<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555438/original/file-20231023-25-o6z8yk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=63%2C34%2C3771%2C2701&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Pup play has its roots within kink communities and gay BDSM and leather subculture.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/pup-play-kink-communities-can-help-people-build-connections-and-improve-their-body-image" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>In recent years, the world of kink lifestyles and subcultures has gained increasing attention. <a href="https://doi.org/10.34296/01011007">Kink is a general term</a> that includes various expressions of unconventional or non-traditional sexual desires. This encompasses a wide array of practices, including power dynamics, intense sensations/stimuli, role-playing and more. </p>
<p>One such form of role-play that is often misunderstood is known as pup play. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-015-0636-8">Pups are consenting adults</a> who roleplay by dressing and acting as young canines, or pups. </p>
<p>We are researchers within nutrition and health research with a focus on diverse gender and sexualities. In this project called <a href="https://phillipjoy.ca/about.html">Puppy Philms</a>, we seek to more deeply understand how meanings ascribed to bodies are socially constructed for gay, bisexual, transgender and queer men within the pup community. </p>
<p>For this project, we used a method called cellphilming. The term <a href="https://brill.com/display/book/edcoll/9789463005739/BP000002.xml">cellphilm</a> was coined to describe films made with cell phones. We worked with pups who created cellphilms to learn more about their community, particularly how being a pup might help people navigate body-image concerns.</p>
<p>We recruited 17 self-identifying gay, bisexual, transgender and queer men who are pups across Canada. They attended three workshops and each of them created a cellphilm in which they talked about being a pup and how their body image is shaped in the pup community. </p>
<h2>What is pup play?</h2>
<p>Pup play has <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460719839914">its roots</a> within kink communities and gay BDSM and leather subculture. Alongside the sexual component, pup play is viewed by many to be a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-02225-z">social activity</a>.</p>
<p>Studies have demonstrated many reasons why people might participate in kink and BDSM activities. For example, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15538605.2020.1827476">personal development, self-expression</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2023.2239225">overcoming anxiety, relaxation</a>, and to be more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2022.2068180">socially comfortable</a>. Kink play may also improve <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460720944594">interpersonal relationships</a>.</p>
<p>The pup community fosters connections and gathers at various <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/kinky-in-the-digital-age-9780197651513?cc=ca&lang=en&">pup events</a>. These include pup competitions where a designated “play space” allows them to cuddle each other, wag their tails and bark. </p>
<p>Pups often wear pup gear like collars and pup masks or hoods. Some individuals within pup communities take on the role of pup “handlers,” which means they assume a more dominant role within pup play. </p>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/712687870?h=9275b6a350&color=feb500" width="100%" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<h2>Cellphilming</h2>
<p>Cellphilming is an art-based research method and serves as a tool for advocacy that researchers seeking to disrupt traditional roles within research can use. It enables participants to exercise their creativity and <a href="https://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=3VK_DAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=What%E2%80%99sa+cellphilm%3F:+Integrating+mobile+phone+technology+into+participatory+visual+research+and+activism&ots=vvogXRkMd_&sig=L_UFtSHYS_5p6MAVdBz7yVMDbHA#v=onepage&q&f=false">take control and ownership of their narratives</a>, facilitating the expression of ideas that can be more challenging to convey through traditional interviews.</p>
<p>Research becomes an artistic and reflective process. The resulting cellphilms are pieces of art that can create a sense of solidarity among communities while changing social values about gender, sexual orientation and bodies. </p>
<h2>The Puppy Philms Project</h2>
<p>Our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1386/jaah_00101_1">previous work</a> noted that many gay men navigate body-image tensions by identifying within gay subcultures that celebrate bodies that are more diverse than the dominant thin and muscular body standards. We also found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.3167/jbsm.2021.020203">challenging and disrupting</a> dominant ideas about masculinity can be helpful for some men dealing with body-image concerns. </p>
<p>Yet no studies have looked at the relationships between body image and pup communities. With Puppy Philms, we sought to gain a deeper insights into this relationship through <a href="https://phillipjoy.ca/puppyfilms.html">cellphilming</a>. </p>
<h2>Body image and pup play</h2>
<p>Three <a href="https://phillipjoy.ca/puppyfilms-324057.html">findings about pup play</a> and body image emerged from our research. First, participants discussed how the pup community can reinforce body standards for men. As one participant said, “the body expectations for pup communities are not really different from the body expectations from the cis gay man culture.”</p>
<p>However, many participants also felt pup communities were spaces where dominant ideas about men’s body standards and masculinity were changed, lessened or lacking altogether. As another participant noted, “body image doesn’t really matter in the pup community, and that’s sort of the point. Just be a puppy.”</p>
<p>The pup headspace – a state of mindfulness relaxation — has also been associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-019-01476-1">therapeutic benefits</a>. Participants reflected on how the process of becoming a pup helped them change their feelings about their bodies and overcome body image concerns. </p>
<p>One participant noted, “…while I’ve got the [pup] mask on and I’m at the events, I don’t tend to think about it. But soon as the mask comes off then I start to think about my body-image issues again.” </p>
<p>Our study sheds light on the positive aspects of the pup community as a social and accepting space, where identifying as a pup represents a sign of resilience and defiance against social norms.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/pow-comics-are-a-way-to-improve-queer-mens-body-image-119582">Pow! Comics are a way to improve queer men's body image</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<h2>Unleashing queer activism</h2>
<p>Participants felt inspired to create their cellphilms and saw them as powerful tools for activism. They aimed to inform the public about pup play and break the stigma surrounding it. </p>
<p>This drive for activism took various forms; some participants submitted their cellphilms to <a href="https://internationalcellphilmfestival.com/reimagining-cellphilm-festival/">film festivals</a>, and others travelled to the United States and Europe to showcase their cellphilms and share their experiences. In collaboration with the participants, we organized community screening events (one in Montreal and an <a href="https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/fcc41259-c9a4-4280-aba4-99df455ec7bb">upcoming one in Toronto</a>), furthering the reach of their narratives.</p>
<p>Participants saw the potential to use their cellphilms for a greater purpose than just this research. As one participant said, “just this possibility of spreading out what we were talking about really stimulates me a lot.” </p>
<p>Artistic activists remind us that <a href="https://artofactivismbook.com">“we can ‘queer’ mass culture by making it say things it was never designed to say, and act in ways it was never meant to act</a>.” Perhaps the participants’ cellphilms can help make our culture more open to diverse bodies, genders and sexualities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216141/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Phillip Joy receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kinda Wassef does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Pup play communities can help tackle problematic ideas about masculinity and provide space for personal development and self-expression.Phillip Joy, Assistant Professor, Applied Human Nutrition, Mount Saint Vincent UniversityKinda Wassef, Research Assistant, Applied Human Nutrition, Mount Saint Vincent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2076542023-09-01T15:11:36Z2023-09-01T15:11:36ZWomen’s sexual desire often goes undiscussed – yet it’s one of their most common health concerns<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545488/original/file-20230830-15-rnyx9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C9%2C6016%2C3998&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Many women are afraid to voice concerns about low desire to their doctors.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/female-doctor-sits-her-desk-chats-1679462020">Lordn/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Female sexual desire is frequently misunderstood. Despite desire (also known as libido or sex drive) being the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jsm/article-abstract/13/2/144/6940252">most common sexual health concern</a> for women, most women aren’t really taught about it growing up. And if they are, the information is <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224490609552322">often inaccurate</a>. </p>
<p>This lack of education not only perpetuates misinformation, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2016.1150818">stigma</a> and shame about female sexual desire, it can also have a major effect on <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.2217/WHE.11.54">wellbeing</a> and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14681994.2014.957498">perceptions of satisfaction</a> in intimate relationships. </p>
<p>Discrepancies in sexual desire and satisfaction are often reported as key reasons for <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224499.2018.1437592">relationship difficulties</a>. Low sexual desire also has a negative impact on <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/jwh.2014.4743">body image and self-confidence</a>.</p>
<p>But it’s never too late to understand desire and the many ways it can change – not just each day, but throughout life. </p>
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<p><em>This article is part of <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/womens-health-matters-143335">Women’s Health Matters</a>, a series about the health and wellbeing of women and girls around the world. From menopause to miscarriage, pleasure to pain the articles in this series will delve into the full spectrum of women’s health issues to provide valuable information, insights and resources for women of all ages.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/the-orgasm-gap-and-why-women-climax-less-than-men-208614">The orgasm gap and why women climax less than men</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-tracking-menopause-symptoms-can-give-women-more-control-over-their-health-209004">How tracking menopause symptoms can give women more control over their health</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/women-still-feel-like-they-arent-listened-to-when-they-give-birth-heres-what-could-help-change-things-206815">Women still feel like they aren’t listened to when they give birth – here’s what could help change things</a></em></p>
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<h2>Desire is constantly changing</h2>
<p>Sexual desire is best understood as a transient state. This means it can be affected by an <a href="https://bookshelftocouch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Maintaining-sexual-desire-in-long-term-Mark_Lasslo_2018.pdf">array of factors</a> – including stress, hormones, physical and mental health, certain medications, lifestyle and the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10879-012-9207-7">balance of intimacy and eroticism</a> in a relationship.</p>
<p>Desire is also a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-017-0959-8">multifaceted response</a>, which can either follow or occur at the same time as pleasure or arousal. This means feeling “in the mood” may not happen until after a woman is aroused. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-016-0895-z">Desire can also occur</a> with or without a partner and will vary in frequency and intensity. Sexual desire can also be affected by many <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224490902747768">environmental factors</a>, which helps explain why it may wane during periods of stress or in longer term relationships.</p>
<p>Even factors such as <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-016-0895-z">gender roles and norms</a> are thought to cause low sexual desire for women in heterosexual relationships. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-016-0895-z">One study</a> proposes that the inequities in the division of household labour, the objectification of women and gender norms surrounding sexual initiation (in which men are presumed to be the primary instigators of sex while women are presumed coy), all result in low sexual desire for women. </p>
<p>Understanding that desire is a transient and multifaceted response can help women to see that low desire isn’t a problem with our bodies – and that treating it may be a matter of addressing problems in other parts of their lives. It also helps to understand that it’s normal for desire to change and fluctuate, even on a daily basis, depending on what’s going on in a person’s life. </p>
<h2>Certain life transitions can have a major effect</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/sbp/sbp/2003/00000031/00000006/art00008">Pregnancy</a>, the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/smr/article-abstract/8/1/38/6812656#google_vignette">post-partum period</a>, <a href="https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04982.x">perimenopause</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378512209001108">menopause</a> are all significant transitional periods in women’s lives that can also have a major impact on sexual desire. </p>
<p>There are a number of reasons why this may be. For example, body changes that may happen during these transitional periods can affect <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08952841.2018.1510247">body image and self-esteem</a>, which in turn affects desire. <a href="https://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/Abstract/2004/11010/The_impact_of_hormones_on_menopausal_sexuality__a.20.aspx">Hormone changes</a> can affect mood, and may also result in physical changes – such as <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13167-019-00164-3">vaginal dryness</a> and <a href="https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1471-0528.14518">dyspareunia</a> (genital pain that occurs before, during or after sex), which are known to affect desire.</p>
<p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05428.x">Perineal trauma</a> (damage to the perineum during birth) can cause pain which may make women desire sex less. Experiences of <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11930-008-0009-6">pregnancy loss</a> and <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jsm/article-abstract/12/4/985/6980224">infertility</a> are also shown to lower sexual desire.</p>
<p>Importantly, these life transitions also affect <a href="https://academic.oup.com/smr/article-abstract/8/1/38/6812656#google_vignette">other areas of our lives</a> – and may lead to stress, fatigue, changes in relationship roles and less time for intimacy. This can all, in turn, lead to lower sexual desire.</p>
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<img alt="A woman stands in a nursery while holding her baby." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545494/original/file-20230830-27-q0sbr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545494/original/file-20230830-27-q0sbr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545494/original/file-20230830-27-q0sbr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545494/original/file-20230830-27-q0sbr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545494/original/file-20230830-27-q0sbr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545494/original/file-20230830-27-q0sbr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545494/original/file-20230830-27-q0sbr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">It’s normal for desire to be affected during big transitional periods, such as after having a baby.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mother-holding-newborn-baby-son-nursery-624519530">Monkey Business Images/ Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Expecting that sexual desire may change or decrease during these periods can be helpful, as it may reduce self-blame and shame.</p>
<h2>Desire can be cultivated</h2>
<p>Desire can be cultivated at any stage of life. Recent <a href="https://med-fom-brotto.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2014/11/Brotto-2017-Evidenced-based-treatments-for-low-sexual-desire-in-women-4743.pdf">psychosocial approaches</a> to addressing low sexual desire emphasise the importance of balancing <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14681994.2014.957498">intimacy</a> and <a href="https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=67908">eroticism</a>, which is a focus on sensuality and pleasure over arousal and orgasm. Research indicates that, while intimacy is essential in healthy partnered sexuality, eroticism helps <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10879-012-9207-7">increase desire</a> by promoting mystery and sexual excitement. </p>
<p>Sexual desire experts also suggest <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091302217300079">good strategies</a> for cultivating desire including regularly communicating what feels good and what doesn’t with your partner, planning for sexual activity and finding ways to reduce distraction so you can focus on your body during sex. </p>
<p>Evidence-based treatments for low desire include <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005796714000497">mindfulness therapy</a>, which can help women reduce distraction, increase focus on the sensations, thoughts and emotions they’re experiencing in the moment and help target negative self-judgment. Another treatment, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1743609522009602">sensate focus touch</a>, which involves using non-sexual touch to promote more open sexual communication among couples, has also been shown to increase desire. </p>
<p>Sexual desire is <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14681994.2014.957498">unique to each person</a>. If women were taught what sexual desire is and what to expect across our lives, they would be less likely to suffer the ill effects of this misunderstanding. Sexual desire is not a problem to be solved – but a skill to be learned and cultivated throughout life.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207654/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Áine Aventin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s normal for desire to change and fluctuate – even on a daily basis.Áine Aventin, Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University BelfastLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2103292023-08-29T12:24:41Z2023-08-29T12:24:41ZThis course examines the dark realities behind your favorite children’s stories<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544524/original/file-20230824-27-r4eqqd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=479%2C176%2C4677%2C3390&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some fairy tales aren't so innocent.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/girl-reading-under-sheet-using-flashlight-royalty-free-image/475017710?phrase=bedtime+stories">danez/iStock / via Getty Images </a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Text saying: Uncommon Courses, from The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/uncommon-courses-130908">Uncommon Courses</a> is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.</em> </p>
<h2>Title of course:</h2>
<p>“Children’s Literature”</p>
<h2>What prompted the idea for the course?</h2>
<p>The idea came from a book I bought at a used book sale.</p>
<p>It was Roald Dahl’s <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/176964">“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,</a>” but it wasn’t the version I expected.</p>
<p>While reading the book to my children in 2017, I discovered that in the copy of the book I had bought, Willy Wonka describes the Oompa-Loompa characters – the subservient chocolate makers in his factory – in a way that resembled the Black slave experience in the United States. Specifically, Willy Wonka says he smuggled them to his factory in crates.</p>
<p>“Imported direct from Africa!” Wonka says in this version of the book. “I discovered them myself. I brought them over from Africa myself – the whole tribe of them, three thousand in all. I found them in the very deepest and darkest part of the African jungle where no white man had ever been before.”</p>
<p>This version, which was published in 1964, <a href="https://revista.drclas.harvard.edu/roald-dahl-the-caribbean-and-a-warning-from-his-chocolate-factory/">did not include the changes that Dahl had made in the late 1970s</a> at the urging of the NAACP. Dahl subsequently made the Oompa-Loompa characters’ skin “rosy-white” and their place of origin “Loompaland.”</p>
<p>As a parent, I was so struck by my experience reading the book to my children that, the following year in 2018, I chose to create a course that shows how children’s literature has changed over time.</p>
<h2>What does the course explore?</h2>
<p>We examine books from different periods in time. The texts range from the bawdy Latin plays written for medieval schoolboys to contemporary works like Jacqueline Woodson’s <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/brown-girl-dreaming/oclc/870919395">“Brown Girl Dreaming,</a>” an autobiography written as a series of poems for young readers.</p>
<p>The course also explores how cultural biases shape people’s assumptions about what books are appropriate for children. We examine the ways race, gender, sexuality, class, ethnicity and age show up in children’s stories. We also explore shifts in capitalism, parenting, sexuality and mental illness that are reflected in texts such as <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/little-prince/oclc/57393678">“The Little Prince”</a> and <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/293680/peter-pan-by-j-m-barrie/">“Peter Pan.”</a> </p>
<p>I ask students to define childhood, what it looks like and what its purpose is. Students’ answers tend to reflect current cultural norms, describing childhood as a time of innocence in which we learn, play and make mistakes, under the protective gaze of caring adults. But as we read the course texts, it becomes clear just how varied childhood is and has been. Time has changed what people expect childhood to look like. For instance, a 17th-century version of <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/giambattista-basiles-the-tale-of-tales-or-entertainment-for-little-ones/oclc/777595973">“Sleeping Beauty”</a> has a king <a href="https://sites.pitt.edu/%7Edash/type0410.html#basile">impregnating a sleeping young lady</a>. In a <a href="https://sites.pitt.edu/%7Edash/type0410.html#grimm">19th-century version</a>, however, there’s no king but a prince, and no sex but a kiss.</p>
<h2>Why is this course relevant now?</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/by-the-numbers">American Library Association</a> reports that in 2022 there were more attempts to ban books than in any previous year on record. In the course we discuss the history of censorship. Philosophers and writers such as <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/1029203531">Jean-Jacques Rousseau</a> and <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/guardian-of-education-a-periodical-work/oclc/470574816">Sarah Trimmer</a> argued that fairy tales would morally corrupt children by distorting their grasp on reality. However, once realism in literature became popular in the 19th century, <a href="https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/decade1999">censors</a> tried to protect children from the harsh reality of societal ills.</p>
<h2>What’s a critical lesson from the course?</h2>
