The Principled Libertine: The Ethical Case for Sexual & Erotic Freedom

The Religious Right opposes gay and lesbian equality, sex education and access to birth control, all in the name of upholding a “traditional” code of sexual morality. Radical feminists join them in denouncing pornography, while liberals collaborate and compromise all in the name of “protecting” children and families. In this concise but scathing critique, Desmond Ravenstone proposes a challenging alternative: that sex should be viewed just like any other activity, and that respecting diversity and choice is more ethical than imposing a narrow set of rules. In questioning everything from the idea of sexual “addiction” to the effectiveness of abstinence-only curricula and sex offender registries, Ravenstone provides a contrarian counterweight to today’s return to puritanical restrictions in how we think and talk about sex.