Use Of Sexual Content In Audre Lorde's Sister Outsiders

Sexual content is expected, maybe even desired, when watching television, movies, or scrolling through social media. Sexual content is a broad category that can cover anything from an erotic, consensual sex scene in the television series Bridgerton to the depiction of a nonconsensual, teenage rape scene in 13 Reasons Why. These images created and deployed in television, movies, and on social media are not considered pornography because they do not present sexually explicit obscenities, and are instead considered “artistic” and “necessary to create an impact”. Pornography is developed within a threatening industry that possesses the ability to degrade and insubordinate people on the basis of sex through its imagery and design. An antiporn feminist,

Lorde examines how pornography has disabled women’s connection to their inner erotic and sexuality, and describes pornography as a tool abused by men to condition women to make sex about what solely men want from it. This essay examines female sexuality, female erogenous-ness, and how invaluable it is for women to be in touch with their sensual erotic feelings and the power it can bring to them. Lorde explains how men have disabled an aspect of womanhood with pornography and how, “. . . pornography is a direct denial of the power of the erotic, for it represents the suppression of true feeling. Pornography emphasizes sensation without feeling” (pg 54). According to Lorde there is a direct connection between pornography, the dehumanization of women, and the misrepresentation of female sexual pleasure and sensation. Lorde’s analysis amplifies the antiporn argument in the context of the importance and value of womanhood and female power in sex. Pornography actively contributes to the modern denial of these concepts, and these same themes are demonstrated in modern

Rubin points out that many of antiporn arguments and claims have no evidence or research to support them, like that pornography causes increased violence against women and that most women in sex work were sexually abused in their youth. This is important because the antiporn perspective needs to utilize productive, effective arguments in order to dismantle the disparaging aspects of the sex industry without disrespecting and blaming women in pornography. Any socio-political debate can not be argued with raw emotions and reactions to graphic topics because “. . . arguing from bad examples is effective but irresponsible” Rubin explains regarding the antiporn perspective (pg 259). Rubin argues that if the antiporn feminist focus continues perpetrating false ideas and pushing blame on pornography then it will confuse, distract, and disguise the real causes of sexual violence and abuse. Rubin does agree that pornography serves as a method of expression for male insubordination of women, and that pornography does misrepresent female sexuality enabling men to be inconsiderate of women’s needs. Rubin explains, “most porn is sexist . . . the women in most commercial porn really are there to represent what the average male consumer wants to think about when he is masturbating . . . misrepresent[s] women’s sexuality and does not encourage