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Assignment 05

In “Thinking Sex: Notes for a Radical Theory of the Politics of Sexuality,” Gayle Rubin argues that several persistent features of thought about sex inhibit the development of a radical theory of sex. The five assumptions that she discusses are: “sex negativity, the fallacy of misplaced scale, the hierarchical valuation of sex acts, the domino theory of sexual peril, and the lack of a concept of benign sexual variation” (Rubin, 150). Rubin begins her analysis by speaking on how the negative assumptions attached to sex can have such concerning outcomes. Religion was one of the first reasons as to why sex was looked down upon. Christianity placed a big emphasis on only participating in sex within a heterosexual marriage only to procreate, and nothing more. Any sexual acts done outside of marriage was considered disgraceful, except in very specific, special cases. But Rubin argues that this negative outlook on sex lurked into other aspects of people’s lives. People who were considered “not-normal” were seen as criminals under the law or mentally ill to doctors. As a result, there becomes a hierarchy scale where one sex act or preference is placed above or below another; leading to one group seeming better than the other. Certain sex acts are placed in “good” or “bad” categories which many use to judge the morals of others. Many argue over different places on “where to draw the line” of what is considered acceptable and what is considered inappropriate. These notions limit progress because many do not see a valid reason to discuss sex in any setting because they believe the majority of sex is considered corrupt. But sex is very situational, personal, and emotional. It is hard to place people in categories, place labels, and create laws that must apply to the masses when every situation and every person is unique.