Another great post, this one on sex positivity.

[fierceawakening]

I just re-read Shame Affirmative, Redux and... damn, do I love it.

It's old, and I'm sure I've linked it before, because it's amazing. But I re-read it, and -- amazing, amazing. Best thing I can think of to demonstrate why "sex positive" is a valid label and not a mere reactionary insult to anti-porners.

One thing that really resonates with me is

Comments

[belledame222]

and yeah, coming from probably a similar background to yours, i find much more elitism in the "nice girl" feminism, on the whole. there are some exceptions. interestingly, a lot of the -really- radical/anti-porn feminists seem to be coming from working class (QD's said a few things about how irate "lower class" makes her, jadp)/poor and/or rural backgrounds, online at least.

shrug. i think it's like any other fundamentalism: the reason the "those decadent perverts/"fun feminists"/what have you" stuff gets any traction is because it -does- resonate for people who've had a really shit time and just don't want to hear--well, pretty much what they hear/understand of "sex positive:" the most commercialized, materialistic, hetnorm, mainstream, commodified etc. etc.

sort of like y'know the leadership will hold out the Chelsea boy stereotype for the whole "special rights" baiting, and of course a lot of people are gonna buy right into it, not even necessarily because they all just plain hate gay folk (or would if they knew they actually knew any), but because that's what they see: rich party people living the glamorous decadent life while hardworking folks like them can't catch a break. works like a charm.

and yes: of course meanwhile the Jerry Falwells and the Twistys aren't exactly hurting for cash, are plenty fucking elitist, but they're -for us,- dammit and--oo, shiny scapegoat, sic 'em.

and then too of course as you note, there's also plain old classism the other way: oo, icky, dirty perverts rolling around and getting messy, isn't it just like -them.-

it's just more galling when the people who're basically taking that line are nominal leftists.

[fierceawakening]

it -does- resonate for people who've had a really shit time and just don't want to hear--well, pretty much what they hear/understand of "sex positive:" the most commercialized, materialistic, hetnorm, mainstream, commodified etc. etc.

Right, but how much of the original "sex positivity" came from working class dykes? That's the irony of it.

that's what they see: rich party people living the glamorous decadent life while hardworking folks like them can't catch a break. works like a charm.

Yup. I hear even other kinksters suggesting we're all rich and pampered. IMX, fuck no.

Reminds me of the story one tough-ass woman told me about learning to use singletails because daddy was a bear trainer in the circus. No, it's not all about being lazy enough to be decadent.

and then too of course as you note, there's also plain old classism the other way: oo, icky, dirty perverts rolling around and getting messy, isn't it just like -them.-

a-yuh.