Essays

• Banning Pornography Endangers Women, by Wendy McElroy.

  "Since the mid 1980s, a strange sight has been on the political horizon. Feminists are standing alongside their arch-enemies, conservatives and religious fundamentalists, to call for anti-pornography laws.

  "This phenomenon threatens the well-being of women in at least three important ways:

  1. Feminism is no longer a stronghold of freedom of speech;
  2. Women's unacceptable sexual choices are now under new attack;
  3. It involves rejecting the principle 'a woman's body, a woman's right.'"

• Bisexuality, BDSM and the Myth of 'Violent' Pornography, by FCK.

  "Media professional FCK gives an insider's account of a BDSM lifestyle, and explores in detail the unintended consequences of criminalizing an arbitrary category of 'violent' images."

• The Ethical Hedonism manifesto, by Dr. Susan Block.

  "Brothers and Sisters, Lovers and Sinners, we are gathered here in my little corner of the World Wide Web to entertain the remote but inspiring possibility of peace on earth, good sex for all."

• It's not about sex. It's about Self, by Eric Francis.

  "Our relationship to sex and sexuality is our relationship to existence. If we feel good about our erotic experiences, needs and feelings, we tend to feel good about life. If we are bitter, if we don't get what we need, if we feel guilty or ashamed of our sexual feelings and experiences, that is most likely how we're going to feel about life. This can manifest some strange ways, such as violence and manipulation, just like feeling good about sex can manifest as a passionate, creative person who creates their existence consciously every day."

• The Language of Sex Positivity, by Charlie Glickman.

  "Just as developing a new set of words and theories to describe and then change the world is an integral part of any social movement, creating a new language to discuss sex is a necessary part of changing our attitudes towards sex."

• Path of the Sexual Healer, by NightOwl.

  "Sexual healing, in my definition, aims to achieve a relaxed and balanced eroticism that nurtures one's life and well-being. It is being able to choose - to be "at choice" - in the presence of erotic energy. It is neither being obsessed with or repelled by sexual expression or activity."

• Sex is Good, by David Chart

  "I'm not going to argue that sex is fun, pleasurable, and desired by many people. That's obvious; no-one denies it. Rather, I'm going to argue that sex is morally good, that it is a morally desirable activity, like getting exercise, studying, or helping those in need. Also like them, I will argue that it is not a moral obligation; it is permissible not to have sex, but it is, all else being equal, better if you do than if you don't."