Immoral Panic

Those who read my blog likely remember my 2/17/2022 article “At War With Sex,” which was largely a response to a 2/12/2022 Novara Media article “Why Is Gen Z So Sex-Negative?” Although I do think the article makes some interesting points, I also believe that its use of the phrase “sex negative,” was reductive and the philosophy the article exposes is utterly nonsensical.

However, certain parts of the article have stuck in my head as examples of bizarre fears. Take this part, which warns that young people today too concerned with sexual consent:

Maddie Holden quotes a number of young people who profess to avoid sex for a number of reasons: because they find it “objectifying”, “dangerous”, “uncomfortable”, “fucked up and scary”; because they are “exceptionally concerned with trauma and consent”; because casual sex makes them feel “used”.

Of course, the idea of finding sex scary is nothing new — most young people feel intimidated by it, especially early on — and the rest are personal concerns that primarily rely on your partner. However, I want to make note of the claim that young people today are “exceptionally concerned with trauma and consent.” What does it mean to be “exceptionally concerned with . . . consent” exactly? Anyone who’s having sex — assuming they aren’t committing rape — is only doing so because of the consent of their partner. How does one become…