Defending Pornography: Free Speech, Sex, and the Fight for Women's Rights
by Nadine Strossen
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A new edition of a groundbreaking, feminist defense of pornography as free speech Named a Notable Book by The New York Times Book Review in 1995, Defending Pornography examines a key question that has divided feminists for decades: is censoring pornography good or bad for women? Nadine Strossen makes a powerful case that increasing government power to censor sexual expression, beyond the limits that the First Amendment sensibly permits (for example, outlawing child pornography) would do more show more harm than good for women and others who have traditionally been marginalized due to sex or gender, She explains how the very anti-porn laws pushed by some feminists have led to the censorship of LGBTQ+ and feminist works, and she examines the startling connections between anti-porn feminists and right-wing fundamentalists. In an illuminating new Preface, Strossen lays out the multiple current assaults on sexual expression, which continue to come from across the ideological spectrum. She shows that freedom for such expression remains an essential prerequisite for the equality, safety, and dignity of women and sexual/gender minorities. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
I didn't manage to start and finish reading this book (started it a couple of times but never finished) until just this year (2007). I found it to be interesting, and I found that it made many good points, but I also found that it was a bit dated.
Most people I know now have never heard of Andrea Dworkin or Catharine MacKinnon. The feminist movement has transformed into one that is more towards sexual freedom than the restrictive, almost neo-con, feminism of Dworkin and MacKinnon, and it seems that the pro-censorship feminists have been marginalized to a great extent.
Defending Pornography spends its time rallying the troops against the pro-censorship faction of modern feminism, as it needed to at the time, but perhaps it was too show more successful. The danger is no longer from that faction, but, rather, from the traditional places (e.g. the religious right). This makes it kind of preaching to the choir and not seemingly as applicable.
It is a good read if someone is a student of 90's politics, but beyond that, it didn't have much to offer me. show less
Most people I know now have never heard of Andrea Dworkin or Catharine MacKinnon. The feminist movement has transformed into one that is more towards sexual freedom than the restrictive, almost neo-con, feminism of Dworkin and MacKinnon, and it seems that the pro-censorship feminists have been marginalized to a great extent.
Defending Pornography spends its time rallying the troops against the pro-censorship faction of modern feminism, as it needed to at the time, but perhaps it was too show more successful. The danger is no longer from that faction, but, rather, from the traditional places (e.g. the religious right). This makes it kind of preaching to the choir and not seemingly as applicable.
It is a good read if someone is a student of 90's politics, but beyond that, it didn't have much to offer me. show less
Written by the then head of the ACLU this book clearly and coherently explains the problems with censorship of pornography and other material having to do with sex and sexuality.
Nadine Strossen, President of the ACLU, puts forward her arguments that censorship of sexual expression damages the fight for women's rights as well as violating free speech
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Author Information
6+ Works 402 Members
Nadine Strossen is the emerila John Marshall Harlan II Professor at New York Law School and served as the first woman national President of the American Civil Liberties Union, from 1991 through 2008.
Some Editions
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Defending Pornography: Free Speech, Sex, and the Fight for Women's Rights
- Original publication date
- 1995
- Blurbers
- Friedan, Betty; Berman, Jerry
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Sexuality and Gender Studies, General Nonfiction, Politics and Government
- DDC/MDS
- 363.47 — Society, Government, and Culture Social problems and social services Public Safety - Police, Crime Investigation Pornography
- LCC
- HQ472 .U6 .S87 — Social sciences The family. Marriage, Women and Sexuality The Family. Marriage. Women Erotica
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 232
- Popularity
- 138,645
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.86)
- Languages
- English, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 9
- ASINs
- 1
