America's War on Sex

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{{cquote|If you’re uncomfortable about [[African American|blacks]], you’re [[racist]]; uncomfortable about [[Jews]], you’re [[Antisemitism|anti-Semitic]]. But today, if you're uncomfortable about [[sex]], you're a civic leader.|||Chapter 8, "Battleground: Adult Entertainment — Feverish Dreams, Real Estate Nightmares"<ref name=gb>Klein, Marty. ''[https://books.google.com.au/books?id=4AD1EznLxz0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false America's War on Sex: The Attack on Law, Lust and Liberty]'', 2006.</ref>}}

'''''America's War on Sex: The Attack on Law, Lust and Liberty''''' ({{Isbn|9781440801280}}) is a 2006 book by sex therapist {{wpl|Marty Klein||.}} It describes [[Purity culture|the sustained efforts]] of the [[American]] [[Religious Right]] to eradicate and outlaw all forms of sexual activity other than procreative vaginal intercourse between [[Marriage|married couples]],<ref group=note>Preferably in missionary position, fully clothed, and with the lights off.</ref> and details their effectiveness in conditioning the American population's attitude towards sex — and directly threatening [[secular]] [[democracy]] — over the last several decades. The book contains over 400 footnotes documenting and supporting the arguments made by Klein.

==Summary==
===You're the Target: Why a War on Sex?===
This introductory chapter describes, in general terms, the ways in which the Religious Right and its supporters have framed the debate to give the illusion that they are championing legitimate causes such as [[Family values|families]], "[[morality]]", protecting Americans, [[Think of the children|protecting the children]] etc., when these are nothing but smokescreens for the titular War on Sex: even the use of words and phrases such as "[[culture war]]" paint a [[false equivalence]] between two very unequal sides, one of which (the "erotophobes") is aiming to remove the choice and agency of the other side (the "erotophiles"), who are not trying to encroach on anyone's agency and simply wish to be left to live as they see fit. The author emphasizes that ''anyone'' who enjoys, engages with, or experiments with sex in any shape or form is a prime target for the erotophobes.

===Battleground: Sex Education: Where Children Come Second===
[[Children]] are described as prime fodder for the anti-sex camp, who paint themselves as the ones who [[think of the children|fight to keep kids "pure" and protect them]] from the evil, unwholesome influence of [[sex education]], and who, through such means, are [[Irony|actually the ones harming children]]. Among other things, Klein deconstructs [[Abstinence programs|abstinence-only sex education]] and the potential effects of withholding from adolescents important knowledge about their own bodies and sexuality, and shows how much more of a challenge the [[ideology]] of "[[virginity]]-until-marriage" is in this day and age than it was in bygone eras that enjoyed later puberty and had earlier marriage ages.

===The Most Powerful "Minority" in the United States===
This chapter delves into the widespread [[persecution complex]] of the powerful Religious Right, who engage in a variety of [[DARVO]] tactics to paint themselves as being oppressed by the evil [[gays]], kinksters, [[transgender]] folks, or anyone who uses [[birth control]].

===Battleground: Reproductive Rights===
Klein describes the absurdity of those who care about whether or not strangers use condoms or other forms of birth control, and their pathological obsession with the idea that "birth control causes promiscuity" and that the only legitimate purpose of sex is procreation, demonstrating how all this is yet another excuse for controlling the sex lives of everyone else.

===The Sexual Disaster Industry===
Klein gives an account of how the anti-sex forces — including conservative religious groups, "morality" organisations, [[government]] and lawmakers, and even daytime talk shows — work together as an industry to condition Americans to fear sexuality, while demonizing those who protest this.

===Battleground: Broadcast Indecency===
This chapter explores the moral guardian behaviour of those who do not wish ''you'' to be exposed to television content that ''they'' find personally offensive, such as sexual themes, nudity, and profanity: to wit, pretty much everything on TV. Once again, they justify their stance through alleging that it "corrupts" viewers.

===Yes They Really Said That===
A collection of demonstrative quotes from certain politicians, lawmakers, and [[Appeal to celebrity|celebrities]] showcasing the phenomena that have been described so far.

===Battleground: Adult Entertainment — Feverish Dreams, Real Estate Nightmares===
Klein explores the puritans' crusade against their fellow citizens' recreational activities falling into the "adult entertainment" sector.

===How They Do It: Ammunition in the War on Sex===
An exploration of the tactics used by the anti-sex camp, which includes [[Fear, uncertainty, and doubt|dishonest fearmongering]], cash flow and policy collusion between religious groups and the government, self-promotion as the voice of morality, specific [[framing]] of the debate through [[loaded language]], etc.

