State funded feminist porn could be future of German sex ed
Germany’s SPD party is considering providing state funding for feminist pornography in an effort to tackle sexist, racist and damaging stereotypes in mainstream porn.
The porn could even be made available on the websites of public broadcasters, and be referred to during sex education at school, according to the proposal by the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which is part of the coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian-Democratic Union party.
The party voted to promote alternative porn at its state party conference in Berlin this month.
“Mainstream porn generally shows sexist and racial stereotypes in which consent is not a theme and certain ‘optimal’ body types are made as standard,” the SDP proposal reads. “In these films, sex seems more like a performance or competitive sport: everything seems to work right away, there is no communication between the performers, no trying out, failure and trying out new things.”
The idea came from the party’s youth wing, who want the government-paid porn to be educational. The hope is that watching more feminist inclusive porn will give young people a more realistic view of sex. Young people can come into contact with porn as young as 8, and it can leave a lasting impression.
“Even young people start too often with completely unrealistic ideas in their sexual life and do not have the opportunity to develop a self-confident relationship with their body, their sexuality and health. It's about supplementing extracurricular education,” the party said.
The party first came up with the idea last year, inspired by Sweden’s model. In Sweden, the state film institute supported a series of free feminist porn films called “Dirty Diaries,” which have been available to watch for free online since 2009.
What exactly is feminist porn?
While the idea of feminist porn may make some people picture stereotypical angry feminists shouting “down with the patriarchy” as they whip men, the reality is a little different.
READ MORE: Send us your nudes: Facebook’s bizarre strategy for fighting revenge porn
Feminist porn tends to be made in good working conditions by diverse directors and producers, and actors who represent different body shapes, ethnicities and sexualities. It also shows both parties communicating about what they want, and enjoying sex.
The SPD says it is aware that feminist porn is not enough to change things, as sex education reform is also needed, and are calling for feminist porn to be included in sex ed lessons at school.
If you like this story, share it with a friend!
