Politics – Page 4 – Sex Across America

S.A.A. Salutes: Betty Dodson

(4/21/14) One of the wonderful bennies of Sex Across America as an ongoing project is having the opportunity to meet some truly great people who have dedicated themselves to positively impacting sex lives–and are succeeding brilliantly through straight talk and rational approaches. In a climate of perpetual hypocrisy and cultural mystification, that’s often a tall order, but some manage to break through anyway. Recently, we had the chance to meet one such pioneer who has been a bastion of irreverent style, delightful inspiration and unequivocal commitment for almost half a century: Dr. Betty Dodson. If you haven’t followed her work before, you’re really missing out on a genuine treasure.

Dr. Dodson first gained attention in the 1960s by holding the very first one-woman erotic art show at New York’s Wickersham Gallery. Later, dismayed by some of the more mainstream feminist strategies emerging at the time, she leveraged her artistic skills into educational pursuits that ultimately pioneered an era of sexual liberation for women. A dynamic speaker and best-selling author, her first book, Sex for One, sold over a million copies and set the stage for practical workshops for over 40 years.

Now closing in on her mid-80s, Dr. Betty still approaches the science of sexology with the soul of an artist and the energy of a super-athlete. She leads the field as a sex-positive feminist by applying her no-nonsense feistiness in a philosophy that emphasizes what works instead of what’s popular. It’s as simple as that in principle, but applying it on today’s uber-politicized landscape is rarely so straightforward. Even in that environment, she leaves no room for excuses and instead, with an iron will, makes it work. Such is the nature of unconventional stars.

She remains highly engaged today in sex education and activism through her private practice and various internet resources that are administered along with her partner, Carlin Ross. In addition to their exceptionally comprehensive website, Dodsonandross.com, they maintain a lively, informative and entertaining presence through their YouTube channel, which we highly recommend. Just make sure you leave yourself plenty of uninterrupted time to enjoy and we strongly suggest keeping any drinks a safe distance away from your keyboard.

Though creeping up on the eventual closing chapter of her brilliant career, Dr. Betty shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. If anything, she seems to be facing it with confident defiance and unbridled optimism, stating in a recent interview, “We need to face and embrace death like it’s the final orgasm! I’m going to design my death like I designed my life. Besides, I’m leaving all of my information and art images behind in the cloud. And I’m not going to exit for quite a while, either. I’m going for a hundred or more because I’m having so much fun!”

Indeed, Dr. Betty–here’s to much more fun for many years to come!

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Sexual Assault in the Military–An Update

(4/7/14) Last November, we ran an article highlighting the Department of Defense’s (DoD) inability to deal with sexual misconduct in the armed services along with the efforts of one U.S. Senator, Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), to solve the problem. The legislation she sponsored, which would have been part of the 2014 DoD Appropriations Bill, called for an independent system when investigating and prosecuting sexually-related complaints in the military. Even though this effort was made on the heels of a 37% year-over-year increase in sexual assault cases in the military, it was ultimately defeated as federal lawmakers voted to let such cases remain under the purview of military chains of command.

Let’s see how that’s working out.

Two years ago, a female Army officer lodged a sexual assault complaint against a Brigadier General who was a top U.S. commander in Afghanistan at the time. In addition to the assault complaint, the accuser also alleged that the commander made death threats against her.

The case, prosecuted by the Army under 2014 rules which omitted Gillibrand’s proposed independent solutions, was just resolved at Fort Bragg, NC after the accused, Jeffrey Sinclair, eventually admitted guilt as part of a plea agreement at his court martial. In addition to pleading guilty to adultery, obstructing justice, criminal cruelty and maltreatment regarding his accuser, he also admitted to committing travel fraud and having two other improper relationships. The charges in his court martial could have landed him in prison for the rest of his life and/or resulted in dismissal from the service (which would have equated to a dishonorable discharge).

The sentence imposed by the military court: A reprimand, a $20,000 fine and approximately $4,000 in restitution for the travel fraud. No jail time. No dismissal.

In a statement following the conclusion of the court martial, Sen. Gillibrand remarked, “This case has illustrated a military justice system in dire need of independence from the chain of command.” We’re going to differ slightly and point out that the system illustrated that need well before this case, but the results of this episode certainly show something still quite amiss when predatory conduct by those entrusted with leadership responsibilities is dealt with by, essentially, a wrist slap from people inside the same system.

What do you think? We really want to know.

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Belle Knox Reenergizes Empowerment Debate

(3/17/14) The recent furor surrounding Duke University sociology major turned part-time porn star, Belle Knox, is now morphing into an old and familiar polarization. What started out simply as a sensational headline over being betrayed and outted by a college classmate has quickly segued into a much broader discussion that is reminiscent of one that has raged on for years and basically focuses on a single question: Is a woman who chooses to work in adult entertainment empowered or is she just setting herself up to be exploited?

