Thinking Sex Essay Questions

Why should we “think about sex” during times of social stress?

Rubin argues that during times of social stress, sexual panics are more common. This is because people displace their social anxieties—anxieties over war, for instance—onto sex. As a result, sex is over-policed in order to correct for social problems that are harder to fix. Thus, we should scrutinize sex all the more during periods of social stress.

How are the 1950s similar to the late 1800s?

In both time periods, Rubin diagnoses a sexual panic. In the late 1800s, this was primarily focused on obscenity and prostitution. In the 1950s, there was intense scrutiny of homosexuality. In both cases, the United States formed a sexual hierarchy and oppressed those who were on the bottom.

How do sexual panics often defend themselves?

One of the ways that sexual panics position themselves is as a protector of children. For instance, the anti-homosexual campaign in Dade Country, Florida in 1977 had “Save Our Children” as its motto. Re-framing the policing of adults as the protection of children provides the propagators of sexual panic with an alibi.

Describe the “Charmed Circle” of sexuality.

The Charmed Circle is a symbol Rubin uses to describe the hierarchy of sex in the United States. On the inside of the circle are those sexual acts that society approves of, such as heterosexual intercourse in marriage. On the outside are those acts it disapproves of, including homosexuality and S&M. Those on the outside are literally marginalized, pushed out of the center of American protection and legitimacy.

Describe the “domino theory of sexual peril.”

Rubin argues that American society constantly draws a line between “good” sex and “bad” sex. In the domino theory of sexual peril, people imagine that permitting one “bad” sexual act to cross the line will lead to every "bad" sexual act being permitted. Thus, people are anxious about just one sexual act, because it stands for all the sexual activity they repress and oppress.

What does it mean to call sex a “vector” of oppression?

A vector of oppression is an area of social control and subordination. For instance, race and gender are vectors of oppression, because people can be discriminated against or oppressed on account of their race or gender. Calling sex a vector means that people can also experience oppression because of the kind of sex they have or prefer to have.

What is the relationship between feminism and a radical theory of sex?

Rubin thinks feminism can’t fully form a radical theory of sex, because it deals with a different vector of oppression. Feminism theorizes gender oppression, but this is not the same as sexual oppression. Rubin calls for an autonomous theory of sex, which means one that isn’t reducible to feminism. She hopes feminists and pro-sex activists will work together moving forward, but she thinks their theories have to be distinct.