Sexuality: Can You See It?

January 27, 2012

Often enough, people become uncomfortable when confronted with the topic of human sexuality.  Until we get over this discomfort we'll remain unable to intelligently and intentionally direct social and political policy.  Sexual Futurist often meets people who think that the term "sexual" refers exclusively to "sex" as in "sexual intercourse.  But human sexuality is so ubiquitous that it might as well be in the air that we breathe.  Consider one day's newspaper stories in what was clearly a very sexual day.  Not that US media is any more comfortable than the majority of us, but virtually every single news genre and every single page was sexual: business, science and health, crime, education, and yes, even the comics. Just today, the funnies went for the most serious stuff (and were hysterically funny): Dilbert and Doonebury both address choice, the Personhood Initiatives promoted by opponents of terminating any pregnancy, and the US Republican drive to eliminate even birth control.  Dilbert's Wally describes how, before he dies, he will place some of his skin cells in a Petri dish with enough nutrients that they will survive within a robot long after he dies.  Since "by law" some of his body will still function,...