A week or two back, I was suddenly struck with a thought. Is there a "Freedom of Sexuality" analogous to the "Freedom of Religion" we claim so enthusiastically here in the United States?
This thought arrived through several sources.
First: About ten years ago, when I was attending the regional meeting of a prominent international human rights organization, a resolution was advanced to essentially promote the decriminalization of adultery. Now it is one thing to promote such a thing here in California where I live; in fact, adultery is already essentially decriminalized here. But to promote the decriminalization of adultery world-wide -- including countries with strict punishments for adultery based on long-established religious tradition -- is another matter all together. The resolution failed, and the proponents came in for much criticism.
Second: At least one organization of sexual experts has advanced a Statement of Sexual Freedom -- it's rather impressive to read.
Third: After much thought about the history of religious conflict, persecution, and co-existence, it occurred to me that several hundred years ago, in Europe, people believed that it was impossible for a state to allow multiple religions to be practiced in their territory. Every citizen was expected to adopt the religion of the head of state. It was considered treasonous or at least seditious to practice any other religion. Eventually, after England had endured its Civil War, after Germany had survived the Thirty Years War, and the French had survived the Huguenot wars and its revolution, and after the American Revolution, it began to dawn on governments that perhaps citizens didn't all have to follow the same religion, even though different religions might have different attitudes towards morality.
Is it not possible, that people of widely different sexual ethics might all get along as citizens of a single country, even thought their sexual attitudes and practices are different? To a large extent, this is already true in the United States.
I think there is something to be said for making this explicit.
Our freedom of religion isn't perfect or completely respected, of course; but in the United States we to a large extent say: "Even though I don't understand how someone can really believe what the (fill in the blank -- Catholics, Baptists, Muslims, Jews, Scientologists, Pagans, Mormons, Atheists) believe, it's still okay for them to publicly practice their beliefs."
Now wouldn't it be nice if we took the same approach to sexuality? If we accepted that all Americans didn't have to share the same sexual ethics? If we (more or less) accepted that we might not agree with each other about (fill in the blank -- gay or straight sex, BDSM, polyamory, water sports, swinging, orgies, masturbation); but maybe we could all agree that we all can work together as citizens and allow each other our sexual identities?
There could still be limitations on sexual practice that genuinely harmed another person (just as “freedom of speech” does not allow you to yell “Fire!” when there is no fire in a crowded theater). But most sexuality – like most speech – would be permitted.
Now isn't that a concept?!