Pornography: the Feminist Dilemma

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To underscore their civil rights strategy and distinguish themselves from the religious Right, some militants rejected the commission's first 36 recommendations, which call for stronger antiobscenity measures. Other feminists consider porn a symptom of sexism, not a cause. Says Nan Hunter: "Sexual abuse is not caused by violent sexual movies any more than war is caused by Rambo." But many agree with the commission that porn is linked to sexual assault. NOW President Eleanor Smeal says that feminist work with rape victims and battered wives points up "the influence of violent pornography firsthand." But, she adds, "we don't want to suppress sexually explicit material that is not harmful or violent." The problem, similar to the one faced by the Meese Commission, is sorting out what is and is not damaging. Says Deborah Chalfie, a Washington attorney active in Feminists Against Pornography: "I still have problems with defining what we are trying to get at."

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