<p>Near the beginning of the course we examine the fairy tales that permeate modern culture. We read multiple versions of tales like “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Cinderella” to see how these stories were rewritten over time. </p>
<p>Students are often surprised by the overt sexuality and violence in these early versions of tales for children. They learn that the appropriateness of a book is debatable, not fixed.</p>
<h2>What materials does the course feature?</h2>
<p>• Lewis Carroll’s <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/27976103">“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland</a>” – one of the earliest novels written expressly for children.</p>
<p>• Pamela Brown’s <a href="https://pushkinpress.com/books/the-swish-of-the-curtain-blue-door-1/">“The Swish of the Curtain</a>” follows a group of kids who realize their dream of performing on stage.</p>
<p>• Christopher Paul Curtis’ <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/35779/the-watsons-go-to-birmingham--1963-25th-anniversary-edition-by-christopher-paul-curtis/">“The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963,</a>” a novel with a young Black narrator who is a keen observer of his family’s struggles and joys.</p>
<h2>What will the course prepare students to do?</h2>
<p>My hope is that students will begin to look at children’s books in a more critical way. Many people never pick up a children’s book once they become adults, or, if they do, they are reading it to a child or for nostalgic reasons. My course is meant to get students to look at children’s books not just as sources of entertainment or enjoyment, but to better understand how those books are shaped by – and help shape – the cultural norms of the society in which we live.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210329/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Meisha Lohmann does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A lecturer in English literature gets her students to examine children’s books through the lens of race, class and sexuality.Meisha Lohmann, Lecturer in English Literature, Binghamton University, State University of New YorkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2086142023-08-15T09:15:15Z2023-08-15T09:15:15ZThe orgasm gap and why women climax less than men<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541030/original/file-20230803-29-k3l5ag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C60%2C6709%2C4396&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Sex isn't just about penetration.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/legs-couple-bed-1086622124">Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Imagine a steamy sex scene involving a woman and a man from your favourite television show or movie. It’s likely that both parties orgasm. But this doesn’t reflect reality.</p>
<p>Because during heterosexual sexual encounters, women have far fewer orgasms than men. This is called the orgasm gap. And it has been documented in the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11930-020-00237-9">scientific literature</a> for more than 20 years. </p>
<p>In one <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28213723/">study</a> of more than 50,000 people, 95% of heterosexual men said they usually or always orgasm when sexually intimate, while only 65% of heterosexual women said the same. </p>
<p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/03616843221076410?casa_token=EIMMOZmLRmwAAAAA%3AKmP6abzrDfsJRvoSO5LN9EOWUgnXBZGQepNAw9oFPzf-dZE-T-6g9HU1vScVwyNrNdGEuzaGslo">Research</a> shows that some people believe this gap is because women’s orgasms are biologically elusive. Yet, if this were true, women’s orgasm rates would not differ depending on circumstance. Indeed, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hite-Report-National-Female-Sexuality/dp/1583225692/ref=sr_1_1?crid=G68WDZ96BFZV&keywords=Hite+report&qid=1691488140&sprefix=hite+repor%2Caps%2C122&sr=8-1">many</a> <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2011.628440">studies</a> show that women orgasm more when alone than with a partner.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542294/original/file-20230811-4652-hn8w80.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542294/original/file-20230811-4652-hn8w80.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542294/original/file-20230811-4652-hn8w80.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542294/original/file-20230811-4652-hn8w80.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542294/original/file-20230811-4652-hn8w80.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542294/original/file-20230811-4652-hn8w80.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542294/original/file-20230811-4652-hn8w80.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em>This article is part of <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/womens-health-matters-143335">Women’s Health Matters</a>, a series about the health and wellbeing of women and girls around the world. From menopause to miscarriage, pleasure to pain the articles in this series will delve into the full spectrum of women’s health issues to provide valuable information, insights and resources for women of all ages.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/five-old-contraception-methods-that-show-why-the-pill-was-a-medical-breakthrough-207572">Five old contraception methods that show why the pill was a medical breakthrough
</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/science-experiments-traditionally-only-used-male-mice-heres-why-thats-a-problem-for-womens-health-205963">Science experiments traditionally only used male mice – here’s why that’s a problem for women’s health</a></em></p>
<hr>
<p>At least 92% of women orgasm when pleasuring themselves. Women also orgasm more when having sex in relationships compared with casual sex. In a <a href="https://nyuscholars.nyu.edu/en/publications/orgasm-in-college-hookups-and-relationships">study</a> of more than 12,000 college students, only 10% of the women said they orgasm during first-time hookups while 68% said they orgasm during sex that occurs in a committed relationship. </p>
<p>Women also <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-017-0939-z">orgasm more</a> when having sex with other women. In one <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14616660412331330875">study</a> 64% of bisexual women said that they usually or always orgasm when being sexually intimate with other women. </p>
<h2>Why does this happen?</h2>
<p>In all these scenarios where women are climaxing more, there is a greater focus on <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-clitoris-a-brief-history-196817">clitoral stimulation</a>. The majority of women need clitoral stimulation to orgasm – which makes sense given that the clitoris and the penis originate from the same kind of tissue. And both the clitoris and the penis are chock full of touch-sensitive nerve endings and erectile tissue. </p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Cliterate-Orgasm-Equality-Matters/dp/0062664557/ref=rvi_sccl_4/140-9533092-3796527?pd_rd_w=CRFWT&content-id=amzn1.sym.f5690a4d-f2bb-45d9-9d1b-736fee412437&pf_rd_p=f5690a4d-f2bb-45d9-9d1b-736fee412437&pf_rd_r=PK44YHEX9GFG4VED8TNR&pd_rd_wg=QmJlm&pd_rd_r=0289449b-513a-4ade-ba30-cac1e6ed4d2b&pd_rd_i=0062664557&psc=1">my work</a>, I’ve asked thousands of women: “What is your most reliable route to orgasm?” Only 4% say penetration. The other 96% say clitoral stimulation, alone or paired with penetration.</p>
<p>The main reason for the orgasm gap, then, is that women are not getting the clitoral stimulation they need. And cultural messages about the supremacy of intercourse feed into this. Indeed, countless films, <a href="https://hellogiggles.com/tv-shows-women-orgasm/">TV shows</a>, books and plays portray women <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00224499.2017.1332152?casa_token=902PI2QuMXYAAAAA%3AYh7bCZV7QyaAja715u13wPWv-F3aZkcS6R0gVJDlVag8lD9JG_FsHOvxl4_EnW_rISFvNNAj6UI">orgasming from intercourse alone</a>. </p>
<p>Popular men’s <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/a19523926/4-sex-positions-that-guarantee-her-orgasm/">magazines</a> also give advice on intercourse positions to bring women to orgasm. And while some of the positions do include clitoral stimulation, the message is still that intercourse is the central and most important sexual act.</p>
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<img alt="Two women in bed together." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541031/original/file-20230803-29-pvbxh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541031/original/file-20230803-29-pvbxh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541031/original/file-20230803-29-pvbxh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541031/original/file-20230803-29-pvbxh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541031/original/file-20230803-29-pvbxh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541031/original/file-20230803-29-pvbxh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541031/original/file-20230803-29-pvbxh2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Women are much more likely to orgasm from same-sex encounters.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-two-women-1215709/"> pixels/mahrael boutros</a></span>
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<p>The language used in these articles – and in the culture as a whole – reflects and perpetuates this overvaluing of intercourse. We use the words “sex” and “intercourse” as if they are the same. We relegate the clitoral stimulation that comes before intercourse as “foreplay”, implying it is a lesser form of sex. </p>
<p><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11930-020-00237-9">Multiple studies</a> have demonstrated that such messages give the idea that sex should proceed as follows: foreplay (just to get the woman ready for intercourse), intercourse, male orgasm and sex over. In this version of sex, it’s the man’s job to “give” a woman an orgasm by lasting a long time and thrusting hard. </p>
<p>No wonder <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00224499.2017.1283484">research</a> finds that men feel more masculine when their partner orgasms during intercourse. And, it’s no surprise that <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-013-0212-z">women fake orgasms</a>, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00224490903171794">primarily during intercourse</a>, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224499.2013.838934">to protect their partner’s egos</a>. </p>
<p>Indeed, studies suggest that between <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-013-0212-z">53%</a> to <a href="https://journals.ekb.eg/article_29394.html">85%</a> of women admit to faking an orgasm. Some <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-019-01510-2">research</a> indicates that the majority of women have faked at least once in their lifetime.</p>
<h2>Closing the gap</h2>
<p>There is hope though, because given that cultural factors are responsible for the orgasm gap, changing how we view sex and intercourse will help to improve women’s sexual experiences. Indeed, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886919305604?via%3Dihub">educating</a> people on the fact that women don’t have a <a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=iaXrAgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA99&ots=etC2y_CwaZ&sig=7SzjXzrkutfYuPnB9YIGeIHmnBE#v=onepage&q&f=false">limited biological capacity for orgasm</a> is important. Likewise, education for both men and women about the clitoris could be a game-changer. </p>
<p>Still, such knowledge alone is unlikely to close the orgasm gap on a personal level. According to a chapter in a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Practice-Sex-Therapy-Sixth/dp/1462543391/ref=sr_1_5?crid=ZODK2JIGHTZO&keywords=Sex+therapy&qid=1689803436&sprefix=sex+therapy+%2Caps%2C102&sr=8-5&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.18ed3cb5-28d5-4975-8bc7-93deae8f9840">sex therapy textbook</a>, women need skills to put this knowledge into practice. This means women must be encouraged to masturbate to learn what they want sexually. And this needs to be coupled with training in communication so they can share this information with partners. </p>
<p>Women need to feel entitled to pleasure and empowered to get the same type of stimulation alone as with a partner. This means heterosexual couples’ must rid themselves of the old script that calls for foreplay followed by intercourse after which sex is over.</p>
<p>Instead, they can take turns having orgasms using oral sex or manual stimulation where she orgasms followed by intercourse. Alternatively, women can touch themselves with hands or a vibrator during intercourse. </p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19453881/">Research</a> shows that women who use vibrators have more orgasms. And because many women worry about how they look during sex or if they are pleasing their partner, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31570137/">research</a> shows that mindfulness can help, too.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Vibrators and sex toys on pink background." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541032/original/file-20230803-27-d46oqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541032/original/file-20230803-27-d46oqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541032/original/file-20230803-27-d46oqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541032/original/file-20230803-27-d46oqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541032/original/file-20230803-27-d46oqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541032/original/file-20230803-27-d46oqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541032/original/file-20230803-27-d46oqe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Women are more likely to experience orgasms when using a vibrator.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/sex-toys-5187378/"> Pexels/anna shvets</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But orgasm equality is about so much more than quality sex. Multiple women have told me that once they felt empowered in the bedroom, they were more confident in the rest of their life. </p>
<p>Importantly, according to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0361684320917395?casa_token=Vy8RNRR1p_oAAAAA%3A47r5DQh2M1CkFNZxj4i0kiH6bobsX8JgyNY7xxbXdifhnoQkbuOOlgda1DRP6kAaSl4V2SUioOk">one study</a>, feeling entitled to pleasure increases a woman’s agency in telling partners what they want sexually and their agency in protecting themselves sexually. </p>
<p>Indeed, the study found that feeling entitled to sexual pleasure increased women’s confidence in both refusing to do sexual acts they were not comfortable with and using protection against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. </p>
<p>According to another <a href="https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305320">article</a> on sex education and pleasure by two US health researchers, when young people learn that sex should be pleasurable, they may be less likely to use it in manipulative and harmful ways. So teaching that sex is about pleasure for both partners, rather than something done to women for men’s pleasure, might also help to decrease levels of sexual violence. </p>
<p>Clearly, teaching about women’s pleasure will do more than increase orgasm rates.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208614/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laurie Mintz does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Women have fewer orgasms than men. But this gap is cultural, not biological. Closing it is possible, both on a societal and personal level.Laurie Mintz, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of FloridaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2107362023-08-02T15:21:43Z2023-08-02T15:21:43ZDid the Romans and Greeks really enjoy orgies?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540463/original/file-20230801-27-hrt45z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C2%2C1920%2C1261&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Helen Mirren playing Caesonia in Tinto Brass' 1979 historical drama film, _Caligula_ .</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Orgies conjure in our imagination the world of Greek and Roman Antiquity, thanks to more or less titillating films portraying debauched emperors, or maybe specifically Fellini’s Satyricon. The term is also used today to signify all sorts of excess. For us, the orgy stands for the ultimate celebration of the pleasures of the flesh, in an ancient world free from moral constraint. But what were they like in reality?</p>
<h2>From <em>orgia</em> to orgies</h2>
<p>The word comes to us from the Greek <em>orgia</em>. This denotes rites practised in honour of gods such as Dionysus, whose cult celebrates the regeneration of nature. It concerns so-called mystery cults – that’s to say, those limited to initiates, men and women, previously sworn to not divulge their secrets.</p>
<p>The term <em>orgia</em> suggests passion and thrill. Orgiastic rites – little known about because of the mystery surrounding them – could involve brandishing objects of a sexual form, in the course of ecstatic and violent displays which aimed to reach a <a href="https://www.arkhe-editions.com/magazine/le-mythe-de-lorgie-romaine/">state of collective stupor</a>.</p>
<p>But it was only after 1800, over the course of the 19th century and notably in French literature, that the orgy took the meaning of group sexual practices, most often associated with excesses of alcohol and food. Flaubert conceives in his tale Smarh, written in 1839, “A night-time festivity, an orgy full of naked women, beautiful like Venus”.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540465/original/file-20230801-21-ji750q.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540465/original/file-20230801-21-ji750q.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540465/original/file-20230801-21-ji750q.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540465/original/file-20230801-21-ji750q.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540465/original/file-20230801-21-ji750q.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540465/original/file-20230801-21-ji750q.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540465/original/file-20230801-21-ji750q.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Woman and man on a coach between a flute player and a servant. Ceramic, 6th century BC.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Archaeological Museum, Corinth. Wikipedia</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Prostitutes… and fish</h2>
<p>An orgy, properly defined, is not, however, a modern invention. Banquets mixing gastronomy and erotic delight are familiar in classical texts. Thus in the 4th century BC, the Greek orator Aeschines, in his <a href="https://remacle.org/bloodwolf/orateurs/eschine/timarque.htm">speech against Timarchus</a>, accuses his enemy of having surrendered to “the most shameful vices” and “everything which a free nobleman shouldn’t let himself get subsumed by”.</p>
<p>What were these forbidden pleasures? Timarchus invites home flute players and other reprobate women, and dines with them. We figure out that the flautists weren’t there simply as artists, picked solely for their musical talent, but young prostitutes primed to satisfy diners’ sexual demands.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540468/original/file-20230801-18-7hqfx6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540468/original/file-20230801-18-7hqfx6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=270&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540468/original/file-20230801-18-7hqfx6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=270&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540468/original/file-20230801-18-7hqfx6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=270&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540468/original/file-20230801-18-7hqfx6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=340&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540468/original/file-20230801-18-7hqfx6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=340&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540468/original/file-20230801-18-7hqfx6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=340&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Greek banquet with young men gathered together, teased by a flute player wearing a transparent tunic. Mixing bowl, around 400BC, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://khm.at/de/objektdb/detail/58183">Wikimedia</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As well as picking up courtesans, eating very expensive fish was a detail particularly noted by 4th century BC orators. Demosthenes links these two aspects of debauchery together in his False Embassy oration.</p>
<p>In 346 BC, the city of Athens had sent ambassadors to King Philip II of Macedon, who was threatening Greece with his troops. But the ruler had corrupted some of the Athenian ambassadors, to the point that they supported his imperial ambitions.</p>
<p>One of these envoys, who had been bought by the Macedonian king, is accused by Demosthenes of squandering his ill-gotten gains on “prostitutes and fish”. A double dose of gluttony, <a href="https://remacle.org/bloodwolf/orateurs/demosthene/ambassade.htm">both carnivorous and carnal</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540470/original/file-20230801-16611-v5y65s.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540470/original/file-20230801-16611-v5y65s.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=594&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540470/original/file-20230801-16611-v5y65s.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=594&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540470/original/file-20230801-16611-v5y65s.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=594&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540470/original/file-20230801-16611-v5y65s.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=746&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540470/original/file-20230801-16611-v5y65s.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=746&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540470/original/file-20230801-16611-v5y65s.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=746&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A fresco in the Roman city of Herculaneum, showing an orgy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Roman debauches</h2>
<p>Roman historians also described sumptuous feasts, pairing sex and food. In the decade 89-80BC, the tyrant Sylla was the first Roman political leader to convene erotic drinking parties. He would have taken the concept from the Greek East, where he had been waging a military campaign. Sylla caroused until the morning with comic actors, musicians and mime artists, <a href="https://remacle.org/bloodwolf/historiens/Plutarque/sylla.htm">Plutarch writes (Life of Sylla, 36)</a>.</p>
<p>Erotic dancing was one of the courtesan’s additional skills, and likewise it wasn’t rare that prostitutes turned to mime artistry. They writhed while sometimes simulating sex acts.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540478/original/file-20230801-16682-v5y65s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540478/original/file-20230801-16682-v5y65s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=339&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540478/original/file-20230801-16682-v5y65s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=339&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540478/original/file-20230801-16682-v5y65s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=339&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540478/original/file-20230801-16682-v5y65s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540478/original/file-20230801-16682-v5y65s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540478/original/file-20230801-16682-v5y65s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Trimalchio’s dinner party, a scene from <em>Fellini’s Satyricon</em>, 1969.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Latin historian Suetonius portrays Tiberius as the archetypal debauched Emperor. In his palace at Capri, he staged daringly pornographic spectacles. He had enlisted a company of young actors who before his very eyes engaged in sex acts called <em>spintriae</em> – a Latin term, very likely from the Greek <em>sphinkter</em> (anus), <a href="https://remacle.org/bloodwolf/historiens/suetone/tibere.htm">suggesting a daisy chain</a> (Life of Tiberius, 43)</p>
<p>Caligula, Tiberius’s successor, would, according to Suetonius, sleep with his sisters, in view of his guests (Life of Caligula, 24). Incestuous and exhibitionist, he thus broke two Roman taboos at once. He would also display his wife Caesonia on horseback, dressed as a warrior, or alternatively completely nude. A willing accomplice in her husband’s foibles, the Empress would have particularly enjoyed these <a href="https://remacle.org/bloodwolf/historiens/suetone/caligula.htm">special sessions</a>, because she was, Suetonius claims, “lost to debauchery and vice” (Life of Caligula, 25).</p>
