Sex In The Public Square - More Sex Ed(itorials): Voyeurism in NYC and Heterosexism in Congress - Comments

Feeling Paul

Lou FCD — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:35:13 -0700

Or at least feeling your pain in the first paragraph. What's a non-ogled exhibitionist to do? Very very tragic.

The only solution I've personally been able to come up with thus far involves a trip to the police station, which my wife has decided is grounds for divorce. She has no sense of humor.

Seriously, I'm really not good with the government at any level deciding what's going on in my head or whether it's good for me or society. I'm with you on shaming the shameful loudly and publicly. It's unacceptable behavior that needs to be ended, but it shouldn't be illegal.

"Counselor, what's the charge?"

"He looked at her 2 seconds longer than allowed by law."

Not a place I want us to go.

Laws, Laws, Laws

Paul — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:47:57 -0700

I'll preface this with the assertion that it’s extremely rare for me to be publicly ogled. I think it’s due to women ogling men less than men ogling women. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, just not to me. It also doesn’t help that at any given place there are way more attractive men around than me. Being the exhibitionist I am, this is very tragic. When I do get ogled, it’s usually by another man. Being hungry for the attention, I eat it up.

But I digress. I don’t know what it’s like to be harassed. I don’t know what it’s like to feel powerless to street harassment or "unconsensual voyeurism." But what bothers me is the government involvement. Government telling me what’s acceptable. I want to make the decision. I want the woman to be empowered enough to say, “hey, what the F are you doing”. Embarrass the person and not feel embarrassed. I want the passer bys to say something. We all turn a blind eye. “Thank got he’s not bothering me” or “Please don’t look over here.” When we let government step in and take care of us, then we have to play by their rules. The government becomes our parents and they have the keys to the car on a Friday night.

More Sex Ed(itorials): Voyeurism in NYC and Heterosexism in Congress

Elizabeth — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 08:10:19 -0700

Sex-related editorials in the NYT two days in a row!

First, from yesterday's New York Times editorial page: Talk about an uncomfortable intersection between public space and sexuality! Peter Vallone Jr., NYC city council rep from Queens, is introducing a law that would create a penalty of up to $500 in fines and up to 90 days in jail for "ogling a person’s 'sexual or intimate parts' for more than a brief period." Aside from the obvious evidentiary and definitional problems (how do you prove someone was ogling, and how long is a "brief period" for exapmle), the Times opines that New York is a city full of exhibitionists and voyeurs, and that:

"Nobody wants some sicko drilling a peephole in their locker room wall or private hotel room
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