Submitted by barkingstar on 25 January 2008 - 11:15am.
Being the dreaded southern white male (ha!), I always felt bad that I liked porn & yet supported various feminist (really more humanist) causes (pro-choice, challenging discriminatory policies, etc). I thought it was a contradiction. The more I read, explore, and grow, the more I find it is NOT a contradiction. I think it is a DISGRACE that women still only make 70 cents to every dollar a man makes. I think Roe v. Wade was one of the most thoughtful, finely composed and articulated judgments in the 20th century history of the Supreme Court. I think Title 9 should be strictly enforced upon institutions of higher education to ensure full participation by women. I also support ALL GLBT struggles (marriage, non-discrimination policies, etc.). And, yes, I do like porn. That said I think it is deeply troubling that our society seems pulled by two opposing forces: the big business porn industry and the predominant religious voices of orthodoxy (fundamentalists if you will). Most of the leaders of these two forces are men. It's the same old patriarchy, a system that the VAST majority of us will never, EVER, fully measure up to. I think the middle ground is where most of us WANT to be: open about sex, tolerant of consenting adult activity, judicious in our respect for privacy, and agreeing that certain moral boundaries are not bad, but good in regards to sexual expression. I think porn could be SO much more healthy, fun, entertaining, and even, *gasp* educational! So I hope I can be a part of this ongoing discussion. End poverty, end discrimination, end intellectually vacuous religious dogma, end the business of profits before humanity. 'Nuff said!