Todd
Nowadays people live in a democratic world where homosexuality and bisexuality are no longer considered as something awful as society develops a modern idea of equality and gender selection. However, the debates around the sexual identity of lesbians and gays are still intense. In her article published in the Independence, Todd (2016) focuses on data that is based on studies conducted in the UK and the US that show the growing number of women identifying themselves as bisexual.
This is a consequence of historical suppression of their identity, especially when it comes to lesbians. Although the concept of bisexual identity is recognized widely, there are still people who cannot understand it. Partially, it is associated with the fact that the older population is used to live in a world where any orientation except heterosexuality was prohibited. The intended audience of this piece embraces all the population.
In a struggle for equality, many representatives of bisexuals take part in political battles. Fuss (1989) argues that politics is employed as the final measuring for evaluating the relevance of sexuality theories. In this connection, Todd (2016) associates the increasing number of bisexual women with “an extensive reservoir of queer thought on gender and sexual fluidity and the increasing strength of trans movements” (para. 10). The author emphasizes the tendency to one’s identification without labeling it that, in turn, is likely to lead to the decreased role of sex in sexual preferences.
Weiss
The article by Weiss (2015) dispels the myths about women’s sexual power in its positive sense. The piece is published on a feminist website and produced primarily for women. By using vivid examples of everyday life, the author argues that such an attitude reduces women to objects focusing on their appearance rather than personality. This is especially evident in various advertisements that present female bodies as inanimate objects to sell products.
The other argument is that the notion of female sexuality feeds into heteronormative dating scripts. In other words, sexuality presents only in couples where there is a woman, ignoring other types of relationships. Also, gender stereotypes are promoted due to encouraging the prioritization of sex desire. In particular, this implies that it is a woman who has the power to decide whether a man will sleep with her or not.
Moreover, female sexual power contributes to the development of rape culture. Considering the above statements, it is possible to suggest that recognizing a woman as a key decisive actor, a man wants something in return. Therefore, instead of having sex for pleasure, women tend to have it for exchange supported by the sense that they owe the other person. Finally, the author states that a woman’s sexual power weakens after the first sex as her body is perceived as a reward. Thus, through explaining the effects of women’s sexual power, the author suggests changing these attitudes. In particular, respectful partner’s feelings and ideas related to unflagging sexual power seem to be convincing.
References
Fuss, D. (1989). Essentially speaking: Feminism, nature, and difference. London, UK: Routledge.
Todd, M. (2016). Why more and more women are identifying as bisexual. Web.
Weiss, S. (2015). 6 reasons telling women their power is in their sexuality is not empowering. Web.