<p>Some 20 years later, the Emperor Nero “made his parties last from midday to midnight,” Suetonius writes (Life of Nero, 27). <a href="https://remacle.org/bloodwolf/historiens/suetone/neron.htm">All the senses needed to be sated</a> in the course of these long feasts. They were symphonies of food, music and pliant bodies – to look at or to ravish – while slaves made flowers rain down from the ceiling and filled the air with perfume.</p>
<p>During a feast of the Emperor Elagabal in around AD 220, guests were suffocated to death <a href="https://remacle.org/bloodwolf/historiens/histaug/heliogabale.htm">“and</a> <a href="https://remacle.org/bloodwolf/historiens/histaug/heliogabale.htm">were unable to break free”</a> if one believes the author of the <em>Historia Augusta</em> (<em>Life of Antoninus Heliogabalus</em>).</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540479/original/file-20230801-19-24vmqh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540479/original/file-20230801-19-24vmqh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540479/original/file-20230801-19-24vmqh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540479/original/file-20230801-19-24vmqh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540479/original/file-20230801-19-24vmqh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=616&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540479/original/file-20230801-19-24vmqh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=616&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540479/original/file-20230801-19-24vmqh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=616&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Banquet scene, fresco from Pompeii, 1st century AD.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But these decadent banquets were no more commonplace during the Roman Empire than they are <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/series-d-ete/article/2020/08/12/sexe-et-pouvoir-le-cafardeux-rite-bunga-bunga-de-silvio-berlusconi_6048738_3451060.html">today</a>. There’s no doubt about the meaning of these descriptions of orgies by ancient authors. There’s always a moral purpose: <a href="https://theconversation.com/manger-boire-et-vomir-dans-la-rome-antique-153913">condemn “debauchery”</a>, in the name of moderation and temperance.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540480/original/file-20230801-28-39bhir.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540480/original/file-20230801-28-39bhir.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540480/original/file-20230801-28-39bhir.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540480/original/file-20230801-28-39bhir.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540480/original/file-20230801-28-39bhir.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=584&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540480/original/file-20230801-28-39bhir.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=584&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540480/original/file-20230801-28-39bhir.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=584&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Banquet in Nero’s Palace. Illustration by Ulpiano Checa from Henryk Sienkiewicz’s novel <em>Quo Vadis?</em> around 1910.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quo_vadis_%3F_(roman)#/media/Fichier:Banquet_in_Nero's_palace_-_Ulpiano_Checa_y_Sanz.jpg">Wikimedia</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Christian denunication</h2>
<p>The Christianisation of the Roman Empire only reinforced this moral perspective. There’s a good example in <a href="http://www.clerus.org/clerus/dati/2004-05/14-6/S_DETAC7.html">St. Augustine</a>’s work (16th Sermon, on the beheading of John the Baptist).</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540482/original/file-20230801-20-8nj6bw.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/540482/original/file-20230801-20-8nj6bw.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=889&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540482/original/file-20230801-20-8nj6bw.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=889&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540482/original/file-20230801-20-8nj6bw.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=889&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540482/original/file-20230801-20-8nj6bw.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1117&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540482/original/file-20230801-20-8nj6bw.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1117&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/540482/original/file-20230801-20-8nj6bw.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1117&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Poster for the film <em>Babylon</em>, Damien Chazelle, 2022.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The portrayal of Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee’s banquet, with food piled high, underlines the gluttony of the guests. Augustine adds a depravity which is entirely Satan’s work. Herod asks <a href="https://theconversation.com/salome-itineraire-dune-jeune-fille-impudique-155245">his great-niece Salome to dance for him</a>. The baleful young woman, after revealing her breasts in the course of her frenetic dancing, demands in return for her favour the head of John the Baptist, served on a platter.</p>
<h2>From Rome to Babylon</h2>
<p>Breaking with classical texts, Damien Chazelle’s film Babylon confronts the viewer with <a href="https://madame.lefigaro.fr/celebrites/cinema/grandeur-decadence-orgies-et-magie-babylone-ou-la-declaration-d-amour-grandiose-de-damien-chazelle-au-cinema-20230116">a huge orgy scene</a> without casting clear moral judgement over it.</p>
<p>That’s perhaps one reason that reactions have been strongly polarised, between detractors calling it an outrageous film, and admirers hailing <a href="https://www.marianne.net/culture/cinema/babylon-de-damien-chazelle-un-miracle-a-hollywood">a miraculous “visual orgy”</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Translation from French to English by <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshNeicho">Joshua Neicho</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210736/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christian-Georges Schwentzel ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>Following a number of films featuring debauched emperors, it is nowadays commonplace to associate the Greek-Roman antiquity with orgies. But is this historically accurate?Christian-Georges Schwentzel, Professeur d'histoire ancienne, Université de LorraineLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2090102023-07-19T12:25:47Z2023-07-19T12:25:47ZHoly voter suppression, Batgirl! What comics reveal about gender and democracy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537647/original/file-20230717-152675-ha7ae5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1733%2C837&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">'The Unmasking of Batgirl,' story from Detective Comics, April 1972.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.dcuniverseinfinite.com/comics/book/detective-comics-1937-422/1bec2a4b-a5ac-46a6-b1c0-be8517ccc206">DC Universe Infinite</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Each July, comics fans, professionals and scholars descend on San Diego, California, for <a href="https://www.comic-con.org/cci">Comic-Con International</a> – a celebration of the art and business of the comics industry. Comic books used to be a niche genre of interest to a narrow subset of popular culture enthusiasts. Since the 1970s, however, they increasingly have supplied the characters and stories on which <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/american-comic-book-industry-and-hollywood-9781844579419/">film, television and streaming media empires are founded</a>. </p>
<p>Marvel, home of the Avengers, turned an <a href="https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/the-journal/introducing-with-great-power-the-rise-of-superhero-cinema/3f8af98c-13e6-4160-acb8-c24c73ce0496">almost broke comics and toy company into one of the most lucrative movie franchises in history</a> and became one pillar of Disney’s streaming media empire. Sony <a href="https://screenrant.com/spiderman-no-way-home-box-office-profit-sony/#:%7E:text=With%20nearly%20%241.9%20billion%20grossed,million%20in%20profit%20for%20Sony.">continues to make money from its share of the Spider-Man franchise</a>. DC Comics originated fan favorites Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. Although their transition to film did not match Marvel’s success, <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/dc-warner-bros-discovery-zaslav-hbo-max-1235232185/">WarnerMedia has doubled down on its investment in DC superheroes</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537955/original/file-20230718-23-832eke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Drawing of DC superheroes" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537955/original/file-20230718-23-832eke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537955/original/file-20230718-23-832eke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537955/original/file-20230718-23-832eke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537955/original/file-20230718-23-832eke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537955/original/file-20230718-23-832eke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=683&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537955/original/file-20230718-23-832eke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=683&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537955/original/file-20230718-23-832eke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=683&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Justice League.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">DC Universe Infinite</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As comic books’ cultural impact has grown, scholars have explored how they have reflected and shaped attitudes about everything from <a href="https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/P/Politics-in-the-Gutters">politics</a> to <a href="https://www.usni.org/press/books/comics-and-conflict">war</a> to <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Superheroes-and-Economics-The-Shadowy-World-of-Capes-Masks-and-Invisible/ORoark-Salkowitz/p/book/9780815367086">economics</a> to <a href="https://ohiostatepress.org/books/titles/9780814215272.html">gender</a>, <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/black-comics-9781441135285/">race</a>, <a href="https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-08474-9.html">ability</a> and <a href="https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/T/The-LGBTQ-Comics-Studies-Reader">sexuality</a>.</p>
<p>As a <a href="https://communicationstudies.colostate.edu/people/karrin/">scholar of gender and political culture</a>, I am interested in comic book depictions of superheroines as elected officials. My research collaborator, Ryan Greene, and I have presented analysis of political storylines in comics involving <a href="https://www.eventeny.com/events/comiccon-2022-3116/?action=schedule-item&action_ops%5bitem_id%5d=19909">Wonder Woman and Batgirl</a> at Comic Con International. We contend that these comic book depictions aptly illustrate how sexism weakens democracy. Our examination also demonstrates why comics history is relevant to contemporary politics. </p>
<h2>Wonder Woman for president</h2>
<p>Wonder Woman, the Amazonian princess, warrior for peace and Earth’s self-appointed defender, has long been an icon of feminist strength. She famously graced the cover of Ms. magazine’s inaugural issue in 1972, depicted as a giant superheroine rescuing an embattled world as she ran for U.S. president on a platform of “peace and justice.”</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Giant Wonder Woman runs through a chaotic city street next to one of her presidential campaign signs" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537627/original/file-20230717-218241-g2t785.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537627/original/file-20230717-218241-g2t785.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=815&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537627/original/file-20230717-218241-g2t785.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=815&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537627/original/file-20230717-218241-g2t785.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=815&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537627/original/file-20230717-218241-g2t785.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1025&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537627/original/file-20230717-218241-g2t785.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1025&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537627/original/file-20230717-218241-g2t785.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1025&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Ms’ magazine cover, 1972.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">msmagazine.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In 1944, however, when Wonder Woman ran for president in the pages of her own comic book, the story exhibited a surprising undercurrent of authoritarianism and sexist thinking.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Wonder Woman giving a speech to adording supporters" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537628/original/file-20230717-98971-5fkiun.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537628/original/file-20230717-98971-5fkiun.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=815&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537628/original/file-20230717-98971-5fkiun.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=815&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537628/original/file-20230717-98971-5fkiun.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=815&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537628/original/file-20230717-98971-5fkiun.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1024&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537628/original/file-20230717-98971-5fkiun.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1024&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537628/original/file-20230717-98971-5fkiun.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1024&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Wonder Woman for President,’ story from Wonder Woman, January 1944.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">DC Universe Infinite</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>“<a href="https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Wonder_Woman_Vol_1_7">Wonder Woman for President</a>,” is a flash-forward story set in the 3000s, when women head the governments of the world. Wonder Woman’s creator, <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/241159/the-secret-history-of-wonder-woman-by-jill-lepore/">William Moulton Marston</a>, believed in women’s moral superiority and conjured a world based on gender differences, with women representing peace and justice and men symbolizing war and corruption.</p>
<p>What Marston called the “new woman’s age,” though, has the trappings of an authoritarian state. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537635/original/file-20230717-129345-8aetzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Depictions of authoritarian elements in Wonder Woman" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537635/original/file-20230717-129345-8aetzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537635/original/file-20230717-129345-8aetzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=276&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537635/original/file-20230717-129345-8aetzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=276&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537635/original/file-20230717-129345-8aetzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=276&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537635/original/file-20230717-129345-8aetzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=347&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537635/original/file-20230717-129345-8aetzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=347&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537635/original/file-20230717-129345-8aetzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=347&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Wonder Woman for President,’ story from Wonder Woman, January 1944.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">DC Universe Infinite</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>“Girl troopers” guard President Arda Moore, the woman who precedes Wonder Woman’s ascent to the Oval Office. The sky is blanketed with airships spreading “a great net of friendly protection across the length and breadth of America.” Women secretaries cheerfully wear devices on their heads that compel them to type their female bosses’ dictation. Most notably, Wonder Woman’s mother, Queen Hippolyta, assures her daughter that “all men are much happier when their strong aggressive natures are controlled by a wise and loving woman!”</p>
<p>Democracy isn’t dead in the U.S., however, and Wonder Woman’s alter ego, Diana Prince, steps into the political fray in order to keep the corrupt “Man’s Party” from taking control of the government. Her victory is undermined both by young women voters whose girlish infatuation compels them to vote for the male candidate and by a ballot-stuffing scheme orchestrated by the Man’s Party.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537630/original/file-20230717-138859-co2ah8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Women pine over newspaper coverage of a man with hearts around their heads. Men rig an election." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537630/original/file-20230717-138859-co2ah8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537630/original/file-20230717-138859-co2ah8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=243&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537630/original/file-20230717-138859-co2ah8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=243&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537630/original/file-20230717-138859-co2ah8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=243&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537630/original/file-20230717-138859-co2ah8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=305&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537630/original/file-20230717-138859-co2ah8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=305&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537630/original/file-20230717-138859-co2ah8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=305&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Wonder Woman for President,’ story from Wonder Woman, January 1944.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">DC Universe Infinite</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When democratic processes prove insufficient for keeping the peace, Wonder Woman intervenes to foil the Man’s Party’s plan and take the presidential oath as her alter ego, Diana Prince.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537633/original/file-20230717-218241-awaw3v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Diana Prince takes the oath of office" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537633/original/file-20230717-218241-awaw3v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537633/original/file-20230717-218241-awaw3v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537633/original/file-20230717-218241-awaw3v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537633/original/file-20230717-218241-awaw3v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537633/original/file-20230717-218241-awaw3v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=671&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537633/original/file-20230717-218241-awaw3v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=671&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537633/original/file-20230717-218241-awaw3v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=671&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Wonder Woman for President,’ story from Wonder Woman, January 1944.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">DC Universe Infinite</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Historian Philip Smith <a href="https://doi.org/10.1525/fmh.2018.4.3.227">describes</a> “Wonder Woman for President” as a “proto-feminist” story that reflects attitudes about gender that were progressive in their time. </p>
<p>However, our research demonstrates how the comic introduces damaging stereotypes about gender and politics that endure to this day: that <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2016/05/19/americans-views-of-women-as-political-leaders-differ-by-gender/">gender differences determine people’s approach to leadership</a>; that <a href="http://doi.org/10.1353/rap.2006.0001">young women voters are sometimes motivated by sexual attraction</a>; and that <a href="https://doi.org/10.14321/rhetpublaffa.20.3.0525">when women do gain political power, they use it to dominate men</a>.</p>
<p>Additionally, although Wonder Woman is cast as a defender of democracy, Marston’s story portrays democracy as weak, prone to corruption and ultimately in need of superheroic intervention in order to survive. In that respect, “Wonder Woman for President” mirrors other stories about political superheroes in comics and films <a href="https://www.themarysue.com/dawn-of-fascists/">that have authoritarian underpinnings</a>.</p>
<h2>Giving sexist and authoritarian politics ‘the boot’</h2>
<p>A comics narrative that has been overlooked by scholars and fans, however, illustrates how popular culture can foster healthier attitudes about politics and gender. In the 1970s, DC Comics sent Batgirl and her alter ego, Barbara Gordon, to the nation’s capital in a narrative premised on gender equity and the strength of democracy.</p>
<p>In “<a href="https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Detective_Comics_Vol_1_422">The Unmasking of Batgirl</a>,” Batgirl is discouraged that the crooks she sends to jail get released and commit more crimes. Disillusioned with vigilantism, she decides that the only way to effectively fight crime is to champion legislation aimed at crime prevention and prison reform. </p>
<p>Gordon launches a campaign for U.S. Congress that promises to give corrupt politicians “the boot” – a nod to Batgirl’s signature footwear – drawing support from a diverse coalition of voters. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537964/original/file-20230718-23-5eworn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Barbara Gordon speaks to diverse voters who cheer her on" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537964/original/file-20230718-23-5eworn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537964/original/file-20230718-23-5eworn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=889&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537964/original/file-20230718-23-5eworn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=889&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537964/original/file-20230718-23-5eworn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=889&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537964/original/file-20230718-23-5eworn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1117&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537964/original/file-20230718-23-5eworn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1117&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537964/original/file-20230718-23-5eworn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1117&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Candidate for Danger!’ story from Detective Comics, May 1972.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">DC Universe Infinite</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Whereas Diana Prince’s constituents were exclusively white and predominantly female, Barbara Gordon activates a multiracial coalition of women and men from various walks of life. Her heroic Batgirl persona recedes into the background as Gordon deploys a more democratic superpower – persuasion – to accomplish her mission.</p>
