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Assignment 5 – A Radical Politics on Sexuality

The concept of sexuality in the United States is one that is controversial and difficult to understand. According to Rubin, the topic of sexuality consists of its own internal politics and forms of oppression. She believes that sex is always political, as it is a product of human activity and is in conflict with political influence. Rubin begins her argument by discussing the social movements occurring in England and the US during the nineteenth century that fought to condone chastity, eradicate prostitution, and prevent masturbation, especially in the young. Beginning at an early stage, the initial intent was to avoid the exploitation and free practice of sexuality. Ultimately, it was seen as something that was limited solely to reproduction, but was excused by marriage, love, and sometimes, a long-term relationship. Rubin continues to discuss how masturbation was considered unhealthy and would hinder the health and maturation of a child. It was deemed that an early interest in sex and sexual excitement would not allow for proper growth. In an attempt to protect the young, parents would tie their children down at night to prevent them from touching themselves. Eventually, this idea that sex is generally harmful to the young has slowly become embedded into people’s minds, affecting social and legal structures and keeping minors separated from sexual understanding and experience.

With time, sex laws began to move into full effect, as the 1950s shed new light on homosexuality. Evidently, this concept did not sit well with societal norms, as it led to the creation and fear of the title “sex offender” and the term “homosexual menace”. Initially, the term sex offender pertained to rapists and child molesters, yet with time, it linked entirely to homosexuality. Soon enough, the war on homosexuals began, where witch hunts and purges ran ramped. Police force became prominent as bars were raided and streets were swept, in a violent attempt to run out the gay community. Arrests became more and more frequent, as police arrested over 400 people in parks, streets, and other forms of local gay nightlife. This resulted in “queer bashing”, which discriminated against homosexuals in violent and forceful ways. The forceful negativity is only the tip of the iceberg on the concept of sexuality. Situations that are anything out of the societal norm result in dangerous backlash, as it stirs up the learned ideals of society that individuals have become used to. Rubin makes this clear in many instances, such as the development of laws against these ‘abnormal’ situations. One in particular is the Family Protection Act, which essentially, aims to attack feminism, homosexuals, non-traditional families, and the sexual privacy of teens. This act is not expected to be passed but the fact that an act such as this one has made its way into the minds of others is quite unsettling. Ultimately, the acceptance of differing forms of sexuality is difficult in a society that has already developed its pre-meditated perspective on what is right and what is wrong. Rubin sheds light on these concerns in this piece, as she believes that without any dramatic change anytime soon, we should be expecting much more of the same.