Lusting for Freedom

For many young women, sex is all too often a power held by others that is used against them. It is something they are taught to avoid and to fear…“There are forces that subvert girls’ access to freeing and empowering sex—forces like HIV/AIDS, limited access to health care, and parental notification laws that force thousands of young women to seek out illegal and sometimes fatal abortions.” (p.19) In addition to the forces mentioned by Rebecca Walker, there are a bevy of other constraining influences that seek to stifle a young woman’s sexuality; whether it’s overly conservative parents or a fire and brimstone religious faith, young women are constantly bombarded by authority figures telling them to steer clear of sex until they are married (or at least until they’re 18). As Walker further explains, “Sex can also be power because knowledge is power…” (p.20) Sex is power in the form of knowledge as well as freedom. Sexual liberation, when achieved safely and in a smart way can be a very powerful source of personal reflection and growth. Walker postulates that, “Without being able to respond to and honor the desires of our bodies and our selves, we become cut off from our instincts for pleasure, dissatisfied living under rules and thoughts that are not our own.” (p.23) If a young women is overly sexually constrained then she will feel uncomfortable in her own body, which could lead not only to sexual confusion, but to being sexually exploited in truly harmful ways.