<p>As in Diana Prince’s campaign, nefarious actors meddle in the voting, this time using intimidation to depress voter turnout. But rather than waiting for Batgirl to save the day, Gordon’s political supporters intervene to get voters to the polls, assuring her political victory in “<a href="https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Detective_Comics_Vol_1_424">Batgirl’s Last Case</a>.” </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537643/original/file-20230717-130180-xxi92d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Youth supporters help get voters to the polls" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537643/original/file-20230717-130180-xxi92d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537643/original/file-20230717-130180-xxi92d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537643/original/file-20230717-130180-xxi92d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537643/original/file-20230717-130180-xxi92d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537643/original/file-20230717-130180-xxi92d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537643/original/file-20230717-130180-xxi92d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537643/original/file-20230717-130180-xxi92d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Batgirl’s Last Case,’ story from Detective Comics, June 1972.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">DC Universe Infinite</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Wonder Woman’s superpowers were needed to compensate for democracy’s weaknesses, but Batgirl’s heroics prove insufficient for ensuring justice. Her faith in the people and in democracy is rewarded when citizens, working together, save the day.</p>
<h2>Telling democratic stories</h2>
<p>As another presidential campaign season approaches, it’s worth remembering that authoritarian politics don’t always announce themselves as such. </p>
<p>Sometimes, like Wonder Woman’s signature outfit, they’re draped in red, white and blue. </p>
<p>These stories have enduring appeal. “Wonder Woman for President” continues to be celebrated on <a href="https://www.80stees.com/products/wonder-woman-for-president-dc-comics-t-shirt">T-shirts</a>, <a href="https://bleedingcool.com/comics/how-wonder-woman-7-from-1943-predicted-the-future-of-politics/">fan sites</a> and in <a href="https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-ages-of-wonder-woman/">comics scholarship</a>. And a subset of the voting public has demonstrated support for real-world authoritarian figures <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2016/11/8/13563500/joss-whedon-donald-trump-fascist-fantasy-lone-superhero">who make heroic promises</a>.</p>
<p>Although Batgirl’s congressional tenure has largely been ignored by scholars and fans, it illustrates how even pulpy remnants of historical pop culture sometimes provide a surprisingly robust vision of gender equity and democratic strength.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209010/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karrin Vasby Anderson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Comic book depictions of superheroines as politicians illustrate how sexism weakens democracy and why comics history is relevant to contemporary politics.Karrin Vasby Anderson, Professor of Communication Studies, Colorado State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2099792023-07-18T22:53:35Z2023-07-18T22:53:35ZBig W has withdrawn Welcome to Sex from its stores to protect staff – but teen sex education can keep young people safe<p>Teaching young people about gender, sex and sexuality has long been controversial. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538047/original/file-20230718-25-h2oe2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538047/original/file-20230718-25-h2oe2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538047/original/file-20230718-25-h2oe2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=766&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538047/original/file-20230718-25-h2oe2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=766&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538047/original/file-20230718-25-h2oe2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=766&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538047/original/file-20230718-25-h2oe2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=963&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538047/original/file-20230718-25-h2oe2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=963&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538047/original/file-20230718-25-h2oe2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=963&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<p>The most recent debate is over Dr Melissa Kang and Yumi Stynes’ <a href="https://www.hardiegrant.com/au/publishing/bookfinder/book/welcome-to-sex-by-melissa-kang/9781760509538">Welcome to Sex: Your no-silly-questions guide to sexuality, pleasure and figuring it out</a>, which has been withdrawn from sale at <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/teens/anger-intensifies-over-welcome-to-sex-book-in-big-w-and-target/news-story/8d87194408908c18b2cccd14c73ac4db">Big W</a> stores this week, after “multiple incidents of abuse” of its staff by angry critics of the book. However, Big W “stands by” Welcome to Sex, which it calls “educational, age-appropriate and inclusive”. The department store will continue to sell it online.</p>
<p>Two sides to the debate are playing out. </p>
<p>One side <a href="https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/disgusting-big-w-blasted-for-selling-sick-sexual-book-written-for-children-by-melissa-kang-and-abcs-yumi-stynes/news-story/4f609491783ea9c788a1e62e7c7e1798">argues</a> the book is a graphic sex guide that’s “teaching sex” to young children. Critics have taken particular issue with small sections of the book that address inclusive sexual practices beyond penetrative sex, including “fingering”, “oral sex”, “scissoring”, and “anal sex”.</p>
<p>They are also critical of the inclusion of what they term “<a href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-319-70060-1_86-1#Bib1">gender ideology</a>”. Others are accusing the authors of “<a href="https://theconversation.com/grooming-an-expert-explains-what-it-is-and-how-to-identify-it-181573">grooming</a>” children – a term that is <a href="https://www.politifact.com/article/2022/may/11/why-its-not-grooming-what-research-says-about-gend/">increasingly misused</a>.</p>
<p>The other side is celebrating Welcome to Sex for providing comprehensive and inclusive sex education. Many are <a href="https://twitter.com/AdeleKThomas/status/1681093744291098625">saying</a> they wish they had access to this kind of book growing up. </p>
<p>The book describes itself as a “frank, age-appropriate introductory guide to sex and sexuality for teens of all genders […] inclusive, reassuring and all about keeping sex fun, real, and shame-free”.</p>
<p>I am a researcher on texts for young people that deal with issues around sex, sexuality and gender. With my colleague, Dr Paul Venzo, we have been examining the rise of (and demand for) books that provide an inclusive, safe and engaging way to discuss the essential topic of sex for young people. </p>
<h2>Sex education books aren’t new</h2>
<p>Sex education books for young people aren’t new. Non-fiction picture books from the 1970s like Peter Mayle’s <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/where-did-i-come-from-by-peter-mayle-and-arthur-robins-9780330273442">Where Did I Come From?</a> (1973) and <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/whats-happening-to-me-by-peter-mayle-and-arthur-robins-9780330273435">What’s Happening to Me?</a> (1975) began the trend of introducing young people to sex in direct and detailed ways. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003131434-4/tingly-feeling-paul-venzo">Paul Venzo’s research</a> shows there are now more than a thousand sex education books for young people, in English alone. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538054/original/file-20230718-23-kdv2fz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538054/original/file-20230718-23-kdv2fz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538054/original/file-20230718-23-kdv2fz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538054/original/file-20230718-23-kdv2fz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538054/original/file-20230718-23-kdv2fz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538054/original/file-20230718-23-kdv2fz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538054/original/file-20230718-23-kdv2fz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538054/original/file-20230718-23-kdv2fz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Peter Mayle’s Where Did I Come From? started the trend of child-centred sex education books.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AbeBooks</span></span>
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<p>While books like Where Did I Come From? present sex and gender in binary and heterornomative ways, sex education books have expanded to include diverse sexualities and genders – with a greater focus on race, disability, culture, and religion. </p>
<p>Many books now include discussions of consent and are careful to not only focus on the “risks” of sex, such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, but also on pleasure, safety and communication. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-havent-been-taught-about-sex-teens-talk-about-how-to-fix-school-sex-education-206001">'We haven't been taught about sex': teens talk about how to fix school sex education</a>
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</em>
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<h2>Sex education for young people is valuable</h2>
<p>Sex education books can be used by parents and caregivers to guide tricky conversations about puberty, sex, gender and sexuality.</p>
<p>At what age should young people learn about sex? It’s difficult to say. Context and nuance is important. It depends on the identity and life experience of the young person, their education and maturity levels, their religious, geographical or cultural background, and the wishes of their parents or caregivers. So we should be careful about making generalisations. </p>
<p>However, the basics of sex education, such as bodily autonomy and consent, can be taught to primary-school aged children – and younger. </p>
<p>Yumi Stynes is quoted saying she’d “be happy with a mature eight-year-old having a flick through”. Many critics are using this to say the book is targeted at readers as young as eight. </p>
<p>But while a parent might make an informed decision about whether to make the book available to their younger child, Welcome to Sex is clearly targeted to a teen audience. This is evident in the length, design, complexity, marketing, language and age of the teen contributors inside the book (the youngest is 17).</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538066/original/file-20230718-19-oqxycp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538066/original/file-20230718-19-oqxycp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538066/original/file-20230718-19-oqxycp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538066/original/file-20230718-19-oqxycp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538066/original/file-20230718-19-oqxycp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538066/original/file-20230718-19-oqxycp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538066/original/file-20230718-19-oqxycp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538066/original/file-20230718-19-oqxycp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Welcome to Sex is clearly targeted to a teen audience.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Karolina Grabowska/Pexels</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>Some critics are arguing the book teaches young people how to perform sex acts. But we know young people are not ignorant about sex. Whether it’s through the internet, media, or friends, young people access sexually explicit material from a young age, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12119-020-09771-z">with many learning about sex from pornography</a> in harmful ways. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/research/commissioned-reports/teenagers-and-sex">2019 research report</a> from the Australian Institute of Family Studies shows that 53% of boys in the study and 14% of girls intentionally viewed pornography before the age of 16. <a href="https://aifs.gov.au/research/research-reports/effects-pornography-children-and-young-people">A UK study</a> reported that 53% of 11–16 year olds had watched pornography, most before the age of 14.</p>
<p>Comprehensive and inclusive sex education <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X20304560">that begins at a young age</a> can prevent child sex abuse, decrease rates of domestic violence and intimate partner violence, and reduce homophobic bullying.</p>
<p>Sex education texts play a vital role. They can be given to young people to navigate with a parent or caregiver, or as an individual resource. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-you-teach-a-primary-school-child-about-consent-you-can-start-with-these-books-190063">How do you teach a primary school child about consent? You can start with these books</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>So, what’s in Welcome to Sex?</h2>
<p>Welcome to Sex is the latest in the “Welcome” series by former Dolly Doctor Melissa Kang and broadcaster and mother Yumi Stynes. The series also includes <a href="https://www.hardiegrant.com/au/publishing/bookfinder/book/welcome-to-your-period-by-yumi-stynes/9781760503512">Welcome to Your Period</a>, <a href="https://www.hardiegrant.com/au/publishing/bookfinder/book/welcome-to-consent-by-yumi-stynes/9781760507497">Welcome to Consent</a> and <a href="https://www.hardiegrant.com/au/publishing/bookfinder/book/welcome-to-your-boobs-by-melissa-kang/9781760507503">Welcome to Your Boobs</a>. </p>
<p>The book’s introduction states, “Welcome to a book about sex and being a teen!” Its two key sections are teen-centered, leading with questions and reflections from young people. Despite claims the book is a “sex manual”, most of it is centered around the tricky emotions, concerns and questions young people might have about sex.</p>
<p>In the first section, teens are introduced to “safe learning”. Chapters cover definitions (of both sex and body parts), communication, relationships, sexual and gender diversity, myths about sex, and reasons to not have sex. </p>
<p>The second section explores getting intimate with someone. Importantly, though, it tells teens: “It’s totally OK if you’re not ready for any of that.” This section focuses on things like consent, pleasure, intimacy, cheating, safety, and different ways people might have sex.</p>
<p>Welcome to Sex treats teenagers seriously and meets them where they are. It intersperses sex education with young people’s reflections, questions for the “doctor” and facts from experts. It uses clear language and inclusive imagery.</p>
<p>The important thing for concerned parents to remember is that sex is an important topic we can’t ignore. Sex education books combat misinformation – and empower young people with essential information to keep them informed and safe.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209979/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emma Whatman is affiliated with The Australasian Children’s Literature Association for Research (ACLAR) and The Australian Women’s and Gender Studies Association (AWGSA).</span></em></p>Yumi Stynes and Melissa Kang’s sex education guide for teens is a topic of hot debate for its frankness. It also provides comprehensive, inclusive sex education that combats misinformation.Emma Whatman, Subject Coordinator in Gender Studies, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2094262023-07-13T14:06:55Z2023-07-13T14:06:55ZMale rhesus macaques often have sex with each other – a trait they have inherited in part from their parents<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536818/original/file-20230711-17-aibxh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=941%2C102%2C3853%2C3154&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Male same-sex sexual behaviour was widespread in a population of rhesus macaques.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sam Edwards</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Homosexual behaviour is not limited to humans. Biologists have reported homosexual behaviour in many species of wild animal, ranging from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0166024">bats</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.05.009">birds</a> to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2009.03.014">dolphins</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1163/1568539X-bja10062">primates</a>. </p>
<p>When animals engage in homosexual behaviour, one might assume that they invest less time and energy on reproduction. This suggests that there may be strong reproductive costs associated with such behaviour, such as having fewer offspring. So it raises the question of how homosexual behaviour manages to evolve and continue to exist within a population.</p>
<p>The underlying presumption is that there is not only a cost associated with engaging in homosexual activity, but also that variation in such behaviour is passed down from one generation to the next. Called heritability, this is essential for any evolution by natural selection to occur. </p>
<p>We set out to investigate these issues by studying 236 male <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/rhesus-monkey">rhesus macaques</a> living freely in a colony of 1,700 monkeys on the tropical island of Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. We observed these monkeys for three years and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02111-y">found that</a> male same-sex sexual behaviour (SSB) was widespread. In fact, 72% of the males we observed mounted other males, while only 46% mounted females.</p>
<p>Critically, male SSB is not unique to this population of macaques. We saw similar behaviour in wild rhesus macaque populations in northern Thailand. And there have been <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Primate_Behavior/QingBAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0">previous reports</a> of SSB in this species from India, too.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A rhesus macaque colony." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536787/original/file-20230711-30-f7j44b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536787/original/file-20230711-30-f7j44b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536787/original/file-20230711-30-f7j44b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536787/original/file-20230711-30-f7j44b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536787/original/file-20230711-30-f7j44b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536787/original/file-20230711-30-f7j44b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536787/original/file-20230711-30-f7j44b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A rhesus macaque colony in Rajasthan, India.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/rhesus-monkey-colony-alwar-rajasthan-india-159063821">Attila JANDI/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>From one generation to the next</h2>
<p>We also had access to pedigree records that traced the parentage of each macaque back to 1956. This allowed us to explore the effect of relatedness (heritability) on their behaviour, taking into account other factors that could influence the results, such as age and social group structure.</p>
<p>We found that the heritability of male SSB was 6.4%, meaning genetics do account for a small proportion of SSB – the rest is environmental.</p>
<p>We calculated “evolvability” to be 14.9%, giving the potential rate at which the trait can evolve per generation through natural selection. Evolvability is thought to be a more reliable indicator than heritability of the degree to which genetics can respond to evolutionary pressure, and provides us with further evidence that SSB can evolve through selection.</p>
<p>Our estimates align with what we would expect for a behavioural trait that is probably influenced by multiple genetic factors and environmental effects. They are also consistent with heritability values reported in studies of other social behaviour in primate species, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpad066">social grooming in baboons</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41437-022-00558-6">social proximity in capuchins</a>. </p>
<p>We also found a genetic correlation between the number of times a male was observed mounting another male and the number of times he was mounted by other males. This suggests that different forms of SSB in these monkeys share a common genetic basis.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two grooming chacma baboons on a tree." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536773/original/file-20230711-25-fgafa9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536773/original/file-20230711-25-fgafa9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536773/original/file-20230711-25-fgafa9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536773/original/file-20230711-25-fgafa9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536773/original/file-20230711-25-fgafa9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536773/original/file-20230711-25-fgafa9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536773/original/file-20230711-25-fgafa9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Two chacma baboons grooming eachother. Caprivi, Namibia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/two-grooming-chacma-baboons-papio-ursinus-2250991039">Fotografie-Kuhlmann/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What underpins this behaviour?</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat7693">Previous studies</a> on the heritability of SSB have primarily focused on humans. However, these studies often rely on self-reported data, which can introduce complications. The cultural stigma surrounding homosexuality, for instance, could lead to the underreporting of homosexual activity.</p>
<p>Heritability of SSB has also been found in some invertebrate species, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-016-0658-4">seed beetles</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.0429">fruit flies</a>. However, the pathways through which SSB develops in these species are thought to be different from those observed in social vertebrates like primates. For example, factors such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-013-1610-x">imperfect sex recognition</a> are believed to influence the development of SSB in invertebrates.</p>
<p>Demonstrating that SSB is heritable and its potential for evolutionary response to natural selection is an important first step towards understanding the factors that influence variation in this behaviour. </p>
<p>Many evolutionary theories for SSB in animals exist. But they all depend on the behaviour showing a degree of heritability. </p>
<p>One theory suggests that in some species, animals may engage in SSB because it serves a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.02.001">beneficial social function</a>. For example, it may strengthen the bonds between males, ultimately benefiting them during competition for mates and food. </p>
<p>In support of this theory, our research found that male rhesus macaques involved in SSB partnerships were more likely to support each other in conflicts with other individuals. This effect could be a way in which SSB benefits a macaque and its chances of producing offspring, thereby allowing the behaviour and the genes associated with it to persist within a population.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A group of macaques fighting." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536779/original/file-20230711-15-ln4ks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536779/original/file-20230711-15-ln4ks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=267&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536779/original/file-20230711-15-ln4ks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=267&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536779/original/file-20230711-15-ln4ks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=267&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536779/original/file-20230711-15-ln4ks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536779/original/file-20230711-15-ln4ks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536779/original/file-20230711-15-ln4ks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rhesus macaques involved in SSB partnerships were more likely to support each other in conflicts.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/group-macaques-fighting-1998316622">Di Qin/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Learning from primates</h2>
<p>So what can we learn from these findings about SSB across primate species, including humans?</p>
<p>A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat7693">previous study</a> examining SSB heritability in humans found significant reproductive costs associated with this behaviour. In contrast, we found no such costs in macaques. </p>
