Sex Wars: Sexual Dissent and Political Culture: A Chronology of Sexuality Debates

Contextualizing the Sexuality Debates: A Chronology (1966–2005)

• Arguments from First-Wave Feminism: Debates about the politics of sexuality originated in the first wave of feminism and continue to this day.
• Second-Wave Debates: The second wave involved discussions on power, passion, violence, representation, consent, agency, diversity, and autonomy in relation to sex.
• Chronology's Purpose: The chronology seeks to provide a context for the emergence of disputes about antipornography laws in the early 1980s.
• Grassroots Politics: The late 1960s and early 1970s saw the rise of grassroots politics.
• Shift to Mainstream Politics: Debates about sexuality moved from movement factionalism to mass media and conventional political spheres.
• Core Feminist Debate on Pornography: Occurred during a ten-year period, peaking in 1984 with the adoption of Andrea Dworkin’s and Catharine MacKinnon’s censorial law, and declining after 1986 when the Supreme Court ruled the law unconstitutional.
• New Focus Points (Late 1980s):
  • Controversies over public funding for safe-sex AIDS-prevention programs.
  • Arts funding debate.
  • Debate over rap music lyrics.
• Feminist Silence: Feminists were largely silent on these post-pornography issues, even when the issues involved invited one.
• Lack of Commentary: Virtually no feminist commentary on the characterization of AIDS as divine punishment for sex, or the analogy between the early birth control movement and safe-sex campaigns.
• Absence of Defense: No visible feminist defense of women's right to a public voice about their sexuality, as seen in the work of Karen Finley and Holly Hughes.
• Disabling Conflict: Internal conflict about pornography disabled many feminists from intervening in these debates.
• Exception: The engagement of African-American feminists in the debates over the politics of rap.
• Sex Panics: Each wave of controversy constituted its own sex panic.
• Continuing Wars: The wars over sex and imagery will continue to be fought—inside and outside feminism.

1966

• National Organization for Women (NOW): Formation announced with 300 charter members. Aims to change the false image of women in media and social institutions.
• Masters and Johnson: Published Human Sexual Response, documenting women's multiorgasmic potential and the variation in orgasmic intensity.

1967

• Women in the New Left: Demanded equality with men and claimed women’s status was analogous to colonized peoples. Faced hostility at SDS and National Conference for New Politics.
• Women's Liberation: Activist women form groups in Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C., framing their politics as “women’s liberation.”

1968

• Radical Women Protest: Protested the Miss America pageant, crowning a live sheep as Miss America and setting up a “freedom trashcan” to burn oppressive symbols.
• Critique of Beauty Standards: Highlighted the pressure on women to be both sexy and wholesome.
• Global Political Upheaval: Year of student rebellions, protests, and assassinations (Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy).

1969

• Valentine's Day Protests: Women demonstrated against Bridal Fair expositions, criticizing the wedding industry's size (estimated at 5 billion a year).
• Marriage License Bureau Leaflets: Women's Liberation in New York leafletted the city’s Marriage License Bureau.
• Abortion Law Repeal: Marches to repeal abortion laws occurred around the country.
• Stonewall Riot: Marked the beginning of the gay liberation movement after police raid on a gay bar in Greenwich Village.
• Protests against Playboy Clubs: Women demonstrated against Playboy Clubs in Chicago, New York, Boston, and San Francisco.
• **Grinnell College