Page 52 - AVN December 2015

Win Some,
The biggest sex stories of 2015
Though it’s not quite over with yet, 2015 was a
year when matters of sexuality were in the news.
While there were some blows struck for gender
equality, sex workers’ rights, and freedom of
speech, there were just as many stories about
attempts to promote “family values” at the expense
of erotic expression.
Lose Some
By Chauntelle Tibbals
Chauntelle Tibbals, Ph.D., is a sociologist and author of Exposure: A Sociologist Explores
Sex, Society, and Adult Entertainment. Visit her on Twitter at @drchauntelle.
2015’s SEXY WINS!
FEATURE
Supreme Court Rules “Yes!” and Gay Couples Say “I Do”
In a long-sought victory for the gay rights movement, the Supreme
Court of the United States ruled in June that the Constitution
guarantees the right to marriage to all people, including same-sex
couples.
Why do we care? Aside from all the tongue-in-cheek sass about
business booming for greeting card makers, wedding planners and
divorce lawyers, marriage equality is actual evidence of cultural
evolutions related to sexual expression. This institutional change
in our cultural bedrock is good for all forms of sexual expression,
from spiritual and romantic to commercial—including adult
entertainment.
Jenner Politics
After a life in the spotlight for everything from exceptional
athletics to reality show shenanigans, Caitlyn Jenner came out as a
transgender woman in April 2015.
Why do we care? Though it’s unfortunate that we pay more
attention to celebrities and renowned athletes, Jenner’s cultural
clout made it possible for a gazillion people to become more
familiar with a transgender experience, especially the process
of identity. This is great for members of the adult industry
community, as well as for society overall.
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New Ideas About the Oldest Profession
Recently, global human rights organization Amnesty International chose to advocate for the
decriminalization of all aspects of consensual sex amongst adults, including sex work. The
California State Assembly Committee on Public Safety is currently exploring “Human Trafficking:
Identifying the Scope of the Problem and Potential Solutions”—which includes hearing testimony
from Maxine Doogan, president of the Erotic Services Providers Legal Education and Research
Project (ESPLERP).
Why do we care? Though neither of these developments mark legal change (yet!), both demonstrate
a willingness to challenge existing understandings of sex work and listen to the experiences of sex
workers—the people who know best how laws and policies impact their daily lives. Imagine that!
Clever Sexy Protests and Demonstrations
In Portland, a group of friends came across more than 10,000 factory-rejected, phthalate-
containing dildos—so they tied pairs together and tossed hundreds over city power lines, all in
an effort to normalize sexual objects. In Austin, Jessica Jin started #cocksnotglocks, encouraging
others to “open carry” dildos in protest of a recently passed bill that will allow anyone with a
concealed handgun license to carry a firearm on any university campus in the state of Texas.
Why do we care? Long considered items best kept private or discreet, each of these instances
showcases civilians putting sex toys out there to challenge the status quo.