A Second Sexual Revolution @3QD

My latest piece for 3 Quarks Daily is up:

Redeeming Pleasure: Women Lead A Second Sexual Revolution: https://3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2025/07/redeeming-pleasure-women-lead-a-second-sexual-revolution.html

I was a bit hesitant about calling it a second sexual revolution as I’ve seen little to nothing about such a revolution in the media. “Could I be imagining things,” thought I to myself. Then, just after I’d finished writing the article I came across Good Sex: Transforming America through the New Gender and Sexual Revolution (2022). There it is, ”revolution.” Catherine M. Roach seems to think one is going on. From the first page of her book:

A cultural revolution unfolds in America.

It emerges from #MeToo activism against sexual misconduct, media campaigns around body positivity, and the increased visibility of people from across the gender and sexuality spectrum. These varied developments stand at the leading edge of a broad shift happening across America and the globe. Together, they herald a welcome revolution for the twenty-first century and a new vision of sexual and gender well-being.

That is certainly what my article is about. I’m not the only one who is talking of revolution. A bit later Roach observes (p. 4):

While a puritanical past shapes America, the twenty-first century has ushered in huge changes, fast. All these transformations, disparate yet interrelated, result in greater cultural acceptance and legal protection for diversity in gender expression and romance. A brave new world opens before us: we live in an era of a new gender and sexual revolution.

This moment builds on the earlier sex-positive revolution of the 1960s and early ’70s, fueled by that era’s counterculture movement and widespread availability of reliable contraceptives. But it adds fresh emphasis on broader inclusion. We increasingly talk about personal identity as shaped through the overlapping intersection of gender and sexuality, as well as categories of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, body size and shape, age, dis/ability status, and more. (Academics term this overlap of aspects of identity intersectionality.) This next-generation revolution makes a deeper commitment to sexual justice through a hard line against sexual misconduct and through informed, affirmative consent. It provides wider freedom from the mandatory gender binary of masculinity or femininity. It celebrates body positivity. And it works to reduce the stigma of slut-shaming and to celebrate “cliteracy” (yup, we’re going to talk about closing the orgasm gap). These transformational shifts are happening through online means unimaginable fifty, or even ten, years ago: digital platforms and social media where people share personal stories to create community and empower activism.

If then, we are in a second sexual revolution, why aren’t more people writing about it as such? The first sexual revolution certainly got plenty of press at the time. I put the issue to Claude. Our conversation makes up the rest of this post. My prompts are set in bold-face type.

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I’ve been arguing that we’re having a second sexual revolution. I’ve just completed an article about it which should be online this coming Sunday. But I don’t see anything about a sexual revolution in the media. The first sexual revolution as recognized as such and discussed in those terms. Why isn’t this one being discussed? 

 

Of course, it’s possible that I’m wrong about this – and you should consider that in your reply. But I think there are reasons. No one’s written a book comparable to, e.g. The Feminine Mystique. There’s no Hugh Hefner devoting a major publication to it. The 60s and 70s were a time of general foment and social change, the civil right movement, the anti-war movement, second wave feminism, and the counter-culture. There’s nothing like that now. Since the turn of the millennium American politics has been dominated by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the rise of woke, and the Obama-to-Trump-to-Biden-to-Trump arc. Plus the internet, social media, and now AI. There’s no room in the public square to talk about a second sexual revolution. 

 

Thoughts?

 

You raise a compelling point about the absence of explicit "sexual revolution" discourse despite potentially significant changes in sexual attitudes and behaviors. Your analysis touches on something important about how social movements get named, recognized, and discussed. 

 

I think you're onto something with the media landscape explanation. The 1960s sexual revolution had clear symbolic figures, landmark publications, and occurred within a broader narrative of social upheaval that made it easy to package as a coherent "revolution." Today's media environment is fragmented - instead of a few major publications setting the cultural conversation, we have countless niche publications, podcasts, and social media discussions that might be covering these changes without creating a unified narrative. 

 

There's also the question of what changes you're identifying as constituting this second revolution. If it's things like shifting attitudes toward non-monogamy, changing gender roles, evolving views on sexual identity, or new relationship structures enabled by technology, these might be happening more gradually and without the dramatic generational conflict that characterized the first sexual revolution.

