September 25, 2006 | Sex & Society

America's war on sex

There's a new name for the religious right in the United States. And no, it's not a four-letter word, despite what many people are calling conservatives these days. Rather, it's a three-word phrase:  the "Sexual Disaster Industry" (SDI),  coined by Dr. Marty Klein in his new book, "America's War on Sex."

In a review praising Klein's book for its frank approach to sexuality and its honest assessment of American culture, AVN calls "America's War on Sex" the "best book yet written dealing with the collision between the adult industry, sex-positive activism and the religious right."

The book -- and the review -- dissects America's anti-sex attitude and refutes claims that conservatives' battle against sex is an effort to protect children, family, morals and community. Instead, Klein asserts, their battle against sex is a war on "sex-for-pleasure."

"For [the religious right], sex is either authorized or unauthorized," Klein writes. "And sex is authorized only between legally married heterosexual couples, generally limited to penis-vagina intercourse ... This means that most Americans are having unauthorized sex."

Enter the SDI, which Klein says is composed of federal and local government, conservative churches, 'morality' organizations, right-wing think tanks, daytime talk shows and evening news programs, all trying to stop "unauthorized" sex. Their methods? Abstinence-only education, pro-life advocacy and media censorship -- in short, fear and repression over freedom and expression.

"Americans have had so many rights of expression, economic choice and privacy for so long that most have trouble envisioning their world without them," Klein says. "For people who enjoy a little porn once a week, it's hard to imagine our constitutional structure turning on such a seemingly trivial thing. The righteous anger of the Right, enthroned in federal and state government, clearly sees what the average porn consumer still doesn't: The profound connection between the personal and the political."

In other words, even though we'll all come out of the closet as being gay or straight, we still blush when we're caught with a porno at the local video store.  So next time you're renting  your favorite fuck flick,  do America a favor: Don't hide it in your coat -- wear it on your sleeve!

• Review: America's war on sex [AVN]