Before continuing–and in the interest of full disclosure–we’ve had the pleasure of working with Belle recently during an upcoming Fallen Angel production in association with Adam & Eve Pictures. Our impression is that she is a confident, self-assured and intelligent young woman who is positively embracing her sexuality while simultaneously using it for productive gain. Equally impressive is that she is standing by her choices very publicly in the face of relentless judgment and harassment, and her courageous, out front stance will no doubt have a tremendous impact on a much broader scale when it comes to combating bullying in general. All of that said, while her story is at the core of what has recently reignited the empowerment debate, we believe this should be less about her personally and more about objectively tackling the overall subject as it applies across the board.

With that in mind, much of the history in this particular debate stems from the fact that control of the adult entertainment industry has traditionally been patriarchal in nature. Even among women who genuinely enjoy productive careers in it, there is significant difference in opinion over whether they have true empowerment in a situation that is, at its core, controlled by men. Over and over and over ad nauseum, we hear one position claiming that the basic choice is the most empowering one–that women who choose to act in adult films are simply using their sexuality as an asset to support themselves and improve their overall quality of life–while the opposition opines that the basic choice leads to degrading subjugation by men. It’s an old argument that has raged on for many years with plenty of valid opinions on all sides but no real resolution.

Here’s the thing: The differentiating premise is now outdated. While it used to be true that men unanimously had a firm grip on the industry, the rapid progress of the internet has democratized the model much in the same way it has for a multitude of other businesses. Today, women from just about every background and culture are filming themselves living out their own fantasies and broadcasting them globally. For some, it’s a powerful means to avoid poverty while for others it’s simply a way to freely express their sexuality and pleasure. Many don’t even draw the distinction and simply see it at something with tremendous potential that they can control on their own terms. No matter the motive–and as is the case with many other legitimate endeavors–previously existing glass ceilings didn’t even need to be shattered. They were simply made irrelevant through–you guessed it–empowerment.

So, forget the outright hypocrisy of those feigning to champion women’s choice while vilifying women for their choices. Forget the archaic posturing rooted in premises that are no longer valid. Sure, deeply ingrained values and solidly entrenched positions are tough to give up, but for all intents and purposes, the empowerment question is sufficiently answered. Don’t you agree?

(We welcome all rational points of view on the issue, both for or against. All civil responses will be published in their entirely, so join the conversation and let us know your thoughts.)

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Gay Marriage Across America

(2/24/14) Fewer trends involving sexuality have garnered as much attention in recent years as the legality of same-sex marriage in the United States. As with most matters involving cultural values, it may just be that the old guard of legislative dinosaurs simply hasn’t caught up with the prevailing social reality yet, but the tipping point may finally be right around the corner.

As of 2013, 17 states have legalized gay marriage, leaving 33 who have not. Most of these are due to a combination of existing state constitutional bans and other prohibiting laws, so removing the remaining barriers is likely to be an agonizingly slow process if left to each individual state to decide. That said, there is now a sustained–and growing–majority of Americans who believe that same-sex marriages should be legally recognized with the same rights as opposite-sex marriages. According to Gallup polling trends, that number was at 42% ten years ago, but has been at or over 50% since May 2012–and is rising.

While states’ rights are certainly a key factor on the legal side of the issue, the preeminent twist is that the U.S. Constitution provides for equal protection under the law from state to state. This is specifically why an opposite-sex marriage in one state is recognized unanimously and without restriction in all others. So, where the matter of same-sex marriage is concerned, an inequality under the law exists, literally making a federal case out of it. As that critical detail applies to the looming tipping point, we are now at a place where the majority of Americans (52%) would, if allowed, vote for a federal law that would instantly make same-sex marriages legal in all 50 states. So, what’s holding up that kind of productive progress?

It’s important to remember that in a legal sense, we do not live in a democracy, but rather a republic. This is to say that “We the People” do not vote on the laws that govern us. We select others to propose and vote on them for us. So, rather than continuing to select representatives who stubbornly cling to archaic, outmoded and hypocritical ways of thinking, it’s really just a simple matter of making it a point to choose more wisely. The next opportunity to do that is just a few months away when, this November, every one of the seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 33 U.S. Senate seats are up for grabs. If you genuinely want progress, make it a point to wisely select lawmakers who are in tune with the majority of citizens and prepared to act promptly.

The trend is clear: Most Americans want this matter resolved in favor of providing equality and justice–as it should be for a nation that embraces freedom and justice for all as defining virtues. It is no longer a matter of if same-sex marriage will be legal all across America, but when. The tipping point is just ahead. The time to prepare for it is now.

What say you?

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