Consider this PAPER’s rogues gallery. Be wary of any claims from the following people and organizations. Just because it sounds official doesn’t mean it’s true! Unfortunately, sex is still stigmatized enough that a person or an organization can ignore the facts and still be taken seriously by the people and by policymakers.
PAPER believes the best course is to make sure the rest of us know better. First, know the issues and the facts, then familiarize yourself with the detractors. While PAPER and other sex-positive people and groups rely on research and pragmatism, these groups will invariably rely on dubious “science,” ideology, and distortions of facts and statistics.
So, without further ado, the detractors:
Reclaim Our Culture Kentuckiana (ROCK)
We must admit, without ROCK, PAPER wouldn’t exist. (We hope you appreciate the snark in our name.) Check out Dealing with ROCK.
Concerned Women for America
Promoters of ignorance and homophobia. Note the “for America” sentiment—like so many sex-negative groups, these people claim to be part of a “real” America, not the country where all of us have to live beside each other. Also note that CWA likes to pretend that modern feminism is a blight on American culture. More than enough to offend anyone with feminist sensibilities.
Focus on the Family
One of the most influential sex-negative groups in recent American history, steeped in evangelical Christianity. If there’s a backward, exclusionary view on something related to sex, you can believe Focus on the Family espouses it. This is also a preeminent offender when it comes to stigmatizing those who work for sex-positive goals: being sex-positive absolutely does not mean you’re anti-family.
Judith Reisman
This supposed researcher is a favorite of anti-porn groups. She’s most known for trying to smear Kinsey as a pedophile (there’s no evidence for this) and the nonsensical idea of “erototoxins.” This article debunks her nicely. Remember, if someone cites her as a source, that she has no peer-reviewed credentials whatsoever.
Kentucky Family Foundation
A local Focus on the Family-style group, working hard to force its fundie evangelical ideas into policy. Unconstitutional and unreasonable.
Media Research Center and Culture and Media Institute
Both founded by conservative L. Brent Bozell III, these organizations propagate the myth that the media is biased toward the left. Both organizations claim morality and virtue for conservative heterosexuals only. As an exercise, go here and as you read the articles, find at least five fundamental problems with each one.
National Abstinence Education Association
One of the biggest proponents of abstinence-only sex education in America. Check out how they claim success in Georgia, while Georgia’s official site mentions nothing about abstinence. While it’s easy to find information that contradicts NAEA’s (check out PAPER’s information or just go to Google), it’s most important to remember how poor their solution is. It makes no sense to combat teen pregnancy and STI rates by removing safe sex information. Ignorance is no more a virtue than virginity is, either—teens who know nothing about contraception and safe sex become adults who know nothing about contraception and safe sex.
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Don’t be afraid to tip PAPER to other sex-negative groups. We’re happy to put the word out.