<p>This suggests that the costs associated with human SSB might arise from specific social factors unique to humans. However, more research is needed to explore this idea further.</p>
<p>Today, some people still believe that SSB is rare or the product of extreme and unusual environmental conditions, and selectively look to examples in nature to validate their view. Our results may help to challenge these beliefs and combat prejudice against homosexuality and bisexuality. However, society’s moral obligation to strive for more inclusivity and acceptance of different sexual orientations ultimately does not rely on observations from the natural world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209426/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jackson Clive received funding for this work from the UK Natural Environment Research Council, the American Institute of Bisexuality and the Genetics Society.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ewan Flintham receives funding from the UK Natural Environment Research Council
. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Vincent Savolainen receives funding from NERC, the American Institute of Bisexuality and the Evolution, Education Trust. </span></em></p>Most of the males in a Puerto Rican monkey colony engaged in homosexual activity, a new study reveals.Jackson Clive, Postdoctoral Researcher, Imperial College LondonEwan Flintham, Postdoctoral Researcher, Université de LausanneVincent Savolainen, Professor of Organismic Biology, Imperial College LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2068272023-07-07T12:26:14Z2023-07-07T12:26:14ZNonbinary genders beyond ‘male’ and ‘female’ would have been no surprise to ancient rabbis, who acknowledged tumtums, androgynos and aylonot<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535875/original/file-20230705-9120-t3bjm8.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=65%2C0%2C921%2C659&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Jewish law includes acknowledgment that not everyone fits neatly into the categories 'male' and 'female.'</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%A0%D7%94_%D7%A1%D7%93%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%94_-_%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%9B%D7%95%D7%9D_%D7%94%D7%92%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%90_-_%D7%97%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%AA%D7%90.jpg">Mishna/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>“Genderqueer” and “nonbinary” are contemporary terms for people who <a href="https://www.hrc.org/resources/glossary-of-terms">don’t fit neatly into male or female categories</a>. But acknowledging that not everyone fits neatly into those two groups has a much longer history than you might suspect.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://religiousstudies.indiana.edu/about/faculty/imhoff-sarah.html">a scholar of Judaism and gender</a>, I find that people across the political spectrum often assume religion must be inherently conservative and unchanging when it comes to sex and gender. They imagine that religions have always embraced a world in which there are only men and women.</p>
<p>But for Judaism – and <a href="https://doi.org/10.12987/9780300157468-007">for many</a> <a href="http://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-shape-of-sex/9780231551366">other religious traditions</a>, too – history shows that’s just not true.</p>
<h2>More than two terms</h2>
<p>Traditional Jewish sources discuss the categories “man” and “woman,” but these aren’t the only designations rabbinic texts use for sex and gender. </p>
<p>Rabbinic literature, the body of texts written by Jewish leaders in antiquity, includes several other categories. In these texts, a person with both sets of external genitalia is called an “androgynos,” a term borrowed from Greek. A person with neither is called a “tumtum,” and a person who loses his male sexual organs <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/20798278">is called a “saris</a>.” There is also a term for someone whose sex assigned at birth is female but does not develop to female sexual maturity – in some cases, because they develop “male” traits: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0364009407000542">an “aylonit</a>.”</p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_Rabbah.8.1?lang=bi">Genesis Rabbah</a>, a collection of creative Biblical interpretation from late antiquity, records an interpretation of a creation story in <a href="https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.1.29?lang=bi&aliyot=0">the biblical book of Genesis</a> in which God forms the first humans. Genesis 1 includes the phrase, “Male and female He created them,” which many readers interpret to mean that God created a man and a woman.</p>
<p>But some of the rabbis quoted in Genesis Rabbah believed that God had made an androgynos. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_Rabbah.8.1?lang=bi">One rabbi explained</a>: “In the hour when the Holy One Blessed Be He created the first human, He created an androgynos, as it is written, ‘male and female He created them.’”</p>
<p><a href="https://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_Rabbah.8.1?lang=bi">Genesis Rabbah</a> continues with another rabbi’s argument that God made the first human with two fronts: a female face and body facing one way, and a male face and body facing the opposite direction. Only later did God split the two, in this rabbi’s reading. </p>
<p>Though the specifics of their interpretations differ, both put an androgynos at the center of God’s creation.</p>
<h2>Applying the law</h2>
<p>Jewish law, or halakhah, <a href="https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/gender-identity-in-halakhic-discourse">is based on a gender binary</a>. For example, some commandments, such as studying Torah or <a href="https://www.thetorah.com/article/the-prohibition-of-shaving-in-the-torah-and-halacha">not shaving sidelocks</a>, apply only to men; others, such as Sabbath candle lighting, apply only to women. </p>
<p>However, some halakhic traditions also recognize that not every person’s body fits that binary. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535873/original/file-20230705-15-4uiocp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Women ride up one escalator while men in black suits and hats ride up a second escalator next to it, viewed from above." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535873/original/file-20230705-15-4uiocp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535873/original/file-20230705-15-4uiocp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535873/original/file-20230705-15-4uiocp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535873/original/file-20230705-15-4uiocp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535873/original/file-20230705-15-4uiocp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535873/original/file-20230705-15-4uiocp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535873/original/file-20230705-15-4uiocp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Men and women ride separate escalators to their designated seating sections as Orthodox Jews gather during a 2012 event to celebrate religious study in New Jersey.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/men-and-women-ride-separate-escalators-to-their-designated-news-photo/149661933?adppopup=true">Mario Tama/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Mishnah, a text compiled in the third century C.E. which includes halakhic material, roots its interpretations in the categories men and women, yet also affirms the idea that sex and gender go beyond those terms.</p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Bikkurim.4?lang=bi">a section called Mishnah Bikkurim</a> explains: “There are some ways the androgynos is like men, and some ways he is like women, and some ways he is like men and women, and some ways he is like neither men nor women.” Another section of the Mishnah explains that, like women, neither a tumtum nor an androgynos <a href="https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Chagigah.1.1?lang=bi">is obligated to go to the Temple</a> in Jerusalem as part of certain religious festivals. Meanwhile, an androgynos must <a href="https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Bikkurim.4.2?lang=bi">dress like a man</a>, and a priest cannot <a href="https://www.sefaria.org/Yevamot.61a.12?lang=bi">marry an aylonit</a> unless he already has children. </p>
<p>As these examples suggest, gender diversity is woven throughout rabbinic traditions. Yet there is still a hierarchy, with men holding positions of the highest religious obligation.</p>
<p>It is also important to note how these categories differ from the ways people understand gender today. A nonbinary person <a href="https://theconversation.com/trans-youth-are-coming-out-and-living-in-their-gender-much-earlier-than-older-generations-156829">in the 21st century</a> does not have the same experience as a tumtum in late antiquity. The idea of “aylonit” does not map clearly onto any common gender identity today. Even the term “androgynos” is not quite the same as intersex. And none of the rabbinic categories match current ideas about trans identity. </p>
<h2>Forging a future</h2>
<p>In spite of this textual tradition, many observant Jewish communities today still tend toward a gender binary. In most Orthodox synagogues, for example, a physical partition divides the worship space into two sections: one for men and one for women. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1353/sho.2012.0083">Halakhic rulings</a> about whether and how parents should support medical interventions on intersex children suggest they should be raised as male or female, not as an androgynos or tumtum.</p>
<p>In other Jewish communal spaces, however, traditional texts have become a resource for contemporary LGBTQ+ Jews. Some look to these texts to affirm their beliefs that Judaism has always <a href="https://rac.org/blog/what-torah-teaches-us-about-gender-fluidity-and-transgender-justice">seen gender diversity as a spectrum</a>. Others use these texts to <a href="http://www.transtorah.org/PDFs/How_I_Met_the_Tumtum.pdf">see themselves</a> <a href="https://brill.com/view/journals/jjl/10/1/article-p120_5.xml">within Jewish tradition</a>. Still others use these examples to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/18/opinion/trans-teen-suicide-judaism.html">call for change</a> in the present, countering anti-LGBTQ+ positions. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535877/original/file-20230705-21-uvqkob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="People in t-shirts that include the phrase 'queer pride' walk in a parade, with one holding a sign that says 'Trans Jews belong here.'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535877/original/file-20230705-21-uvqkob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535877/original/file-20230705-21-uvqkob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535877/original/file-20230705-21-uvqkob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535877/original/file-20230705-21-uvqkob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535877/original/file-20230705-21-uvqkob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535877/original/file-20230705-21-uvqkob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535877/original/file-20230705-21-uvqkob.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Participants from Jewish Queer Youth walk in the New York City Pride March on June 25, 2023.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/2023NYCPrideMarch/a7f1d3c0e9fc4ac683ac061978c40ddd/photo?Query=trans%20jewish&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=18&currentItemNo=0&vs=true">Charles Sykes/Invision/AP</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Many of these Jews recognize that the <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520397392/trans-talmud">diversity of sex and gender</a> in these ancient texts is different from gender identity today, but they believe the past can still serve as <a href="https://therevealer.org/turning-to-the-talmud-to-find-gender-diversity-that-speaks-to-today/">an important tool</a> in the present.</p>
<p>Rabbinic texts illustrate that there is no magical time in the past when every person fit easily and naturally into gender categories.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206827/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Imhoff does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>People sometimes assume religious traditions’ ideas about gender have always been conservative and unchanging.Sarah Imhoff, Professor of Religious Studies, Indiana UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2069792023-06-13T16:15:57Z2023-06-13T16:15:57ZA science of sexuality is still possible — but not in the traditional sense<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531198/original/file-20230609-29-7wkphc.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C16%2C3760%2C2499&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A rainbow flag is being waved during Pride Parade in Saskatoon, Sask., in June 2022. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Human sexuality has long been a subject of fascination and curiosity in the scientific community. Researchers from different fields have sought to understand why we are attracted to certain people and how our sexual orientation develops.</p>
<p>From Sigmund Freud to Judith Butler, the road to a science of sexuality is a fascinating history of ambition and culture wars, error and scientific breakthrough.</p>
<p>My recent research continues the quest to make a science out of sexuality. Two <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv19cwdnt">opposing schools of thought currently divide</a> the field: psychoanalysis and queer theory. </p>
<p>Psychoanalysts believe desire follows specific laws and follows predictable patterns, while queer theorists argue that laws have exceptions and advocate for a more creative view of sexuality.</p>
<p>My research proposes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1057/s41282-022-00366-1">an information theory of desire</a> that
straddles the line these two groups by arguing we should consider the object of our desire as information.</p>
<p>Psychoanalysis can help us understand how this particular kind of information is stored, while queer theory can help us understand how this information is organized and re-organized internally. </p>
<h2>Birth of psychoanalysis</h2>
<p>Sigmund Freud, originally trained as a physician, believed in the scientific basis of sexuality. He was the first to regard sex as the subject of a serious discussion. Starting in 1902, <a href="https://www.freud.org.uk/2020/05/14/freud-at-home-the-wednesday-psychological-society/">colleagues gathered every Wednesday</a> in his apartment to discuss the psychoanalytic practice he established. </p>
<p>Debates about how to study sexuality soon divided Freud’s circle of colleagues. In 1911, Alfred Adler broke away and <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/Alderian-Psychotherapy-Intro-Sample.pdf">turned psychoanalysis into social and cultural studies</a>. Two years later, Carl Jung broke away and turned <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/27505718">toward philosophical and existential questions</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A black-and-white photo of a man with a white beard, round black glasses and a hat." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531192/original/file-20230609-28-mm18zi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531192/original/file-20230609-28-mm18zi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=455&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531192/original/file-20230609-28-mm18zi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=455&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531192/original/file-20230609-28-mm18zi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=455&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531192/original/file-20230609-28-mm18zi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531192/original/file-20230609-28-mm18zi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531192/original/file-20230609-28-mm18zi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=571&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud at his home in London in June 1938.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>At the time, Lou Andreas-Salomé, the first female psychoanalyst, did not believe <a href="https://archive.org/details/freudjournaloflo0000unse/page/130/mode/2up?q=honesty">either separation threatened the scientific status of psychoanalysis</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“The source of its vitality does not lie in any hazy mixture of science and sectarianism, but in having adopted as a fundamental principle that which is the highest principle of all scientific activity. I mean honesty.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Though Freud retained Andreas-Salomé’s loyalty until the end, he didn’t share her optimism about the uniting power of honesty and <a href="https://archive.org/details/sigmundfreudloua00freu/page/18/mode/2up?view=theater&q=loathsome">thought divisions at the heart of his movement</a> would delegitimize it. </p>
<h2>North American psychology</h2>
<p>The quest to turn sexuality into a credible science survived Freud, especially in North America. Clinically trained psychologists in the post-Second World War era <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8688-1_41">borrowed Freudian theories and employed traditional scientific methods</a> to empirically test them. </p>
<p>Dismissing Freud’s exclusive interest in individual case studies, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/000306515300100203">American</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/070674376400900610">Canadian</a> psychologists aimed to understand populations more widely. However, this shift led to <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/socprob3&div=42&g_sent=1&casa_token=PyF5exLVo0cAAAAA:AJB84TRzpeslt3--Ri334K5VpX3FZCtPLrDboLHYfQmWGlPIjYamTZQ_0mrUKgx3VsAzm2fCIw&collection=journals">seeing homosexuals as a separate social group</a>, which ultimately gave rise to <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/medlgjr15&div=8&g_sent=1&casa_token=aOsBLK2-uLMAAAAA:q2Z3RRyS3GYeLaWsXniM5Fo86CI-07Qij9Av2NmCvqgE51HKGNG3TRMrk1RtPuz45VTNdI2wIg&collection=journals">homophobia</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2642357/?page=1">conversion therapy</a>.</p>
<p>In the United Kingdom, Freud’s daughter Anna <a href="https://lambdaliterary.org/2014/08/rebecca-coffey-on-sigmund-freuds-relationship-with-his-lesbian-daughter-anna-and-using-fiction-to-explore-the-truth/">promoted curing homosexuality</a> even though her father had <a href="https://pep-web.org/browse/document/ijp.032.0331a">denounced similar practices</a>. </p>
<p>In France, psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan urged his colleagues to <a href="https://doi.org/10.18574/nyu/9780814743232.001.0001">return to Freud’s methods</a>. Consumer culture silenced similar voices in North America. </p>
<p>Psychotherapy lost its scientific motto — the pursuit of truth — and became a <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/happier-9780190655648?cc=us&lang=en&">matter of pursuing happiness</a>. Keenly aware how the big screen dumbed down Freud’s psychology, Marilyn Monroe — a serious <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tagged/health/healthy-living/marilyn-monroe--bookworm%E2%80%94highlights-from-her-library-184157109.html">reader of psychoanalysis</a> — turned down starring in a movie about him out of respect.</p>
<h2>Sexuality nowadays</h2>
<p>By the time Canada <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/the-1969-amendment-and-the-de-criminalization-of-homosexuality">decriminalized homosexuality in 1969</a> — and the American Psychological Association <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1973/12/23/archives/the-issue-is-subtle-the-debate-still-on-the-apa-ruling-on.html">unclassified it as a mental disorder</a> four years later — sexuality studies had shied away from its psychological origins. </p>
<p>But biological explanations prevailed. Scientists wondered <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541437">whether homosexuality ran in the family</a> and hypothesized the existence of a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1300/J082v06n04_02">gay gene and its relationship to natural selection</a>. </p>
<p>Despite the politically correct turn away from <a href="https://theipi.org/all-events/#!event/2022/1/28/ebook-lecture-january-28th">“why gay?” to “how gay?”</a> in post–1970s clinical research, and the anti-psychological turn in feminism known as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/dispatchesfromthefreudwars.htm">the Freud Wars of the 1980s</a>, the prospect of a science of sexuality almost vanished until queer theorists made its case again in the 1990s.</p>
<p>Queer theory rejected <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/ca/universitypress/subjects/sociology/social-theory/social-postmodernism-beyond-identity-politics">fixed collective identities</a> and re-emphasized <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0959354397073003">individual case studies</a> the same way Freud had. Instead, queer theorists viewed sexuality as <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Gender-Trouble-Feminism-and-the-Subversion-of-Identity/Butler/p/book/9780415389556">something more dynamic</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A middle-aged individual in a black blazer and dress shirt smiles while holding a large hardcover book." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531193/original/file-20230609-25-hgi9vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531193/original/file-20230609-25-hgi9vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531193/original/file-20230609-25-hgi9vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531193/original/file-20230609-25-hgi9vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531193/original/file-20230609-25-hgi9vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531193/original/file-20230609-25-hgi9vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531193/original/file-20230609-25-hgi9vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Philosopher and gender studies theorist Judith Butler smiles after receiving the Theodor W. Adorno award in Frankfurt, Germany, in September 2012.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Thomas Lohnes)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Queer theorists like Judith Butler emphasized the <a href="https://archive.org/details/gendertrouble00judi/page/16/mode/2up?q=internal+external&view=theater">relationship between internal and external life</a>. They highlighted how drag artists <a href="https://archive.org/details/gendertrouble00judi/page/136/mode/2up?view=theater&q=drag">disrupt the way we assign gender</a> on a daily basis.</p>
<p>This disconnect between what we see and the meaning we give it is a chance for sexuality to break with habit and become unpredictable.</p>
<h2>The challenge of our current moment</h2>
<p>Nowadays, many regard sexuality as <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/08/8324299/2019-study-genetics-sexuality">too complicated</a> or <a href="https://www.themontrealreview.com/2009/Sex-and-Gender-Reconsidered.php">too subjective</a> to become a science. Freud’s theories are often dismissed as pseudoscience.</p>
<p>But this outlook is dangerous to the pursuit of science. According to Elizabeth Young–Bruehl, a queer psychoanalyst who practised in Toronto until her death in 2009, we have <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/25670368">abandoned Freud’s depth psychology and his theory of the unconscious</a> and promoted instead superficial psychological theories.</p>
<p>Homophobia and caricatures of psychoanalysis originated with our relationship to science, not Freud’s. Though he was keen on establishing a science of sexuality, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/07351690.2018.1480225">he regarded that science as historical</a> rather than experimental. </p>
<p><a href="https://biologos.org/common-questions/is-historical-science-reliable">Historical sciences</a> aim to reconstruct past events and favour the uniqueness of detail and individual cases. <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/23332257">Experimental sciences</a>, on the other hand, are concerned with the future and whether an event will repeat itself. </p>
<h2>Information theory of desire</h2>
<p>Why do individuals come out as gay or bisexual at a particular point in their lives, but not earlier? Why do some first same-sex experiences shape a queer identity while others do not?</p>
<p>An information theory of desire might offer insights into these questions. When queer people talk about the <a href="https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/Coming-Out-to-Yourself-A-Guide-for-Self-Acceptance">defining moment when they came out to themselves</a>, it can be useful to think of self-acceptance as a kind of computing command — an input that demands a radical re-organization of someone’s information network or identity.</p>
