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Keerim Kim completed Assignment 05

As can be inferred from the title “Thinking sex,” in her essay, Gayle Rubin describes the politics of sexuality. Especially in Western culture and the United States, several thoughts and assumptions about sex have been acknowledged as naturally, without a doubt on its rationality. Some thoughts get deeply rooted into societies. Once they become so pervasive, it changes people’s attitudes towards such issue, and eventually dominates. Furthermore, it stays the same even after generation changes. People might have good understandings on what is unfair and wrong, but they just live with it.

Rubin delineates the issue of censoring obscenity in the United States. Late 19^th century was when it started to be pervasive, but this is an ongoing issue that the remains of old thoughts and laws still stays in people’s head. One of the shocking issues that were introduced by Rubin was regulation on homosexuals. The first federal anti-obscenity law in the United States was passed in 1873, and it prohibited activities that were related to sex. They arrested homosexuals and prostitutes. Then in 1950s, instead of focusing on prostitution, they forced power on homosexuals. Assumed as ‘sex offender,’ homosexuals became public fear and scrutiny. Many states did investigation that aimed to root out homosexuals employed in government. I was surprised that under the category of ‘sex offender,’ homosexuals were treated same as rapists, child molesters or pornographic materials. They were suffering from federal witch hunts, and extensive repression in every part of life. Up until 1977, gay arrests were happening throughout the whole state. Therefore, it could be easily found that the regulations were done formally by social, legal, and medical enforcements. We see that in current period, people who have been treated as sexual minorities speak up in public for their rights. It is more accepted by other people than earlier times. However, there still are lots of social conflicts in many different areas. Also, by some people homosexual activities are still acknowledged as inferior or immoral. Now is an important time to think about sex. Sexuality is linked to various parts of society, and discriminations or old exclusive thoughts should not be overlooked anymore.