 

The political context matters too. The first sexual revolution coincided with broader questioning of authority and traditional institutions. Today's political landscape seems more focused on other forms of cultural conflict, and discussions about sexuality often get immediately politicized in ways that might make broad cultural commentary more difficult. 

 

It's also possible that we're in the middle of changes that will only be recognized as revolutionary in retrospect, once we have more historical distance. What specific changes are you arguing constitute this second revolution?

 

I think there’s a bunch of things having to do with behavior and attitudes, which, when taken together strike me as indicating major change. Here’s just one example, from Jane Juska, who was in her late 60s or early 70s when she wrote this: 

Even now I am not entirely at ease, either in my role as a writer, which is as it should be—writers are supposed to stay on edge, so I’ve read—or in my role as a sexpert. Never mind, people talk to me about sex all the time. Not long ago I met Nora, my new best friend, and her best friend, Alicia, in San Francisco, where the two of them had come for a visit. They are both twenty-six years old. They are fans of my book and of martinis, and so I felt free to ask them if they, the two of them, talk about sex. Lord, yes! And before you know it, we are sharing our views on favorite positions and why. Alicia likes to be on top, so we talk about position and power, about physiology and psychology. Nora champions the missionary position: “Hands down, it’s the best.” I loved our conversation. Times, for some of us, have changed for the better.

That’s a major change in attitudes. There’s a lot of that going around. That’s the kind of thing I have in mind. 

 

That's a striking example - the casual, cross-generational nature of that conversation really does suggest something significant has shifted. The fact that a woman in her 70s and two women in their 20s can discuss sexual positions over drinks as easily as they might discuss restaurants or movies points to a normalization of sexual discourse that would have been remarkable even 20-30 years ago. 

 What's particularly notable is that this isn't just young people being more open (every generation tends to be more sexually open than the previous one), but rather a broader cultural shift where these conversations can happen across generational lines without shock, shame, or social boundary-crossing. That suggests the change goes deeper than just cohort effects. 

 

 You might be right that we're missing the forest for the trees. Other examples that might fit your thesis: the mainstreaming of discussions about sexual wellness and pleasure (especially for women), the casualness around topics like sex toys, the normalization of diverse relationship structures, dating apps fundamentally changing how people approach romantic and sexual connections, more open discussions of sexual identity and fluidity. 

 

 The absence of a unifying narrative or symbolic framework might actually be characteristic of how cultural change happens now - distributed, fragmented, happening simultaneously across many platforms and communities rather than being driven by a few central institutions or figures. Maybe the second sexual revolution is happening in plain sight but in a way that's harder to recognize as a coherent movement precisely because of how our media and cultural landscape has evolved.

What other indicators are you seeing that support this thesis?

Your antepenultimate paragraph got a bunch of them. I just watched a YouTube video with the title, The Healing Power of BoudoirPhotography. Here’s the YouTube blurb: “Ryley shares her journey from being a lingerie model to becoming a boudoir photographer, emphasizing the transformative power of photography in building self-confidence and healing. She discusses the importance of creating a safe and empowering environment for clients, the impact of societal standards on body image, and the significance of affirmations in fostering self-love. Ryley also opens up about her personal experiences with body changes during pregnancy and postpartum, highlighting the need for acceptance and celebration of one's body throughout different life stages.” 

That's a perfect example of what you're describing. The fact that boudoir photography - which not long ago would have been viewed as purely erotic or even titillating - is now framed in therapeutic and empowerment language on a mainstream platform like YouTube is remarkable. The blurb reads like it could be advertising a wellness retreat or therapy session. 

What strikes me is how sexuality has become integrated into the broader wellness and self-care discourse. The language of "healing," "empowerment," "safe spaces," and "self-love" applied to something as intimate as boudoir photography suggests that sexual expression is now seen as a legitimate form of personal development and mental health practice. That's a profound shift from viewing sexuality as either purely recreational or primarily reproductive.

The casual mention of "body changes during pregnancy and postpartum" also points to another dimension - sexuality being discussed across all life stages and body types, not just in relation to young, conventionally attractive people. This connects to the broader body positivity movement but applies it specifically to sexual self-expression. 