<p>Life events become inputs, and sexual orientations and gender identities become information networks. Certain same-sex experiences may only result in partial changes to the information network, while others may lead to the complete re-configuring of someone’s identity.</p>
<p>What can we discover with a science of sexuality? Freud’s loyal friend Andreas-Salomé was right to regard honesty as the highest principle of any scientific activity. Without it, we would be dealing with incorrect inputs or information networks viewed upside down. </p>
<p>Pride Month is not just a celebration of sexuality — it’s also a celebration of science.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206979/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rayyan Dabbous does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A new theory of desire bridges the gap between psychoanalysis and queer theory on a quest to make a science out of sexuality.Rayyan Dabbous, PhD student, Centre for Comparative Literature, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2056972023-06-08T14:08:14Z2023-06-08T14:08:14ZSex, money and love: what South African university students say about romance and dating in a material age<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529083/original/file-20230530-15-2ezsot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Young women are not, as some believe, passive sexual beings. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">DavideAngelini/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13691058.2012.664660?scroll=top&needAccess=true&role=tab&aria-labelledby=full-article">Transactional sex</a> – the exchange of consensual sex for material support like gifts, money or food – <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-nigerian-students-told-us-about-transactional-sex-on-campus-116610">occurs</a> on <a href="https://theconversation.com/rise-in-sugar-babies-mirrors-increase-in-student-sex-work-44377">university campuses</a> in <a href="https://theconversation.com/student-sex-work-is-happening-and-universities-need-to-respond-with-health-services-167767">many parts of the world</a>.</p>
<p>South Africa is no exception. Some scholars have highlighted the importance of understanding transactional sexual relationships beyond seeing it only (or mostly) as a way for young women to mitigate poverty, or because they want to enjoy the advantages of what is perceived as an elite and glamorous lifestyle. It’s more complicated than that. </p>
<p>We came together as a trio of psychology scholars to <a href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/gab/article/view/230358">explore</a> how young South African female university students construct themselves as sexual beings, and negotiate dating and intimate relationships. </p>
<p>Our findings highlight that young women view transactional intimate relationships from multiple levels, including family experiences, the cultures they are embedded in and broader social contexts. These factors all influence how they articulate their understanding of intimate relationships.</p>
<p>Financial considerations may compel and shape their choice of sexual partners. But they aren’t the only factor. Others include the chance to get work, to advance their careers or to unlock educational opportunities.</p>
<p>All of this challenges the idea that young adult women choosing to enter sexual relationships that can meet their financial aspirations are not agents in their relationships.</p>
<h2>A variety of reasons</h2>
<p>For the study, we conducted focus groups with 14 women students at one South African university. We were interested in their perceptions and understanding of transactional relationships – some reflected on their own experiences, while others reflected on those of others they knew. All were aged between 19 and 26. While the number of participants was relatively small, their perceptions were helpful in assisting us to get some understanding of how women students perceive transactional relationships.</p>
<p>The participants explained that they and other young women they knew engaged in intimate relationships for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they want to meet their love and sexual needs; sometimes they want to enhance their socio-economic and social standing within their peer group and wider society. The latter arrangement has been referred to by some researchers as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4875790/">sexual-economic relationships</a>, which enhance one’s social standing or result in class mobility for the young women involved in transactional sex. </p>
<p>When talking about these sorts of sexual-economic relationships, the participants in our study offered an example of how a man’s financial status is gauged: by the car he drives.</p>
<p>A sexual relationship with a man who has a good job is seen as a safer option than one with an unemployed, unmotivated man who is unable to provide or meet the young women’s consumer expectations. A man’s ability to work hard was said to “count” in terms of his appeal to women. This is reflected in some of the comments made by the young women in our study:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Most girls my age group tend to go for guys who have money or who are well established. In a sense of where they are going with their lives. Most girls are tired of going for guys who just sit at home and do nothing the whole day.</p>
<p>I don’t think relationships do exist, nowadays, I don’t think so, it’s more about material, what don’t you have … if a guy comes to you driving a Volvo and a guy comes to you driving a Mazda 3, the latest, I don’t think girls will go for the guy driving a Mazda, but the one driving a Volvo, that’s all, that’s how I see it recently.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Some transactional relationships may offer the pretence of real love and create the illusion for the male sexual partner that he is the only object of the young woman’s affection. Other relationships are initiated on the implicit understanding that they are non-exclusive or multi-partner arrangements, with a tacit agreement not to discuss other sexual partners.</p>
<h2>Navigating the perils</h2>
<p>But that doesn’t mean people are necessarily happy about non-exclusive relationships. Mistrust, jealousy and anger arise at times.</p>
<p>If a man has multiple girlfriends in a transactional arrangement and they learn about each other, the women often turn their anger towards each other. This may lead the women to try and “stake their claim”. For example, some told us that, in a sense, one becomes a “PI” (private investigator) assessing or “researching” their partner’s “true colours” or “their intentions and motives” and hoping for “transparency” from their partners. These concerns often centred on concerns about contracting HIV and AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases because their boyfriends had multiple partners.</p>
<p>It also became clear that our participants did not have much faith in any future marriages lasting for a long time or that their husbands would be faithful. But this didn’t mean that they didn’t want to experience genuine love or to pursue marriage that would also result in having children.</p>
<h2>Nuance</h2>
<p>This research makes it clear that there is a great deal of nuance around how young women negotiate their intimate relationships with men. Our research has shown us that the nature of transactional relationships can no longer be solely understood within the frames of disenfranchised young women and men as the embodiment of agency. </p>
<p>Rather, it is critical to engage the ways in which our consumeristic and materialistic global society seems to dictate what is “normal” and how this, in turn, plays a role in how young women choose to engage in transactional relationships. </p>
<p><em>Precious Sipuka and Christine Laidlaw co-authored this article and the research paper on which it is based.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205697/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Puleng Segalo receives funding from The National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences. </span></em></p>There is a great deal of nuance around how young women negotiate their intimate relationships with men.Puleng Segalo, Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair, University of South AfricaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2058132023-06-05T12:08:48Z2023-06-05T12:08:48ZSaying that students embrace censorship on college campuses is incorrect – here’s how to discuss the issue more constructively<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528662/original/file-20230526-23-mtq53t.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=68%2C43%2C5682%2C3785&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It's not true that college students reject challenging ideas wholesale and oppose conservative views.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/male-college-professor-gestures-during-lecture-royalty-free-image/1213738982?phrase=college+campus+class&adppopup=true">SDI Productions/E+/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The claim that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/08/us/ut-austin-free-speech.html">college students censor</a> viewpoints with which they disagree is now common. Versions of this claim include the falsehoods that <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2023/04/13/shouting-down-speakers-who-offend">students “shut down</a>” most invited speakers to campuses, reject challenging ideas and <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/08/19/the-growing-partisan-divide-in-views-of-higher-education-2/">oppose conservative views</a>. </p>
<p>Such cynical distortions dominate discussions of higher education today, misinform the public and threaten both democracy and higher education.</p>
<p>Indeed, <a href="https://firstamendmentwatch.org/deep-dive/classes-are-over-but-the-campus-free-speech-debate-still-rages/">politicians in states</a> such as <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23574019-dec-28-2022-memo?responsive=1&title=1">Florida</a>, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2019/05/17/texas-free-speech-college-campus-legislation/">Texas</a> and <a href="https://www.statenews.org/government-politics/2023-05-17/republican-bill-free-speech-college-campuses-passes-ohio-senate">Ohio</a> argue that a so-called “free speech crisis” on college campuses justifies stronger government control over what gets taught in universities. </p>
<p>Since 2020, numerous state legislatures have attempted to censor forms of speech on campuses by citing exaggerations about students and their studies. Passing laws to ban certain kinds of speech or ideas from college campuses is no way to promote true free speech and intellectual diversity. <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/here-are-the-states-where-lawmakers-are-seeking-to-ban-colleges-dei-efforts">The most common targets of such censorship</a> are programs that discuss race, gender, sexuality and other forms of multiculturalism.</p>
<p>My concerns over public discourse about higher education extend from <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/campus-misinformation-9780197531273?cc=us&lang=en&">my book</a> on popular misinformation about universities and why it threatens democracy. In it, I show that many negative perceptions of students and universities rest on factual distortions and exaggerations.</p>
<p>The character of public debates about higher education is important. Millions of Americans rely on a healthy system of university education for professional and personal success. Rampant cynicism about higher education, leading to <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/07/26/public-support-higher-education-wobbling">declines in public support</a> for it, only undermines their pursuits.</p>
<p>Based on my research, I offer alternative ways to frame debates about higher education. They can lead to discussions that are more constructive and accurate while better protecting fundamental American values such as free speech and democracy.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528663/original/file-20230526-28782-m9kgkc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man in a dark suit standing at a lectern with the sign 'Florida, the education state' on it." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528663/original/file-20230526-28782-m9kgkc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528663/original/file-20230526-28782-m9kgkc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528663/original/file-20230526-28782-m9kgkc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528663/original/file-20230526-28782-m9kgkc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528663/original/file-20230526-28782-m9kgkc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528663/original/file-20230526-28782-m9kgkc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528663/original/file-20230526-28782-m9kgkc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One bill signed in May 2023 by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center, includes restrictions that bar public colleges in Florida from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/florida-governor-ron-desantis-takes-questions-from-the-news-photo/1255657321?adppopup=true">Thomas Simonetti for The Washington Post via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>1. Avoid stereotypes about college students</h2>
<p>The idea that college students are hostile to opposing viewpoints is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/03/the-myth-of-the-free-speech-crisis">false</a>. Pundits and media personalities have promoted this falsehood aggressively. Such figures <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/free-speech-grifting">have benefited</a>, politically or financially, from sensationalism about a college “free speech crisis.”</p>
<p>In opinion polls, college students typically <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/03/16/the-campus-free-speech-crisis-is-a-myth-here-are-the-facts/">express stronger support</a> for free speech and diverse viewpoints than other groups. Partisan organizations often <a href="https://reason.com/2017/03/15/students-at-elite-colleges-are-the-most/">cherry-pick</a> that data to make it seem otherwise. But poll results tell only part of the story about college campuses today.</p>
<p><a href="https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=1122">Several thousand institutions</a> make up U.S. higher education. The system includes hundreds of thousands of students from different backgrounds. College campuses are often more demographically and intellectually diverse than surrounding communities.</p>
<p>Judgments about higher education based on sweeping generalizations about college students conflict with the full realities of campus life. A wider range of perspectives, including from students themselves, can enrich debates about university education.</p>
<h2>2. Consider all forums for free speech in universities</h2>
<p>Universities protect free speech <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/06/free-speech-crisis-campus-isnt-real/591394/">more effectively</a> than do other parts of society. They don’t do so perfectly, but more effectively.</p>
<p>Universities are major centers for the study of the First Amendment, the free press, human rights, cultural differences, international diplomacy, conflict resolution and more. Many institutions require students to take basic speech and writing courses that enhance their skill in argument and debate.</p>
<p><a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/142218/colleges-right-reject-hateful-speakers-like-ann-coulter">Manufactured outrage</a> about college students who protest invited speakers fuels sensationalism about free speech on campuses. Despite occasional disruptions over bigoted speakers, universities offer <a href="https://www.pennpress.org/9780812250077/free-speech-on-campus/">numerous forums for free speech</a>, open debate and intellectual diversity.</p>
<p>Just one large university holds thousands of classes, meetings, performances and other events on a daily basis. People freely express their views and pursue new ideas in those settings. Now multiply that reality by several thousand different institutions.</p>
<p>Debates over free speech in higher education can be improved by acknowledging the many forums in which people speak freely every day.</p>
<h2>3. Recognize the true threats to free speech on campuses</h2>
<p>For the past several years, many state legislatures have promoted the falsehood that universities are hostile to various ideas. The most commonly cited examples are conservative ideas, traditional expressions of patriotism and great works of Western literature.</p>
<p>The notion of hostility to such ideas on college campuses has surfaced in numerous bills that create <a href="https://www.aaup.org/article/political-interference-academic-freedom-and-free-speech-public-universities#.ZGY-waXMI2z">new forms of state interference</a> in education. Thirty-five <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/here-are-the-states-where-lawmakers-are-seeking-to-ban-colleges-dei-efforts">pieces of legislation</a> banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs in colleges have been introduced in state legislatures. So far, three of them have been signed into law, while four are pending final legislative approval.</p>
<p>Tenure for faculty members, which protects independent thought, is also <a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-colleges-and-universities-florida-state-government-texas-education-4f0fe0c5c18ed227fabae3744e8ff51d">under assault</a> in states such as Florida and Texas. Politicians in those states justify ending tenure protections by claiming that professors teach students to censor free speech.</p>
<p>Such rising government interference creates a genuine threat to free speech on college campuses and in society beyond. <a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/enrichment/arts-culture/3675842-banned-book-authors-say-new-wave-of-censorship-is-most-dangerous-yet/">A historic increase in state censorship</a>, which began with higher education, has spilled over into censorship of materials about race, gender, sexuality and multiculturalism in K-12 schools and public libraries.</p>
<p>Advocacy organizations like the <a href="https://www.the74million.org/article/the-aclus-fight-against-classroom-censorship-state-by-state/">ACLU</a> and the <a href="https://www.aaup.org/issues/political-interference-higher-ed">American Association of University Professors</a> have condemned this censorship. So have <a href="https://pen.org/conservatives-oppose-educational-gag-orders-too/">numerous conservative leaders</a>.</p>
<p>Informed scrutiny of university policies and what faculty members teach is always welcome. But cynical distortions have fueled anti-democratic censorship of universities, not constructive efforts to improve them.</p>
<h2>4. Understand the role of academic freedom</h2>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528665/original/file-20230526-11640-dg7men.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Many graduates in academic gowns walking past a huge crowd in a stadium." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528665/original/file-20230526-11640-dg7men.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528665/original/file-20230526-11640-dg7men.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528665/original/file-20230526-11640-dg7men.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528665/original/file-20230526-11640-dg7men.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=417&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528665/original/file-20230526-11640-dg7men.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=524&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528665/original/file-20230526-11640-dg7men.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=524&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528665/original/file-20230526-11640-dg7men.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=524&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Academic freedom isn’t a luxury found only in the Ivy League. It exists at community colleges such as Long Beach City College in California, whose June 9, 2022, graduation ceremony is seen here.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/long-beach-city-college-graduation-ceremony-allowed-news-photo/1402026204?adppopup=true">Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>The ability of citizens to exercise academic freedom is not only vital in education. It’s also training for democracy.</p>
<p>Academic freedom includes the freedom to attend a university of one’s choice. The freedom to learn what one chooses in that university. The freedom of an institution to offer a wide range of subject matters to students. And the freedom to teach or conduct research without political interference.</p>
<p>These freedoms are not reserved for Ivy League universities. U.S. higher education includes state schools and <a href="https://educationusa.state.gov/your-5-steps-us-study/research-your-options/community-college">community colleges</a> that serve middle- and working-class communities. Those institutions are the backbone of many professions, from health care and technology to engineering and education.</p>
<p>The quality of public debate over free speech in higher education matters. Government interference with colleges does not punish elites. It rewards deeply cynical views of higher education and restricts a freedom that should be available to all Americans.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205813/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bradford Vivian does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The quality of public debate over free speech in higher education matters. And the debate right now gets the facts all wrong.Bradford Vivian, Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, Penn StateLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2065472023-06-01T19:39:42Z2023-06-01T19:39:42Z5 things to know about Drag Queen Story Time<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529441/original/file-20230531-8916-x5y0rr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C0%2C5355%2C3570&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Contrary to misconceptions, exposing children to diverse expressions of gender identity supports their natural development and fosters inclusivity. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/five-things-to-know-about-drag-queen-story-time" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Recent news reports have described the public controversy involving topics of sexual orientation and gender identity, and how these are presented to children, especially in schools and libraries. Protests at <a href="https://london.ctvnews.ca/female-biker-group-steps-in-to-protect-drag-queen-story-time-in-parkhill-ont-1.6377062">Ontario</a>, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9411397/drag-queen-story-time-protest-coquitlam-bc/">British Columbia</a>, <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-anti-gay-activists-target-childrens-libraries-and-drag-queen-story">Alberta</a> and <a href="https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/drag-queen-book-reading-sparks-duelling-protests-in-moncton-1.6309496">New Brunswick</a> libraries and public centres have targeted Drag Queen Story Time events.</p>
<p>These are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03626784.2020.1864621">educational events</a> where drag performers read books to children. The aim is to present the diversity of gender expression and identity, build acceptance and develop creativity in personal expression. </p>
<p>Recently, however, these events have been met with backlash. School leaders have <a href="https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/saskatoon-catholic-students-to-avoid-childrens-fest-rainbow-tent-superintendent">prevented children from attending events that discuss sexual and gender identity</a>. In New Brunswick, where the provincial government is <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-education-gender-policy-1.6836059">reviewing gender identity policy in schools due to public pressure</a>, Premier Blaine Higgs <a href="https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/n-b-premier-holds-firm-on-sexual-orientation-policy-review-1.6403193">put the question plainly</a>: “Should [there] be drag story time for young kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2?” </p>
