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A review by thelauramay
Yes Means Yes!: Visions of Female Sexual Power and A World Without Rape by Jaclyn Friedman
4.0
I'd had this book on "to read" for quite a while, and despite difficulties tracking down an e-copy, finally made it.
This is a somewhat classic text at this point, and while I definitely learned things and gained new perspectives (process-oriented virginity, anyone?), my major takeaway was how much things have progressed in the past 12 years. Of course, there are problems with feminism as consumerism - I'm guilty of several feminist t-shirts myself - and there are MASSIVE issues in every direction. However, things are slowly becoming more sayable, whether it's in the context of the MeToo movement, increased mainstreaming of sex toy stores, acceptability of other sexes/genders/sexualities, more open forms of sexual expression (I'm not going to advocate for 50 Shades as a book, but at least a conversation started), women's health generally, or simply the idea of enthusiastic consent itself. So perhaps we've accomplished 2% of what this book sets out to do. And while that's a small amount, it makes me optimistic, and ever-more determined.
Particular standouts for me were the essays "A love letter from an anti-rape activist to her feminist sex-toy store", "Reclaiming touch: rape culture, explicit verbal consent, and body sovereignty", and "Real sex education".
A worthwhile and thoughtful read.
This is a somewhat classic text at this point, and while I definitely learned things and gained new perspectives (process-oriented virginity, anyone?), my major takeaway was how much things have progressed in the past 12 years. Of course, there are problems with feminism as consumerism - I'm guilty of several feminist t-shirts myself - and there are MASSIVE issues in every direction. However, things are slowly becoming more sayable, whether it's in the context of the MeToo movement, increased mainstreaming of sex toy stores, acceptability of other sexes/genders/sexualities, more open forms of sexual expression (I'm not going to advocate for 50 Shades as a book, but at least a conversation started), women's health generally, or simply the idea of enthusiastic consent itself. So perhaps we've accomplished 2% of what this book sets out to do. And while that's a small amount, it makes me optimistic, and ever-more determined.
Particular standouts for me were the essays "A love letter from an anti-rape activist to her feminist sex-toy store", "Reclaiming touch: rape culture, explicit verbal consent, and body sovereignty", and "Real sex education".
A worthwhile and thoughtful read.