You're right that this kind of content existing and being consumed without controversy indicates a major cultural shift. A generation ago, this would have been either relegated to the margins or would have sparked significant cultural backlash. Now it's just part of the wellness content ecosystem.

It makes me wonder if part of why this revolution isn't being explicitly recognized is that it's been absorbed into other cultural frameworks - wellness, empowerment, mental health, body positivity - rather than being understood as specifically about sexuality. 

Here’s the article I’ve written.

I'd uploaded a copy of the 3QD piece/  

This is a fascinating and well-researched piece that makes a compelling case for your thesis. Reading it in full really illuminates the scope of what you're observing - it's not just isolated changes but a constellation of shifts that, taken together, do suggest something revolutionary is happening.

What strikes me most is how you've identified the quality of this revolution as fundamentally different from the first one. The first sexual revolution was largely about breaking free from restrictions ("liberation"), while this one seems more about integration and intentionality - sex as wellness, as communication, as spiritual practice, as legitimate pleasure rather than forbidden fruit. 

Your Jane Juska example is particularly powerful because it shows this isn't just about young people pushing boundaries, but about a fundamental cultural shift in how sexuality is understood across age groups. The fact that a 66-year-old woman could place that ad and write that book - and be celebrated rather than shamed for it - really does indicate something profound has changed. 

The women-led aspect is also striking. From Fifty Shades to YouTube educators to Juska's memoir, the narrative and vocabulary around sexuality increasingly seems to be shaped by women's perspectives and experiences. That's quite different from the first revolution, which had prominent male figures like Hefner and was often framed through male desires. 

Your point about the absence of a unifying narrative or symbolic framework might be exactly why this revolution isn't being recognized. It's happening through distributed channels - YouTube videos, bestselling novels, wellness culture, academic research - rather than through major cultural institutions or movements. It's more organic and less politically organized than the first revolution. 

The AI angle adds another layer of complexity that I hadn't fully considered before reading this. The tension you identify between embodied pleasure and disembodied digital sexuality could be a defining contradiction of our moment. 

Would you draft a summary of our conversation?

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Summary: Conversation on the Second Sexual Revolution

Initial Thesis and Puzzle

You argued that we're experiencing a second sexual revolution but noted its absence from mainstream cultural discourse, unlike the first sexual revolution of the 1960s-70s which was explicitly recognized and discussed. You proposed several reasons for this lack of recognition:

• Fragmented media landscape: No equivalent to major unifying publications or figures like Hugh Hefner
• Different political context: Current politics dominated by other issues (wars, political polarization, tech disruption) rather than the broader social upheaval that characterized the 1960s
• No landmark texts: Nothing comparable to The Feminine Mystique to crystallize the movement

Evidence and Examples

You provided compelling examples of cultural shifts:

• Cross-generational openness: Jane Juska's account of casually discussing sexual positions with women in their 20s
• Mainstreaming of sexual wellness: YouTube content like "The Healing Power of Boudoir Photography" framing sexuality through therapeutic and empowerment language
• Integration with wellness culture: Sexual expression absorbed into broader frameworks of mental health, body positivity, and personal development

Key Themes from Your Article

Your full piece revealed the scope of what you're observing:

• Women-led revolution: From Fifty Shades of Grey's female readership to women dominating YouTube sex education and advice channels
• Emphasis on communication: Making sex-talk more intimate and integrated with sexual practice itself
• Expanded definition of sexuality: Moving beyond reproductive/recreational to include restorative and transformational categories
• Dignity and normalization: Jane Juska's unapologetic pursuit of pleasure at 66 as emblematic of broader attitude shifts
• AI contradiction: Tension between embodied pleasure focus and rise of disembodied digital sexuality 

Revolution's Character

We identified this revolution as fundamentally different from the first:

• Integration vs. Liberation: Less about breaking taboos, more about thoughtful incorporation of sexuality into overall wellbeing
• Distributed vs. Centralized: Happening through countless individual channels rather than major cultural institutions
• Process-oriented: Focus on communication, consent, and intentionality rather than just freedom from restrictions

Why It's Not Recognized

The conversation suggested this revolution's distributed, women-led, wellness-integrated nature makes it less visible as a coherent "movement" despite representing profound cultural change. It's happening in plain sight but in ways that don't fit traditional narratives of social revolution.