Issues in sexual orientation

Liberal and Conservative Views on All Things Sex

It is no secret that the liberals and conservatives of the world do not see eye-to-eye on many issues. Among the most contentious of the issues at stake, especially in the latter half of the twentieth century and into the modern era are issues relating to sexual practices and sexuality in general. Every culture has rules regulating what is and is not acceptable sexual behavior, and our country has been going through what appears to be an increasingly polarize disagreement about how this culture views sexuality. On one side are the liberals, who basically view human sexuality and its expression as a natural thing requiring very few protections, and these are mostly for minors. Conservatives would have far stricter regulations on many things than currently exist, believing first that sexuality is directly related to a universal human morality, and second that it is the duty of the government to protect that morality.

Similar fights are taking place in many countries around the globe, often with more drastic consequences than we face here. Yet this does not make the issue any less important on the home front. Here, the debate over sexual rights and liberties is mainly waged by the Democrats on the liberal side and the Republicans on the other. These labels are in actuality rather imprecise, and ignore large portions of both political parties and both political views -- not to mention many other parties and views that cannot be painted with such broad brush strokes -- but the groups often label themselves and the others in this fashion, not altogether inaccurate.

There are also a few areas where the two parties and the two major camps of political thought in the country agree. Such issues are always complex, however, and agreement is rarely total. An examination of a few specifics sexuality-related topics makes this abundantly clear.

Pornography is one of the most controversial subjects regarding sexuality today, both in private conversations and relationships and in the government. Liberal organizations like the ACLU believe in the complete protection of any unharmful "speech," which includes almost all kinds of pornography. In an open letter to Congress, the ACLU even opposes a bill which would render virtual child pornography illegal, claiming as it exploits no one it should remain protected by the first amendment (ACLU, 2009). Conservative groups, on the other hand, often hold on to a view usually based in Christianity that sex is only for procreation, and should be a completely private act between a married couple, completely precluding the moral rectitude of producing, disseminating, or viewing any type of pornographic material (American Family Association, 2007).

Two issues where higher levels of agreement between the two sides are prostitution and teen pregnancy, which neither side sees as desirable aspects of a society. But though the distaste might be the same on both sides, the degree and vehemence with which the two sides are opposed to these two ills are quite different. Both the ACLU and the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom appear to be against the practice of prostitution. Especially in areas where it is illegal (i.e. most of the country, but they also protest against police crackdowns on suspected prostitution areas and harsh punishments for convicted prostitutes (ACLU, 2009; NCSF, 2008). The stated conservative view is far more clear cut: both the Republicans for Family Values website and the American Family Association simply contain no reference to it, ignoring the problem completely (RFV, 2009; AFA, 2007). Teen pregnancy is more equally frowned upon, though there are drastic differences in the allowable methods of handling and preventing such situations.

Sexual education is a major area of difference,; many conservatives advocate abstinence-only education, whereas liberals assert that broader safe-sex instruction is more effective. But the major issue in dealing with teen pregnancy -- and other unwanted or unplanned pregnancies -- is abortion. Traditionally, liberals are for abortion and conservatives are against it. This is clearly shown in the article currently appearing on the Republicans for Family Values homepage, whose headline reads, "Obama Is Radically Pro-Homosexual and Radically Pro-Abortion-on-Demand -- and Christians Voters Should Care" (RFV, 2009). In contrast, the ACLU's leading story regarding abortion has to do with their petition to the Unites States Supreme Court to keep the mother's health at the forefront of their decision regarding a Federal Abortion Ban (ACLU, 2009). Almost no issue is more devisive than this isse of abortion, except that of homosexuality which breaks along the same lines. Liberals think its each individuals right to do what they please with their body, and conservatives feel that the government should have a hand in determining what behavior is legally and morally acceptable.