America's War on Sex, Or is it Women?

Kaitlyn Solotes

Why is it that society feels comfortable practicing the kama sutra in their bedrooms but wince at the thought of legalized abortion? [1] From the liberal Colonial era to the conservative Victorian and back again, our society is swinging once again towards conservative reform. Which way the pendulum swings is a direct result of America’s sensitivity and apprehension towards sexuality. Although most people would think that our society is making progress towards more liberal rights, politics say otherwise. There is a double standard in our political system today where those who support Viagra for men do not support birth control for women. The most prominent question should not be whether or not the ACA should cover contraceptives, but rather why are male politicians making these decisions about women’s bodies? This has been the unfortunate consequence of male dominated political parties, especially the Republican party. Lawmakers are turning to sly and complex methods of outlawing abortion. Instead of listening to the women who would have to forfeit their bodies, legislature chooses to undermine them and slowly take away available abortion services. By creating a nearly impossible requirement for abortion clinics, they have no option other than to stop operating. 

 

[2] In March of this year a law was passed in Michigan that states abortion of any kind is no longer covered by insurance companies. This means that even if a pregnancy is a result of incest or rape, an individual will not be able to obtain coverage for abortion services unless they purchase "rape insurance". Even though seven in ten Americans said they stand by the Roe v. Wade case which legalized abortion, legislature still feels the need to attack a legal practice. Not only can this be seen as a war on sex, but also a war on women by punishing them for inadvertent pregnancies. This ongoing war is affecting sexuality today by leading parents to not properly educate their children; these are the children who will grow up looking at advertisements of a woman's open legs and think to themselves "That's okay". After all, isn't sexual objectification what we are promoting? Looking back on the history of pornographic images in advertising, it is obvious that magazine covers and commercials are only getting riskier. From the first photograph of a semi-nude woman in 1838 to practically every page in a current magazine, it is women who suffer from the never-ending war on sex.

          

                1. Crystal Moore, "Contemporary Crisis in Sexuality" (lecture, Cameron Hall, Charlotte, NC, April 29, 2014).

2. Louise Knott Ahern, “Abortion insurance law taking effect in Michigan,” Detroit Free Press, March 12, 2014, http://www.freep.com/.