<p>Through our research and clinical practice working with children, parents and schools, we believe parents and kids deserve a better understanding of what events like drag story times are about. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529440/original/file-20230531-23-ekz9p0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man with a megaphone in the middle of a chaotic crowd of people. Rainbow flags are seen in the background." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529440/original/file-20230531-23-ekz9p0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529440/original/file-20230531-23-ekz9p0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529440/original/file-20230531-23-ekz9p0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529440/original/file-20230531-23-ekz9p0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529440/original/file-20230531-23-ekz9p0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529440/original/file-20230531-23-ekz9p0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529440/original/file-20230531-23-ekz9p0.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">People protesting against a drag story time event clash with counter-protesters outside the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on Feb. 8, 2023.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby</span></span>
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<p>Contrary to misconceptions, <a href="https://doi.org/10.5860/cal.19.2.14">exposing children to diverse gender identities and expressions supports their natural development</a>. Further, it <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2021.1892557">fosters inclusive and accepting communities and school environments</a>, which is fundamental for developing well-adjusted adults. </p>
<p>Parents play a critical role in providing nurturing environments for their children. This can be best accomplished when parents are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2018.1536914">well-informed on topics that dominate mainstream media</a>.</p>
<h2>What is drag?</h2>
<p>Drag is an art form that has been <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/comedy/the-history-of-drag-on-screen-strutting-from-ancient-times-to-cbc-s-queens-1.5699542">around for centuries</a>, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/arts/drag-queens-in-world-war-one-ross-hamilton-marjorie-1.6802140">including during the First World War</a>. Drag has evolved within gay culture, can be performed by all genders and is generally an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2015.1116345">exaggeration of gender expression</a>. </p>
<p>A <a href="http://glbtqarchive.com/arts/drag_queens_A.pdf">drag performance</a> combines elements of fashion, makeup, dance, lip-syncing, music and comedy. It is important to remember that, like other forms of art, it is available on a wide spectrum: from mature themes at a night club, to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03626784.2020.1864621">child-friendly performances that would be appropriate for schools</a>, libraries and community centres.</p>
<h2>What happens at a Drag Queen Story Time?</h2>
<p>Drag Queen Story Time began in <a href="https://www.dragstoryhour.org/">San Francisco in 2015</a>. The events generally <a href="https://doi.org/10.21083/partnership.v15i2.6219">occur in public spaces</a> like libraries, schools or community centres, with a drag queen host. Children most often attend with their families, parents and teachers. While the host adheres to the flamboyant art form in terms of colours and fashion, it is not a mature performance with sexualized overtones. Neither is it <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00220183221086455">an opportunity for the host to groom children</a>. </p>
<p>The host will read a story book to the children, <a href="https://www.journals.ala.org/index.php/cal/article/view/6589/8789">often one promoting themes of acceptance</a>, diversity and self-expression, presenting characters and families from diverse backgrounds. The host will also often interact with the participants, answering questions the children may have, playing games, making crafts or posing for photographs with the children. The overall aim of the event is to <a href="https://doi.org/10.5860/cal.16.4.12">provide a positive message to children about the diversity of gender expression</a>.</p>
<h2>How do children develop their gender identities?</h2>
<p>The development of gender identities in children is a complex process. It is influenced by a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025418811129">combination of factors</a>, including biological, social, cognitive, environment and personal exploration. Children eventually develop a relative clarity of their gender and feel a sense of harmony between the complex factors that contribute to gender identity development. </p>
<p>In some children, these factors may conflict, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2018-314992">most commonly when children do not conform to societal expectations of their assigned sex at birth</a>. This can result in negative emotions and lead to <a href="https://doi.org/10.3109/09540261.2015.1115753">behavioural or mental health issues</a>. These issues are often remediated when <a href="https://theconversation.com/cuts-to-telehealth-in-ontario-mean-fewer-trans-and-non-binary-people-will-have-access-to-life-saving-health-care-198502">gender-affirming care</a> is provided. </p>
<p>Introducing children to diverse gender expressions <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15295192.2020.1792194">does not encourage gender dysphoria or confusion</a>. On the contrary, diverse experiences throughout life have been shown to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00110000221124274">foster self and collective understandings of gender and gender differences</a>. Furthermore, it’s important for a child’s development that parents, schools and communities <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-2162">support children in their exploration and expression of gender identity in a safe and affirming environment</a>.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529442/original/file-20230531-21-t64zjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A drag queen in a multi-coloured dress with bright yellow hair reads from a children's book." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529442/original/file-20230531-21-t64zjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529442/original/file-20230531-21-t64zjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529442/original/file-20230531-21-t64zjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529442/original/file-20230531-21-t64zjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529442/original/file-20230531-21-t64zjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529442/original/file-20230531-21-t64zjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529442/original/file-20230531-21-t64zjg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">A drag queen reading children’s stories during an event in Saint John, N.B.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>The importance of positive role models</h2>
<p>Children and youth who identify as 2SLGBTQI+ usually have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2011.08.006">little-to-no access to positive role models that can relate to their own experiences</a>. Having access to positive role models and having positive experiences with people who have diverse gender identities can foster a better sense of belonging and promote self-acceptance. </p>
<p>People who are successful and positive role models are characterized as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12517">being competent and easily relatable</a>. Such role models provide context for children to gain a better understanding of themselves and others. Further, adolescents whose gender or sexual identity is accepted by their parents <a href="http://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12404">experience fewer psychological problems</a> compared to those whose parents are less accepting.</p>
<h2>How can parents engage with Drag Queen Story Time?</h2>
<p>Engaging with drag performers is an opportunity for parents to show their children that diversity is beautiful and worthy of celebration. Parents can foster engagement through communication and understanding of their own emotions and their child’s emotions. Being in tune with these emotional components helps ensure children are in an environment that supports <a href="http://doi.org/10.1177/0193945911411494">positive development and growth</a>. </p>
<p>Attending family-friendly drag events with children creates opportunities for discussion and reflection. Parents can think about and reflect on their own development of gender identity and expression, what influenced the choices they’ve made, and how this may impact the choices that their children may make. After Drag Queen Story Time, parents are sure to have important conversations with their children that will not only increase their understanding of self-identity, but of identities of others as well.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206547/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Drag Queen Story Time events have faced backlash and protests recently. But contrary to misconceptions, these events can support child development and promote acceptance.Conor Barker, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology & Faculty of Education, Mount Saint Vincent UniversityDaniel G. Seguin, Full Professor, Department of Psychology, Mount Saint Vincent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2055242023-05-12T13:55:14Z2023-05-12T13:55:14ZThe ‘gay world cup’: why LGBTQ+ audiences love Eurovision<p>In 1956, seven European countries – Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland and West Germany – gathered in Lugano, Switzerland for the first ever Eurovision Song Contest. The competition was only broadcast in select countries, meaning only a small number of viewers watched Swiss entry Lys Assia win the grand prize with the song Refrain.</p>
<p>Over the years, the contest has become a glitzy, kitschy spectacle of both the beautiful and the bizarre, drawing in <a href="https://eurovision.tv/story/eurovision-2022-161-million-viewers">over 160 million viewers</a> at last year’s event. In 2023, Eurovision returns to the UK (last year’s runners up) on behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine for the first time since 1998, a day few anticipated after years of zero success. </p>
<p>As well as the contest’s overall transition from small show to huge spectacle, Eurovision has also developed a dedicated and passionate fandom over the years, many of whom are members of the LGBTQ+ community. </p>
<p>I have always been a huge follower of the contest. Eurovision is a perfect unity of my own fanhood and my research interests surrounding contemporary LGBTQ+ representation and visibility. An international media event that places LGBTQ+ people centre stage deserves celebrating.</p>
<p>In a recent BBC article, journalist Jamie McLoughlin labelled Eurovision a <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65485540">“safe space” for LGBTQ+ communities</a>, noting how Eurovision consistently lays a “thoroughly supportive hand” on LGBTQ+ people in Europe. LGBTQ+ fans have affectionately likened Eurovision to other major events, with descriptions such as “Gay Christmas”, “the Gay World Cup” and “the Gay Olympics”.</p>
<p>In the BBC TV special <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001ltd3">Eurovision Calling</a>, Jason Manford interviewed several LGBTQ+ Eurovision fans, including Lewis Thorp, who described how Eurovision helped him come to terms with his sexuality.</p>
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<h2>Camping it up</h2>
<p>But why is Eurovision so popular amongst LGBTQ+ communities? Many have related LGBTQ+ (particularly gay male) admiration for Eurovision in its “camp” nature and reliance on excess. In Susan Sontag’s seminal piece <a href="https://monoskop.org/images/5/59/Sontag_Susan_1964_Notes_on_Camp.pdf">Notes on Camp</a>, she describes camp as more than just the effeminacy of gay men – it is a sensibility that represents the “love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration”.</p>
<p>The performativity and extravagance of Eurovision undeniably represents this notion of camp, with vibrant performances and over-the-top presentations. This contrasts with Eurovision’s early days when there was very little LGBTQ+ visibility in music or on television.</p>
<p>Camp can represent the sense of subcultural community through the “gaying” of straight culture. Although there was no actual representation in the beginnings of Eurovision, LGBTQ+ communities adapted for their own purposes and needs, using the joy of the song contest as a <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/music/2023/05/eurovision-is-beloved-lgbtq-community-liverpool-diversity">means to celebrate</a> diversity. </p>
<p>In recent years we have been introduced to many LGBTQ+ participants in an age of increased visibility in both music and television. In 1998, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8ZfreUQfvc">Dana International</a> made history as the first transgender winner for Israel – an incredible achievement considering the lack of trans representation at the time.</p>
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<p>In 2007, Ukranian drag queen <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfjHJneVonE">Verka Serduchka</a> impressed audiences with the catchy Dancing Lasha Tumbai, placing second in the grand final. In fact, the art of drag would continue to be popular with Eurovision audiences, when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaolVEJEjV4">Conchita Wurst</a> won the contest for Austria with Bond-like ballad Rise Like a Phoenix in 2014. </p>
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<p>There have also been a number of memorable moments of LGBTQ+ representation during the event. In 2013, Finland’s entry <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlBXOveVh7c">Krista Siegfrids</a> kissed a female dancer during her grand final performance of Marry Me, a protest against her government’s rejection of same-sex marriage.</p>
<p>In an <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/eurovision-2013-to-feature-first-lesbian-kiss-in-protest-against-lack-of-gay-marriage-legislation-8621231.html">interview</a> afterwards, Siegfrids declared that the performance was structured to promote “love and tolerance”.</p>
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<h2>Drive for change</h2>
<p>Although politics is mostly banned at Eurovision (Ukraine’s President Zelensky has been <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/zelensky-eurovision-2023-speech-ukraine-kf3rn5m25">barred from addressing the event</a> this year), Siegfrid’s performance demonstrated how Eurovision could represent a platform of protest, and how it can be used as a potential drive for political and cultural change.</p>
<p>It is evident that LGBTQ+ people have taken centre stage at Eurovision. It is not just an extravagant spectacle of camp, but a place to be seen, a place where LGBTQ+ performers can be successful, accepted and supported by an array of fans.</p>
<p>This is particularly notable when there are still anti-LGBTQ+ policies in existence in many European countries (including Russia, Belarus, Turkey and Hungary) and some countries are becoming increasingly hostile environments for transgender people (including the UK). Turkey departed the contest in 2012, with Turkish broadcaster TRT stating LGBTQ+ prevalence as a <a href="https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-to-return-eurovision-if-no-more-bearded-divas-135427">key cause of their withdrawal</a>.</p>
<p>In 2014 drag artist Conchita Wurst was heavily criticised for taking part, with Russian politician Vladimir Zhiriovsky labelling her win as “<a href="https://www.thepinknews.com/2014/05/11/russian-mp-conchita-wurst-winning-eurovision-is-the-end-of-europe/">the end of Europe</a>”. Wurst has since been hailed by Eurovision fans as an LGBTQ+ icon, whereas Russia is now banned from entering the competition following its invasion of Ukraine. </p>
<p>Eurovision producers are clearly aware of their prominent LGBTQ+ fandom, and are actively working to ensure it is a safe and welcoming place. And this will be no different during Liverpool’s turn as host this year.</p>
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<p>The Eurovision committee have planned a number of <a href="https://www.timeout.com/uk/news/liverpool-has-announced-its-eurovision-programme-and-its-just-as-extra-as-youd-expect-032823">events</a>, such as <a href="https://theguideliverpool.com/upcoming_events/eurofestival-queerovision/#:%7E:text=Queerovision%20will%20be%20sharing%20visual,world's%20largest%20multicultural%20music%20festival.">Queerovision</a>, an online event showcasing the best of Liverpool’s Queer fringe, as well as a number of gay club events and after parties.</p>
<p>This year’s slogan, “United by Music”, predominantly refers to the UK hosting on behalf of Ukraine, but it can possess wider connotations: the unity of Europe and LGBTQ+ people. Whether Eurovision exists as a camp and glitzy spectacle, a major platform of LGBTQ+ visibility and representation, or a beacon of self-expression amongst fans, the contest’s impact on LGBTQ+ communities around the world is abundantly clear.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205524/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matt Weaver does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Offering an inclusive and diverse space for self-expression, Eurovision has found an appreciative audience in the LGBTQ+ community over the years.Matt Weaver, PhD Candidate in Film, Media & Communication, University of PortsmouthLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2038532023-04-19T16:28:40Z2023-04-19T16:28:40ZWhy do we find someone reading sexy?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521002/original/file-20230414-26-54a42o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C12%2C1952%2C1585&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Reading is a pleasure. And watching someone else read, too.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulbence/548646841/">Paul Bence / Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A few years ago the dating website eHarmony concluded that profiles that included reading in their list of hobbies were more attractive to the opposite sex. Specifically, the data revealed that men who mentioned reading as one of their personal interests received 19% more messages, while for women, those who said they read received only 3% more messages.</p>
<p>So, is reading sexy? The writer <a href="https://www.planetadelibros.com/libro-mujeres-y-libros/196826">Jeanette Winterson thinks so</a>, because, in her opinion, “what comes off the photo is absolute concentration, and nothing is sexier than absolute concentration.”</p>
<h2>Marilyn Monroe reading <em>Ulysses</em></h2>
<p>It should be made clear that Winterson is referring to a specific set of photos: those of Marilyn Monroe reading <em>Ulysses</em> by James Joyce.</p>
<p>One summer day in 1955, Eve Arnold, a star photographer of the time, went to find her model so they could take the agreed-upon series of pictures. When they stopped in a park, Monroe became engrossed in reading <em>Ulysses</em> while Arnold inserted a roll of film into her camera. When ready, she was unable to resist photographing the actress in that trance. Another thought is that the initiative for the photos came from Marilyn herself, who was as attracted to the world of literature and the theatre as she was to the spotlight. Reading was also a useful tool to combat her image as a “dumb blonde”.</p>
<p>It is obvious that Marilyn Monroe – or Paul Newman, for that matter – is sexy with or without reading. However, what Winterson is really talking about is the fascination of the image of a reader, any reader.</p>
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<h2>St. Ambrose reading in silence</h2>
<p>This is what St. Augustine must have experienced when, toward the end of the 4th century, <a href="https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/110106.htm">he observed</a> St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan, reading in silence:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“But while reading, his eyes glanced over the pages, and his heart searched out the sense, but his voice and tongue were silent. Ofttimes, when we had come (for no one was forbidden to enter, nor was it his custom that the arrival of those who came should be announced to him), we saw him thus reading to himself, and never otherwise.” (St. Augustine, “Confessions”, VI, 3)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is no wonder that St. Augustine was surprised by the silent exercise of reading, since, at that time, all readings were done aloud. Apart from this fact, <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/669669/papyrus-by-irene-vallejo/">Irene Vallejo goes further</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Agustine realises that this reader is not at his side despite his great physical proximity, but has escaped to another, freer and more fluid world of his own choosing, is travelling without moving and without revealing to anyone where to find him.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Fascination for readers</h2>
<p>From St. Ambrose to Marilyn Monroe, there have been many portraits or self-portraits of people with a book in their hands. Ourit Ben-Haïm, a Moroccan photographer based in New York, was drawn by the same attraction and set up a project called “Underground New York Public Library” to collect photos of anonymous people reading on platforms or inside New York underground cars.</p>
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<p>“Reading is sexy” continues to be a slogan that tries to draw attention, especially in specific circumstances, but it is not something new. This very expression was created in the image and likeness of the phrase “smart is the new sexy”, which was used by the Newspaper Association of America to promote reading in the United States.</p>
<p>From a psychological point of view, perhaps there is some truth in our fascination with these images. <a href="https://letraslibres.com/revista-espana/por-que-nos-gusta-ver-leer/">Cristian Vázquez tries to justify it</a> in the following manner:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“What we like about a person who reads is to see them immersed in a strange world, which has nothing to do with the environment around them, a world of which we can only get the tiniest hints through their face, their expressions. In other words, a reader’s face is a kind of window into the world created by the book.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>The mystery of reading</h2>
<p>It seems that what is so mysterious about such pictures is the fact that reading is the most private and intimate act – “It is the lover’s talk, it is the place of whispers and sighs”, Winterson goes so far as to say – for it is by reading that we become inaccessible and unreachable, while the viewer is left with an infinite sense of helplessness.</p>
<p>A good proposal to contemplate images, portraits and photos of people reading is Bollman’s book titled <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/672761/women-who-read-are-dangerous-by-stefan-bollmann--karen-joy-fowler/9780789212566"><em>Women Who Read Are Dangerous</em></a>, a moving tribute to women readers, which brings together a striking selection of paintings, prints and photographs of women reading by various artists from the Middle Ages to the present day. The last photograph in this gallery is actually the one of Marilyn Monroe reading <em>Ulysses</em>.</p>
<p>It is the perfect time for us to give ourselves the opportunity to lose ourselves in the feelings and fantasies that come from reading. Because, as Emily Dickinson said: “There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203853/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Silvia Hurtado González no recibe salario, ni ejerce labores de consultoría, ni posee acciones, ni recibe financiación de ninguna compañía u organización que pueda obtener beneficio de este artículo, y ha declarado carecer de vínculos relevantes más allá del cargo académico citado.</span></em></p>Reading is “sexy”. Maybe it’s because watching someone read exerts a fascination on the beholder, be it St. Ambrose or Marilyn Monroe.Silvia Hurtado González, Profesora del Departamento de Lengua Española de la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de ValladolidLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2024222023-04-10T12:05:42Z2023-04-10T12:05:42ZA new femininity is starting to emerge in China<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519900/original/file-20230406-694-1vo2lm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=756%2C24%2C4671%2C3084&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Models wearing outfits that reflect traditional Chinese culture walk the runway during China's International Fashion Week in March 2023.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/model-walks-the-runway-at-to-ji-collection-show-by-chinese-news-photo/1477970906?adppopup=true">VCG/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Over the course of the last century, <a href="https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/isl/files/occidentalisation_of_beauty_standards_eurocentrism.pdf">Western beauty ideals</a> – thinness, light skin, large breasts, large eyes, a small nose and high cheekbones – have seeped into countries and cultures around the world.</p>
