“This book was one of the best books I have read in a long time. It had the things I like in a romance, a dashing knight, a beautiful princess, and of course the bad guy. This book is for all those who love it when the hero has to fight for his lady.” – […]
What are we running away from, and what are we running towards in our efforts to change social ideas of sexuality? Or, perhaps in more Foucauldian terms, who are we running circles around? This week’s readings bring new light to the realm of sexuality in Victorian America. The era we commonly define by the repression […]
This reading challenges the stereotype of the Victorian era as a sexually monolithic period of repression and prudishness. Instead, the readings challenge the reader to explore the different sexual attitudes prevalent in the period, and how socio-cultural frameworks helped to shape those very attitudes.
While it is impossible to deny the prevalence of the “Victorian prude” during the 1800s, this week’s readings made it clear the image was not embraced by everyone of 19th century America. It also shed light on many similarities of sexual discourses from then to now. It made me question if and how much we’ve […]
The story of Hester Prynne’s persecution in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter encapsulates an issue that bothers me regarding society and religion: specifically, those individuals who oppress others in the name of religion. Not only can these actions be cruel, as is the ostracism in the case of Hester Prynne, but it also goes against […]
This Saturday night, an event entitled “The Future of Love: From Sex to Superconsciousness” will be taking place at the Body Actualized Center in Bushwick. A number of dear friends were involved in putting this together, and it promises to be a fascinating evening on many different levels. There will be lecture, burlesque performance, situationist […]
If sex is merely a societal construct, as French philosopher Michel Foucault claims, then it would follow that sex would be viewed differently in separate cultures with their distinct social formations. By that logic, sex would be viewed in one light in France, and in another in Italy. However, Foucault presents his reasoning on the […]
Whenever I want to infuriate myself, I like to go read the Yahoo comments on various articles concerning LGBT issues. Inevitably, there will be a comment along the lines of “i’m sick of hering about gay ppl! i don’t want to no about wut ur doing in ur bedroom!” and I find myself shaking my […]
