Penile Imperialism: The Male Sex Right and Women’s Subordination | The Rise of Kink: Normalising Sexual Violence (PDF Chapter 6)
In this chapter, Sheila Jeffreys examines the campaign which originated in San Francisco in the 1970s to normalise sexual violence under the name sadomasochism (S/M) as an important component of the male sex right. It is now generally included under the umbrella term BDSM (Bondage, Discipline and Sadomasochism) or simply ‘kink’. The campaign took a similar form to those carried out on behalf of other paraphilias such as transvestism and paedophilia. The proponents, who were mostly male, sought to promote and normalise their practice through support groups, conventions, fairs, and public display. They sought, as a most important facet of their campaign, to change the psychiatric diagnosis of their practice so that it was seen as an ordinary form of sex rather than connected in any way with mental illness. They campaigned to change the law so that their practice could not be seen as criminal and to prevent discrimination over matters such as child custody.
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