Not-So-Uffish Thoughts

January 11, 2023

Have you ever wondered why so many people are so afraid of sex and almost anything even remotely sexual? (If you’re reading a Woodhull blog, you probably have.) After all, sex is enjoyable if done properly (that is, the way both (all?) partners agree it should be done), but American society, not to mention various societies around the world, have placed some truly insane restrictions on sexual acts. For example, it’s a crime in some places for unmarried women to have sex, and in even more places, it’s illegal for men to have sex with men, and women with women. In fact, until the U.S. Supreme Court made its Lawrence v. Texas ruling just 20 years ago, “sodomy” (in this case, male/male sex, though plenty of men fuck plenty of women in the ass, and plenty of women give men blowjobs) was illegal in lots of places. Also here in the U.S., except in certain counties in Nevada, prostitution is currently a crime, even though in the 19th century, pretty much all major cities had brothels and few people gave a shit. And don’t even get me started on “obscenity”, whatever the fuck that is. The late Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart may have known it when he saw it—actually, he was talking about porn in general, which is nearly as sticky a wicket—but I guarantee no one else does. After all, how can a jury judge whether a particular sexual representation “offends the community standards” when it can be pretty much guaranteed that no-one on the jury has ever discussed what sex acts they prefer (or are offended by) with their neighbors. And what is a “morbid interest” in sex? Damned if I know.

Of course, the real answer to a lot of those questions is that we all learned that sex is dirty from our parents, our teachers, and perhaps more importantly, from clergy, since that’s where a lot of our parents and teachers got it from, plus because of those teachers, it’s seeped into society and social discourse everywhere, to the point that most people don’t even notice it.

And guess what? That is exactly what my new book, Preachers Vs. Porn: Exposing Christianity’s War On Sexxx, is all about. (And it’s not just Christianity that’s the villain; pretty much all the western religions, and a couple of eastern ones, are.) Want to know how this “homosexuality is bad” thing got started? It’s in there. Want to know why “Fuck you” is an insult even though fucking is fun? It’s in there. Want to know why some people (I’m looking at you, Dawn Hawkins and Gail Dines) find it necessary to call the days around Halloween “Pornography Awareness Week”—and not in a good way? It’s in there. Want to know why some people (I’m looking at you, Phil Burress) get bent out of shape that you can get to watch sexy movies on hotel pay-per-view? It’s in there. Want to know why Tampa strip club owner and city council candidate Joe Redner couldn’t pay big bucks to name a nearby streetcar stop “Mons Venus” even though several others paid equally big bucks to name other stops? It’s in there. Want to know who got their knickers in an uproar that an actual trans woman got a recurring starring role on the Supergirl TV series? It’s in there. Want to know why one organization wanted to fine a Virginia TV station more than $300,000 for accidentally showing 3 seconds of hardcore on a newscast? It’s in there. Want to know why all consensual adult sex acts and all sexual literature and videos are actually legal under the Constitution? It’s in there.

I could go on—after all, it is nearly a 500 page book—but you get the idea. And as of January 17, you can own your own copy. Just go to the Amazon, Barnes & Noble or several other bookseller sites and order one!