

I think it's the sort of idea that people will talk about that has a lot of rhetorical power among some Progressives. "I think, honestly, that no one really believes it. Having sex with someone is just as meaningful or meaningless as shaking someone's hand," Louise says. It's not only irrelevant, it's actually oppressive. All religious traditions have some kind of sacred ritual status associated with sex, but this new ideology, which we discover in the 1960s, says no, that's a hangover from the past. It definitely doesn't have any kind of sacred status in a religious sense. "One of the ideas, for instance, that comes out of the sexual revolution, which I think is a harmful idea, is the idea that sex doesn't necessarily mean anything it doesn't necessarily have any kind of special status. The ideological element of the sexual revolution has to do with "free love". Things like washing machines and tampons made it easier for women to participate in public life, rather than being relegated to the home. The material change is easy to recognise - the creation of the birth control pill in the late 50s to early 60s allowed women to manage their own fertility for the first time and delay childbearing. Story continues below.Īccording to Louise, the sexual revolution is both material and ideological.

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Listen to Mia Freedman's full interview with Louise Perry on the No Filter podcast below.

To some extent, it's going to be a subjective matter," Louise tells No Filter. "I think that the term feminist should be understood and used quite loosely to mean 'are you interested in advocating on behalf of the interests of women?' And there are loads of people who can fall into that category on that basis. So, just what exactly is Louise saying? To put it simply, she is arguing that the sexual revolution, which brought about sexual freedom and sex positivity, is not good for women.Īnd yes, in case you're wondering, she considers herself a feminist. In her chat with No Filter host Mia Freedman, Louise says that the overwhelming response to those who have read the book or listened to her speak about it has been: "Thank goodness someone is saying it." It's a controversial take, to be sure, but also one layered with nuance and complexity. No, these are not lines from a conservative's manifesto these are the chapter titles of UK writer Louise Perry's new book The Case Against the Sexual Revolution.