===Battleground: The Internet===
An account of how the [[internet]] — just like all past innovations in communication — has been used for sexual purposes, as well as being co-opted as a tool in the War On Sex.

===America Does Not Guarantee Your Right to Be Comfortable: The Lowest Common Erotic Denominator===
A discussion of the push to remove even oblique references to sexuality from public spaces, with the bogus idea of a "right to be protected from discomfort" being used to trample legitimate rights.

===Battleground: The War on Pornography===
Klein describes how, among other things, the push to restrict [[pornography]] has been driven by a disinformation campaign that has been supported not only by the usual Religious Right suspects, but also by [[journalist]]s, [[feminists]] (read: [[SWERF]]s), and ostensible [[left-wing]]ers.

===Extreme Religion and Public Policy===
The illegitimate incursion of religious premises into lawmaking, despite this being in direct violation of the [[US Constitution]], is described, as is the extent to which the anti-sex zealots attempt to trample on the individual rights of others.

===Battleground: Sexual Privacy and Sexual Minorities — Civil Rights or Immoral Privileges?===
This chapter explores the ways in which an individual's rights (e.g. custody of children, inheritance, etc.) hinge on bogus factors such as [[sexual orientation]], and basically summarises the systematic oppression of [[LGBT]] people.

===Revolutionizing American Government: Bad News for Democracy===
A summary of how [[demonization]], shame, and the fear of exposure prevent large numbers of people from protesting the trampling on their sexual rights by the anti-sex brigade, making it all the easier for the latter to undermine democracy itself.

==Reception==
The book was awarded the title of Best Sexuality Book of 2006 by the {{wpl|American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists||,}}<ref>[http://thecsph.org/monday-reviews-americas-war-on-sex Monday Reviews: America's War on Sex]. ''CSPH'', September 10, 2012.</ref> and has received endorsements from numerous high-profile figures such as {{wpl|Pepper Schwartz||,}} {{wpl|Lawrence G. Walters||,}} {{wpl|Susie Bright||,}} {{wpl|Robert T. Francoeur||,}} and {{wpl|Barry W. Lynn||.}}<ref>[https://www.abc-clio.com/ABC-CLIOCorporate/product.aspx?pc=A3783C America's War on Sex by Marty Klein]. ''ABC - CLIO, Inc.''</ref> A review by author {{wpl|Darrel Ray}} in ''The Humanist'', reposted on the blog of [[Hemant Mehta]], chillingly observes that "Reading ''America's War on Sex'', you may find that you're actually buying into the religious right's strategies, enabling them to undermine your own sexual rights."<ref>Ray, Darrel. [https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2012/06/30/a-review-of-marty-kleins-america’s-war-on-sex-the-attack-on-law-lust-and-liberty/ A review of Marty Klein's "America's War on Sex: The Attack on Law, Lust and Liberty"]. ''[[Patheos]]'', June 30, 2012.</ref> Lance Eaton writes that "Guilt, fear, and shame are the tactics of erotophobes, and Klein puts forth positive reinforcement, facts, and explanations in response."<ref>Eaton, Lance. [https://www.curledup.com/waronsex.htm America's War on Sex: The Attack on Law, Lust and Liberty — Book Review]. ''Curled Up With a Good Book'', 2006.</ref> while in the aftermath of [[Donald Trump]]'s election in 2016, Niyati Evers and Robert King write that "Essentially, (Klein) argues that governmental interference and [[authoritarian]] control into our private lives is ongoing and a socio-culturally sanctioned, eroto-phobic war with our most intimate impulses. If you think it’s been rough sledding so far, given the current election results, you ain't seen nothing yet."<ref>Evers, Niyati and Robert King. [https://alchemy-of-eros.com/relationships-and-sexuality/book-review-americas-war-on-sex-by-marty-klein-ph-d/ Book Review: America’s War on Sex by Marty Klein Ph.D.] ''Alchemy of Eros'', December 13, 2016.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Religious Right]]
*[[Purity culture]]

==External links==
*''[https://books.google.com.au/books?id=4AD1EznLxz0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false America's War on Sex: The Attack on Law, Lust and Liberty]'' on Google Books

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:America's War on Sex}}
[[Category:Books]]
[[Category:Sexuality]]
[[Category:We're on a mission from God]]
[[Category:Purity culture]]

Categories: Books, Sexuality, We're on a mission from God, Purity culture