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From: ford@titan.tsd.arlut.utexas.edu (Carolyn Ford)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: does healthy, mutual erotica exist?
Message-ID: <2995@titan.tsd.arlut.utexas.edu>
Date: 14 Mar 91 20:32:34 GMT
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I need some advice/suggestions for the following delimma:

My partner and I are having an ongoing debate on the harmfulness or
harmlesness of "light" pornography, specifically "Playboy."  My
normally open-minded and understanding partner insists that it is
completely innocuous, and he sees nothing wrong with looking at
these women because they're beautiful, and there is nothing wrong 
with the human body.  My argument is that these magazines portray
women as the playthings of men, and the idea that women in general are primarily
around for the pleasure of men.  

Now I know there was a raging debate in
this newsgroup last year on the pros/cons of pornography.  It is
not my intent to start that up again.  I have decided that, yes,
I believe the human body is beautiful, and that there is nothing
wrong with human sexuality, so what I am looking for are books or
magazines that celebrate the beauty of mutual sexuality.  I would
be willing to trade him "erotica" involving both sexes which
promotes positive feelings about both sexes, in exchange for him
giving up his subscription to Playboy.  Does anybody know if
such things exist?

Thanks for any help.  Yes, I am reading Andrea Dworkin's _Pornography_
at the moment, but I think it's not going to help me out much in 
my argument because Playboy doesn't show bondage, abuse, etc.  My
partner would be very opposed to those things, but still sees Playboy
as harmless.

carolyn