You know, I was just reading last night about the history of Polynesia, a complex society or culture spread across the Pacific on various islands — one of which, Hawaii, became a U.S. state after White settlers violently overthrew the indigenous government.
The Polynesians had built stable, successful societies, and had advanced the art of seafaring to the point that they could reliably cross thousands of miles of open ocean in catamarans, which they invented. (That's how they settled uninhabited New Zealand in the 14th century.)
Then they met Europeans. Who admired their culture sometimes, but who often abhorred their customs surrounding sexuality, including public erotic dance and women who didn't cover their breasts. Oh, and women who often had much more power to control their own sexuality than European women.
The word kink was not in use at the time, but European visitors to Polynesian Islands often described the people in ways that honored the spirit of that word — with a certain amount of sexual horror and disgust.
Eventually, The United States and European powers came to dominate all of Polynesia, enforcing assimilating policies and stamping out indigenous sexual expression amd practices.
The prime motivation for conquest was usually economic exploitation (as in Hawaii), but the messaging to whip up support for the exploitation was usually something like, "send Christian missionaries to convert the naked savages!"
To put shirts on topless women and teach them to be ashamed of their sexuality. To stop being so kinky.
Entire populations were decimated, and sometimes almost entirely slaughtered, in the name of "sexual decency."
Well, I'm sorry, but there's not a damn thing inherently indecent about a woman bearing her breasts in public or controlling her own sexuality, to the point of choosing to have sex if she wants to and just because she wants to.
The Polynesian conquest by European powers were some of the world's first kink wars, and it's interesting to note that our impulse to severely control sexuality has barely diminished.
Christians, for the most part, with the exception of a small but (I hope) growing progressive movement, are viciously sex-negative. Not only do they condemn the slightest expression of sexuality, but they continue to do everything they can to subjugate women sexually, including in the United States and increasingly successful effort to rip sexual autonomy from women with criminal laws.
I'm speaking of abortion of course, but let's note that conservative Christians also are working very hard to make contraception more difficult for women to obtain.
At the same time, they're screaming in horror over drag queens and anything else they see as signifying sexuality — whether the intent to do that is actually there or not.
It's the same horror show that was rained on Polynesia, and for that matter the same horror show that was rained on many of North America's indigenous cultures.
Your point about consent is very important, and it's a nuanced position that deserves careful attention. But let's remember that the anti-kink forces have been around for many centuries, and their positions are essentially religious nonsense.
Their positions are of suppressing and controlling sexuality for other people, because their religious values somehow see sexuality is evil or sinful or dangerous.
We must not give these superstitious ideas automatic or undo respect.
They are something to fight! These attitudes are unhealthy and terribly oppressive!
The fight for kink is a fight for fundamental liberty and human expression. It's a fight against nonsensical religious superstition and oppression.
The Polynesians lost that fight against the Christians and suffered horribly for it.
Going forward, let's hope love, decency, and the fullness of human potential defeat the oppressive evil of traditional Christianity!
Here's to kink!