<p>But cracks are starting to emerge in these hegemonic beauty standards.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Qingyue-Sun-2238512322">In my work</a> as a social media scholar, I started to notice significant changes in beauty standards on Chinese social media over the past few years.</p>
<p>China’s <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/china/overview">economic success</a> has enabled it to emerge as a major player in the global beauty market, and the country’s own beauty industry is starting <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2854d9">to redefine the concept of feminine beauty</a>.</p>
<h2>From ‘iron women’ to Western idealization</h2>
<p>Around the world, the beauty industry has long been, as feminist scholar <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315733432">Meeta Jha writes</a>, a site of “ongoing struggles for economic development and mobility, modernity, social prestige, and power.” </p>
<p>As early as the 1920s, Chinese calendar posters began featuring Westernized women as symbols of “<a href="https://www.abebooks.com/Chinese-Woman-Modernity-Calendar-Posters-1910s-1930s/18300902511/bd">Shanghai modernity</a>.” </p>
<p>However, after the Chinese Communist Party took power in 1949, Mao Zedong rejected Western beauty ideals as “<a href="https://doi.org/10.9783/9780812205251.132">bourgeois vanity</a>.” His regime aimed to eliminate gender differences by promoting a more masculine-looking female image, such as “iron women” <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2854d9">who drove tractors and operated welding machines</a>. </p>
<p>But this started to shift in the 1980s after China’s <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv5cgbnk">Open Door Policy</a> went into effect. </p>
<p>During this period, the “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13545700701439499">Meinv Jingji</a>,” or Chinese beauty economy, emerged. Completely subverting the previous communist beauty ideology, it <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21114079/">legitimized beauty consumption through capitalist enterprises</a>. </p>
<p>This shift led to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2854d9">an obsession with mimicking Western features</a>, such as whiter skin, higher-bridged noses and <a href="https://www.dazeddigital.com/beauty/article/43499/1/why-double-eyelid-surgery-popular-asia">double eyelids</a>, which is also known as “Asian blepharoplasty,” <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/cosmeticsurgery/aestheticservices/face/asian-double-eyelid.html">a surgical procedure</a> that produces a crease in the eyelid, resulting in a larger, more symmetrical eye shape.</p>
<h2>Split femininity</h2>
<p>In recent years, however, a unique beauty culture has emerged on Chinese social media. To me, the different iterations represent the tensions and contradictions of various cultural forces.</p>
<p>One look that’s become immensely popular is what I call “split femininity.” I use the word “split” because this look <a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781498548847/From-Factory-Girls-to-K-Pop-Idol-Girls-Cultural-Politics-of-Developmentalism-Patriarchy-and-Neoliberalism-in-South-Korea%E2%80%99s-Popular-Music-Industry">oscillates between hypersexuality and infantilization</a>. </p>
<p>In split femininity, qualities such as purity and innocence coexist with sultry, erotic imagery. There’s even a Chinese term for this seeming contradiction – “chun yu,” or “purity and desire.” Another related term, “ke tian ke yan,” metaphorically links beauty to tastes, <a href="https://hahachn.wordpress.com/2018/08/16/ke-yan-ke-tian/">such as sweetness and saltiness</a>. </p>
<p>Together, these terms – and their accompanying looks – imply a flexible femininity that can switch between dominant and submissive, sexy and cute.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two social media posts displaying three headshots of the same model." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518848/original/file-20230401-16-wwkrh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518848/original/file-20230401-16-wwkrh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=347&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518848/original/file-20230401-16-wwkrh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=347&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518848/original/file-20230401-16-wwkrh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=347&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518848/original/file-20230401-16-wwkrh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518848/original/file-20230401-16-wwkrh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518848/original/file-20230401-16-wwkrh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A blogger named ‘MissPiggy’ showcases makeup that reflects ‘chun yu,’ or ‘purity and desire.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Qingyue Sun</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Split femininity is often customized for particular occasions, such as dates. Another popular makeup style under the split femininity umbrella is called “xian nv luo lei,” which translates into “the fairy wept, and the man knelt.” This particular look seeks to capture and celebrate feminine vulnerability. Many of its promoters say it’s the best look for women who are arguing with men.</p>
<p>In essence, split femininity fuses a form of passive femininity that’s redolent of China’s <a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781498548847/From-Factory-Girls-to-K-Pop-Idol-Girls-Cultural-Politics-of-Developmentalism-Patriarchy-and-Neoliberalism-in-South-Korea%E2%80%99s-Popular-Music-Industry">traditional patriarchal values</a> with the commodification of female sexuality. </p>
<h2>Globalized femininity</h2>
<p>Another beauty trend, “globalized femininity,” centers on transnational, cross-cultural beauty themes. </p>
<p>Chinese beauty influencers pull from the looks of international celebrities, historical periods and popular media coverage to craft diverse forms of femininity that span cultural boundaries. </p>
<p>For example, Thai beauty norms often showcase bold eyebrows and warm skin tones, whereas Western beauty ideals generally emphasize a sexualized, provocative look with dramatic facial contours. Chinese beauty bloggers will combine these various influences to craft new models of femininity.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Three social media posts depicting headshots of the same model featuring different looks." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518849/original/file-20230401-20-hpuale.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518849/original/file-20230401-20-hpuale.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=260&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518849/original/file-20230401-20-hpuale.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=260&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518849/original/file-20230401-20-hpuale.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=260&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518849/original/file-20230401-20-hpuale.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=327&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518849/original/file-20230401-20-hpuale.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=327&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518849/original/file-20230401-20-hpuale.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=327&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Chinese influencer displays looks inspired by Thai, Western and Korean femininity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Qingyue Sun</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Korean culture has also influenced many beauty trends that are currently in vogue, with K-pop female idols serving as a significant source of inspiration. <a href="https://black-pink.fandom.com/wiki/Jennie">Jennie Kim</a>, a member of the K-pop group Blackpink, has become known for her edgy streetwear, coupled with a soft and feminine facial appearance. Her unique style has inspired the emergence of the “<a href="https://www.ifanjian.net/jbk/nxnx.html">baby fierce</a>” look. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two social media posts depicting two headshots of two different models." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519383/original/file-20230404-22-elacbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519383/original/file-20230404-22-elacbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=362&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519383/original/file-20230404-22-elacbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=362&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519383/original/file-20230404-22-elacbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=362&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519383/original/file-20230404-22-elacbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=455&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519383/original/file-20230404-22-elacbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=455&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519383/original/file-20230404-22-elacbm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=455&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Influencers Ruby and YCC post two ‘baby fierce’ looks inspired by K-pop star Jennie Kim.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Qingyue Sun</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The rise of globalized femininity might appear to indicate a shift away from Western-centric beauty ideals. But it is important to recognize that many of these global sources of inspiration have already been Westernized or are a product of <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315733432/global-beauty-industry-meeta-jha">Western beauty assimilation</a>. </p>
<p>In China, the trend of globalized femininity can simply be seen as a re-imagination of established Westernized beauty standards adapted to a Chinese context.</p>
<h2>Nationalist femininity</h2>
<p>Nationalist femininity, referred to as “China beauty,” has also become increasingly popular on Chinese social media. </p>
<p>This form of femininity appeals to national pride by integrating Chinese aesthetics and modernity through inspiration from traditional Chinese culture, tropes and imagery. Classic Chinese myths such as “<a href="https://archive.shine.cn/sunday/now-and-then/Phoenix-leaves-mark-on-culture/shdaily.shtml">A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to The Phoenix</a>” and Chinese literature like the novel “<a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Journey-to-the-West">Journey to the West</a>” inspire extravagant looks imbued with symbolism. </p>
<p>One illustration of the fusion of traditional and modern beauty practices is the adoption of <a href="https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/peking-opera-00418">the Peking Opera’s</a> makeup techniques, which are characterized by ceramic white skin, red lips and finely arched eyebrows. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two social media posts showcasing two headshots of the same model." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518847/original/file-20230401-14-1htj6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518847/original/file-20230401-14-1htj6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518847/original/file-20230401-14-1htj6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518847/original/file-20230401-14-1htj6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518847/original/file-20230401-14-1htj6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518847/original/file-20230401-14-1htj6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518847/original/file-20230401-14-1htj6r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The influencer YCC shows off two examples of ‘China beauty.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Qingyue Sun</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Nationalist beauty trends have become a means for China’s <a href="https://firstclasse.com.my/guochao-chinese-trend-making-made-in-china-cool/">homegrown brands to expand their market share</a> and reverse the negative connotations of “<a href="https://daoinsights.com/works/guochao-the-chinese-brands-breaking-the-made-in-china-stereotype/">Made in China</a>.”</p>
<p>While Western capitalism and consumerism have long driven the global beauty industry, the evolution of Chinese beauty culture is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17544750.2012.723387">not simply a history of assimilation or suppression</a>. </p>
<p>Instead, it is a complex process that involves compromise, integration and resistance against the dominance of Western beauty ideals. The emergence of nationalist femininity, the popularity of split femininity and the trend of globalized femininity are all manifestations of this dynamic nature. </p>
<p>As contemporary Chinese beauty culture encompasses a blending of traditional Chinese culture, modern aesthetics and global influences, it promises to create a unique identity that is distinctively Chinese.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202422/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Qingyue Sun does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Contemporary beauty culture in China blends traditional Chinese culture with modern aesthetics and global influences.Qingyue Sun, Ph.D. Candidate in Communication, Culture and Media, Drexel UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2022232023-04-05T15:14:18Z2023-04-05T15:14:18ZHow Playboy cut ties with Hugh Hefner to create a post-#MeToo brand<p>Hugh Hefner launched Playboy Magazine 70 years ago this year. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/09/28/business/media/playboy-hugh-hefner.html">The first issue</a> included a nude photograph of Marilyn Monroe, which he had purchased and published <a href="https://www.biography.com/actors/marilyn-monroe-playboy-first-issue-didnt-pose">without her knowledge or consent</a>. </p>
<p>Hefner went on to build the Playboy brand off the backs of the countless women featured in its pages, whose beauty and performance of heightened feminine sexuality have entertained its readers for generations.</p>
<p>Approaching its 70th anniversary in December, Playboy has radically shifted. With the magazine <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2020/03/playboy-closes-print-magazine.html">no longer in publication</a>, the <a href="https://people.com/home/playboy-mansion-sold-for-100-million/">Playboy Mansion sold</a> to a developer and London’s last remaining Playboy Club <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce6V6ZXNnST/">closing in 2021</a>, what is the future for Playboy? The brand is changing to keep up with the post-#MeToo world.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/hugh-hefner-playboy-and-being-a-man-during-the-cold-war-84841">Hefner passed away</a> one month before allegations against film producer <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41594672">Harvey Weinstein</a> surfaced in 2017 giving momentum to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/metoo-a-year-on-media-troll-women-when-journalists-should-be-tackling-causes-of-sexual-abuse-104804">#MeToo movement</a> (which saw survivors of sexual assault and harassment speak out against their abusers). </p>
<p>In recent years, many have <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/bjvyvw/dont-mourn-for-hugh-hefner">re-evaluated Hefner’s legacy</a> and relationships with women. The 2022 docuseries <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuWdBMon3EU">The Secrets of Playboy</a> (which aired on Channel 4 in the UK) detailed sexual misconduct accusations against Hefner from several ex-girlfriends, including model Sondra Theodore and TV personality Holly Madison.</p>
<p>Hefner and Playboy’s relationship with women has been complicated. Playboy was <a href="https://www.thecut.com/2017/09/hugh-hefner-playboy-magazine-abortion-rights.html">an early supporter of abortion rights</a>, helped <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/06/17/opinion/rape-kit-history.html">fund the first rape kit</a> and was at times an <a href="https://zora.medium.com/what-happened-to-playboys-first-black-cover-girl-25f48b985edb">early proponent of inclusivity</a> (for example featuring transgender model, <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/tula-transgender-playboy-model_n_7638670">Caroline “Tula” Cossey</a>, in its June 1981 issue). But most women featured in Playboy have fit within <a href="https://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/archive/images/article/magazine/1702/WIRED_1702_Infoporn.pdf">a narrow beauty standard</a> – thin, white, able bodied and blonde.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Hefner’s personal relationship with his much younger girlfriends reportedly <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/holly-madison-hugh-hefner-drugs-tried-buy-me-will-2015106/">followed patterns</a> of control and emotional abuse. Ex-girlfriend Holly Madison described Hefner as treating her “like a glorified pet” in her memoir, Down the Rabbit Hole (2015).</p>
<p>Hefner’s passing meant he evaded reckoning with the #MeToo movement. Playboy, however, responded, <a href="https://medium.com/@playboy/an-open-letter-to-our-team-community-9e3f1a68b0aa">releasing a statement</a> in which it affirmed support for the women featured in The Secrets of Playboy and called Hefner’s actions “abhorrent”. </p>
<p>The statement declared that the brand was no longer affiliated with the Hefner family and would be focusing on aspects of the company’s legacy that align with values of sex positivity and free expression.</p>
<p>Today, Playboy is a very different company from the one Hefner launched nearly 70 years ago. Roughly <a href="https://medium.com/@playboy/an-open-letter-to-our-team-community-9e3f1a68b0aa">80% of Playboy staff identify as women</a>, according the company and its motto has changed from “Entertainment for Men” to “Pleasure for All”. Shares in the company are publicly traded and 40% of its board and management <a href="https://www.plbygroup.com/leadership">are women</a>.</p>
<p>The company has also moved towards more creator-led content through its app, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshwilson/2021/10/18/playboy-pushes-forward-the-release-of-its-platform-centerfold-to-rival-onlyfans/?sh=fef7ca338cd1">Playboy Centerfold</a>. Similar to subscription content service <a href="https://theconversation.com/onlyfans-has-a-split-identity-it-needs-to-declare-its-support-for-adult-content-creators-169358">OnlyFans</a>, Playboy Centerfold allows subscribers to view content from and interact with its creators, which it call “bunnies”.</p>
<p>On the app, creators – or bunnies – are able portray their own bodies however they wish, putting the power back in their hands. Perhaps Playboy’s future is no longer in serving the male gaze, but instead the very audience Hefner dismissed in <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34471653">his first letter from the editor</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If you’re a man between the ages of 18 and 80 Playboy is meant for you … If you’re somebody’s sister, wife or mother-in-law and picked us up by mistake, please pass us along to the man in your life and get back to your Ladies Home Companion.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>The bunnies next door</h2>
<p>The stars of Playboy’s mid-2000s reality series, Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt, are also enjoying a resurgence among fans.</p>
<p>The Girls Next Door launched in 2004. The show focused on the lives of Hefner’s three girlfriends, Madison, Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson. It became E’s best <a href="https://www.nexttv.com/news/ratings-girls-next-door-delivers-e-34269">performing</a> show and cultivated a new <a href="https://slate.com/human-interest/2017/09/the-e-reality-show-the-girls-next-door-was-the-best-thing-hugh-hefner-ever-gave-us.html">female audience</a> for Playboy.</p>
<p>The Girls Next Door was a story of complicated empowerment despite patriarchal interference. Its three female protagonists went from being known solely as some of Hefner’s many blonde girlfriends, to celebrities in their own right. </p>
<p>They each ultimately broke up with Hefner, leaving the Mansion and going on to lead successful careers.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Bridget Marquardt and Hugh Hefner with Holly Madison and Kendra Wilkinson wear glamorous clothing on a red carpet photoshoot." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516480/original/file-20230320-3036-r24sy7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516480/original/file-20230320-3036-r24sy7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516480/original/file-20230320-3036-r24sy7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516480/original/file-20230320-3036-r24sy7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516480/original/file-20230320-3036-r24sy7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516480/original/file-20230320-3036-r24sy7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/516480/original/file-20230320-3036-r24sy7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bridget Marquardt and Hugh Hefner with Holly Madison and Kendra Wilkinson in 2008.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bridget-marquardt-hugh-hefner-holly-madison-108016850">s_bukley/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The show’s depiction of Madison, Marquardt and Wilkinson as empowered, fun-loving and complex individuals, who found joy and agency through expressing their sexuality was perhaps what drew <a href="https://nypost.com/2007/08/06/why-women-love-girls-next-door/">so many female fans to the show</a>. However, amid the girls’ fight for agency, Hefner retaliated. </p>
<p>The series shows that he maintained final say in every Playboy photograph of the girls, as well as imposing <a href="https://screenshot-media.com/culture/toxic-masculinity/playboy-bunny-reality/">strict curfews</a> and spending allowances.</p>
<p>In Madison and Wilkinson’s memoirs, Down the Rabbit Hole (2015) and Sliding into Home (2010), they claim that production consistently undermined them. They refused to pay them for the first season, didn’t credit them until season four and <a href="https://thoughtcatalog.com/christine-stockton/2015/06/holly-spills-delicious-playboy-secrets/">aired their uncensored nude bodies</a> in foreign broadcasts and DVD releases without consent.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-3JoBrKerlE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Holly Madison, one of the Girls Next Door cast, on life at the Mansion.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Fan interest in The Girls Next Door remains strong. In August 2022 Madison and Marquardt launched their podcast <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/playboy-playmates-rewatching-girls-next-door-for-girls-next-level-podcast-is-high-art?ref=scroll">Girls Next Level</a>, where they interview previous playmates and interact with fans. They also recap episodes from their own points of view, unpacking their experiences of working on the show. </p>
<p>Having reached <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CoOItP0PeEV/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=">10 million downloads</a> as of February 2023, the success of the podcast – 14 years after the last episode of The Girls Next Door – speaks to the cultural legacy of the Playboy brand. It also shows that despite Hefner’s original editor’s note, Playboy resonates with some women.</p>
<p>Playboy is now in a post-Hefner era, where the imagery of women found within old issues of Playboy can serve as inspiration for others to enjoy their own sexuality. Whatever the future has for the company, the concept of Playboy has become public property – be that in the appearance of <a href="https://jezebel.com/playboy-bunny-halloween-costume-1849683128">Playboy bunny costumes</a> each Halloween, the popularity of cheeky Playboy logo tattoos or branded lingerie and clothing.</p>
<p>In a post-#MeToo era, the women of Playboy are speaking up and taking over. With the mansion gates closed, the bunnies are finally reclaiming the brand as their own.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202223/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Daisy McManaman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As Playboy approaches its 70th anniversary, an expert in the brand asks – is there a place for Playboy in the post #MeToo world?Daisy McManaman, PhD Candidate, Centre for Women's Studies, University of YorkLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.