Hi, I'm back with some research whimsy today. Found a great site with an unexpected analysis of "The Victorian View of Female Sexuality by Michael Rupkalvis. (Photos found @ Photobucket)
"The "cult of true womanhood" dictated that submissiveness, purity and piety were the traits of a lady. Instead of embracing womanhood, the push was more towards making a woman asexual. The only reason a lady would have sex was to procreate. And certainly, a lady would never enjoy sex."
"Contraception was another taboo subject, being regarded as pornographic. The medical profession, too, looked down on sex. They found it absolutely deplorable to think that a woman was capable of having an orgasm. Enjoyment of sex or the desire to have sex was not considered normal for females. Pregnancy was seen as a "delicate' condition".
"The only women deemed worthy of marriage were those that abstained from sexual activity. This lead to a flourishing prostitution business. Though the male was pushed to control his natural instincts, they were considered too weak to control them on their own. So they utilized prostitutes. Unmarried women often turned to prostitution, as a way to earn money and to fulfill the innermost desires of the men they attended."
That was only 150 years ago and as Mr. Rupkalvis notes, "... even today, in 21st Century America, remnants of the Victorian attitudes toward female sexuality remain entrenched in large pockets of our society."We've come a long way, ladies. Let's celebrate our new awareness and rights by remembering where we've been as we make sure we never end up there again!
Thanks for stopping by.
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1 comment:
AMEN! Fab post, Gem.
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