What is Radical Love?

What does it mean to love radically? Natty Seidenverg is a writer and activist that does workshops on radical love. Check out this interview with Natty conducted by Mickey Z. on CounterCurrents.org

Here is an exerpt...

What do you mean by the term "radical love"? Does it automatically imply polyamory? Does it automatically exclude monogamy?

Radical love does not have a concrete definition, and that is purposeful. I came to my understandings of radical love and radical environmentalism at the same time, so for me, radical love is literally against concrete. Rather than offering a single, universal definition for “radical love,” I think we need to pay more attention to the heterogeneity of love in varying circumstances, and we need to become attuned to the fact that just as most living things change across time and from one bioregion and one person to another, so do ideas about love. Love is not manufactured, and it defies stasis or universality. That said, radical love as a term does have some broad and important currents. Unlike monogamy or polyamory, radical love is about quality, not quantity. For me, radical love simply means applying my politics to my way of loving.

More info: http://loveradical.wordpress.com/

No "Denial of Life and Joy"

Today I want to celebrate the ideas of Emma Goldman. One of the leading anarchist and feminist thinkers of her time, Goldman was a tireless advocate for sexual freedom, pioneering the cause of birth control and free love. Although she never actually made the statement about the emptiness of a dance-less revolution that is famously attributed to her, she did express the following in her autobiography Living My Life:

"At the dances I was one of the most untiring and gayest. One evening a cousin of Sasha [Alexander Berkman], a young boy, took me aside. With a grave face, as if he were about to announce the death of a dear comrade, he whispered to me that it did not behoove an agitator to dance. Certainly not with such reckless abandon, anyway. It was undignified for one who was on the way to become a force in the anarchist movement. My frivolity would only hurt the Cause.

"I grew furious at the impudent interference of the boy. I told him to mind his own business, I was tired of having the Cause constantly thrown into my face. I did not believe that a Cause which stood for a beautiful ideal, for anarchism, for release and freedom from conventions and prejudice, should demand the denial of life and joy. I insisted that our Cause could not expect me to become a nun and that the movement should not be turned into a cloister. If it meant that, I did not want it. 'I want freedom, the right to self-expression, everyboy's right to beautiful, radiant things.' Anarchism meant that to me, and I would live it in spite of the whole world--prisons, persecution, everything. Yes, even in spite of the condemnation of my own comrades I would live my beautiful ideal." [Living My Life (New York: Knopf, 1934), p. 56]

For more on Emma Goldman's pioneering philosophy of sexual freedom see her landmark essays "The Hypocrisy of Puritanism," "The Traffic in Women," and "Marriage and Love."

The Ethical Slut Returns

A cult classic among those curious about and adherents of nonmonogamy, The Ethical Slut has returned. Its new addition was just published with some new additions. One of the book's co-author's was recently interviewed by Mary Beckerman of the Daily Beast about it. Here's an exerpt with a link below. What do you think of this book's success and its implications?

By "slut," you don’t mean someone who detaches sex from emotion, or who selfishly takes advantage of others; instead you urge readers to seek love -- genuine emotional connections -- in "abundance," rejecting the notion that our affection is a pizza with only so many slices.

This idea started way back in the communal era in 1969 when I was in Haight-Ashbury. I said, "If I want to change my world in terms of how relationships are, and be non-monogamous forever in my own personal life, it should be about warmth and affection." One of the very first things I learned was how to be affectionate toward many lovers, which is very hard to do coming from New York where things are very cool and detached.

There was no precedent but it worked; I could love them, be there for them, care for them -- if someone was sick I’d bring them chicken soup -- and be loyal in a new way that fit for a lot of people, including other women and single mothers. We were the love generation, and we were very new to sexual freedom. There was a lot of idealism. Very quickly I had a community of people excited about raising our children. We created the proverbial village long before It Takes a Village.

Read the rest of the interview on Alternet.

Pornocalypse Now and the Price of Pleasure

The issue of pornography seems to be constantly fading in and out of the national (sub)conscious. It has been more at the forefront lately with controversy stemming from a public screening of a hardcore porn flick at the University of Maryland. Adult film giant Digital Playground made their latest feature Pirates II: Stagnetti's Revenge available for free to college campus across the country. When conservative politicians in Maryland got wind of this they attempted to pull the plug, which only sparked a fight by students on campus over the free speech implications involved. The film was eventually screened, but was preceded by debate over freedom of expression organized by the ACLU.

Porn is complex issue. To go beyond the narrow debate that is usually framed in black and white terms around the first ammendment, the producers of The Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality, and Relationships and its distributor, the Media Education Foundation, are countering Digital Playground's campaign by offering free screenings to colleges as well.

“The reason we’re doing this is simple,” said Sut Jhally, the Executive Director of the Media Education Foundation. “What’s needed on this issue is more discussion, not less, and this film is a perfect vehicle for achieving this. If students are serious about their defense of free speech and open debate, they’ll fight to make sure this documentary is shown as well.”

Check out MEF's full press release announcing the deal.

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The latest issue of Adbusters also weighs in on the contemporary debate around pornography and postmodern culture. Douglas Haddow explains in his piece "Pornocalypse Now:"

"...very little of this sexual media reflects reality in any way. When watching hard-core porn, one is struck by the message it so desperately attempts to communicate: sex is boring. And the more violent the porn, it seems, the more anti-sex its message. But could anything be further from the truth? Isn’t having sex with another living, human being the one thing that provides the most intense connection with the present moment?"

Porn is an excellent example of how the personal is political. From larger structures that profit from the objectification of women's bodies to the effect that porn addiction has on inumerable relationships, it's a complex matter that deserves a rich dialogue. Check back here for more on the politics of porn in the future.

Sexy Spring 6! June 5-7, 2009 Minneapolis

If you are able to get to the Twin Cities in early June, I highly recommend checking Sexy Spring 6. I was able to attend a few years ago and got a lot out of the experience. The people were all really friendly and interesting and the skillshares were informing and stimulating. The title of this blog actually owes itself to a workshop that held that year and I believe will be offered there once again this time around. Here's some more info about Sexy Spring 6, but check out their website for updates as it closer...

Sexy Spring is focused on exploring the ways sex, sexuality, relationships, our bodies, and our choices affect our lives. It's a weekend full of workshops, discussions, play, demonstrations, crafting, art shows, communal meals, telling stories, and sex/body performances and dancing.

http://www.sexyspring.org

Radical Monogamy?

Hello everyone! This is a new blog about sexuality, relationships, and struggle against sexism and gender oppression. "Radical Monogamy" is a nebulous term that is meant to challenge both those invested in the traditional, and often repressive, institution of monogamous coupledom and also sex radicals who are uncritical of the limitations and contradictions inherit to the various forms of nonmonogamy practiced today.

Radical Monogamy seeks to be a resource of sex positivity and liberation from patriarchy and everyday hetero/sexism. From sex worker solidarity and forging a dialogue about confronting street harassment to communicating and actualizing sexual fantasies and highlighting relevant news articles, this blog is dedicated to both intellectual and erotic stimulation for all.

Enjoy and participate!

xoxo