Posts Tagged ‘human sexuality’

San Francisco May Become First City in the United States to Decriminalize Prostitution

// October 22nd, 2008 // No Comments » // All things LGBT, Anti-Capitalism, Political Theory

And Michael Foucault wishes from his grave that he could have lived 25 years more had it not been for his misadventures in Iran.

(Hey, I love Foucault)

The jibe was in reference to his opposition to the repression of human sexuality and how governments had made ‘prostitution’ into a social problem. Government control of ‘prostitution’ does not just entail repressive mechanisms (following from Foucault’s repressive hypothesis), but has also created acceptable prostitution (the billion-dollar porn industry) and unacceptable ones (people forced to work the streets out of sheer desperation)

The ballot question technically would not legalize prostitution, since state law still prohibits it, but the measure would eliminate the power of local law enforcement officials to go after prostitutes.

Often, innocent transgendered and transsexuals are targeted by law enforcement for just ’standing there’ – That should stop.

The first thought in my head upon hearing about Proposition K was a Why Not? Whoring is already decriminalized Re:Capital Hill, handsomely rewarded and more virulent! Does it matter whether it’s whoring out your body, your conscience or your principles? San Francisco district attorney Kamala Harris is protesting that ‘prostitution is not a victimless crime’ – Yes Ms. Harris, the American people know that by now.

Our bourgeois, not content with having the wives and daughters of their proletarians at their disposal, not to speak of common prostitutes, take the greatest pleasure in seducing each other’s wives.

Alas, our wives and daughters are not enough. Now they are whoring out our livelihoods.

Vote Yes on Prop K

The Sexist Politics of Online Censorship

// July 17th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // All things LGBT, Gender

Youtube has a strict policy of banning boobs or nipple show (unless we are talking educational material like self-examination – Actually on that note I am even going to defend the educational value of love scenes but not here). Getting to the point, someone please explain to me why showing L-O-V-E scenes with boobs (or even just sex for the sake of sex) is censored on the most popular video site but watching and listening to ignorance, bigotry, violence and hate speech online is not? What is ultimately more harmful to society? Kids seeing natural things like mammary glands or a twisted view of the world through this, this and this? I am just tired of the amount of times the L word community has had to remove or edit out certain portions of sex scenes to upload them — mind you, the scenes are done in good taste and I don’t remember anything vulgar about them. I simply don’t understand why it is acceptable to show your midriff or thighs but not other parts of your body. And then we have the double standard in society that men can walk around topless while women cannot. Explain.

On a good note, while prostitution is not legal, sites like Craigslist are not liable for postings that offer prostitution services. Heck, even child prostitutes are selling themselves on Craigslist but the Courts have ruled (and RIGHTLY in the case of file-swapping especially) that a medium of exchange is not liable for the views or materials exchanged on that medium.

Maybe I stand on an extremely liberal position on issues when it comes to sexuality — I cannot stand any sort of repression of human sexuality (unless we are talking about some issues involving minors). But I really do believe that our priorities are screwed up.

On a final note, here, here and here are some videos that show nipples during sex scenes that Youtube has not taken down YET, so enjoy while you can.

Indian women will appear as exotic nurses in an American mini web series of 50 episodes.

// July 7th, 2008 // No Comments » // Desi-Indian

Can I say, Finally? It is too that most of Hollywood does not portray women in a positive light. I can already hear protests all the way from the regressive people of India who cannot even take the new modernized version of the Mahabharata without thinking of the “good ole days.” Psssssssssssst.

Oh, “exotic nurses?” Please. What on earth is that supposed to mean?


The series’ being produced by a California-based production company named ‘Big Fantastic’ is a prequel to best-selling author Robin Cook’s latest medical thriller, Foreign Body, which is centres n medical tourism in India.

Its producers have revealed that the novel’s storyline will pick up from where the web series ends on August 4.

As regards its plot, the producers have revealed that the women are taken in by a group of “young, cut throat medical entrepreneurs who hope to train them and cultivate their nursing skills for their own mysterious ends.”

Cook has himself supplied the outline for the prequel, the episodes of which have been filmed in Los Angeles and Delhi.

Cast member Rachna Khatau has revealed that she is playing a free-spirited Indian woman named Samira Patel, who grabs an opportunity to chase the American dream.

She admits that her character “gets a little wild” when she tastes the freedom offered in America.

Shamita Dasgupta, who heads the New Jersey-based South Asian women’s rights group, Manavi, says that the series promises a “parade of scantily clad brown bodies of Indian women”.

“As an immigrant from India and a feminist activist in the South Asian American community, my first reaction is to say, hurray, at least I will get to see some faces that look like me. Also, I rejoice that a few Indian actors are getting visible jobs,” the BBC quoted her as saying.

Her second reaction was, however, more guarded.

“Here we go again, I say. Historically, Hollywood portrayed Asian women as mysterious, bizarre and strange and contributed a lot to their being perceived as such. Now, Indian women are being exoticised and presented as sneaky murderous intrigue-mongers,” she said.

“The ‘Indian’ characters in Foreign Body are nurses, who are as far away from any care-giving mission or characteristics as possible. These women will be unleashed in the US to wreak havoc in the health care community and perhaps even in the system. Could this be a sign of the dominant community’s palpable alarm at the increasing health care tourism to India? Most likely,” she added.

Another actress Pranidhi Varshney, who portrays a girl born and raised in India in the series, said that she did not have any qualms about playing a “sexy Indian nurse”.

Both Khatau and Varshney said that their families had been supportive of their new roles.

Khatau, who claims that her parents have not missed a single episode of the show, said that the producers had the option of converting the project into a film.

Though Varshney and Khatau have not read any of Robin Cook’s books, they are eagerly awaiting his latest thriller.

Published by HT Syndication with permission from Asian News International.

Michel Foucault – References and Works

// June 25th, 2008 // No Comments » // Political Theory

It’s officially 24 years since the death of great French social critic, Michel Foucault (yea yea, my favorite). Anyway, the following is a list of Foucault books and resources that I have been able to locate on the internet and referencing here for educational, non-commercial purposes.

While he died in 1984 of HIV (yes, he was gay), his contributions to our ‘disciplines’ are numerous. His lecture series from the College of France is also quite insightful. I am waiting for a good deal on the latest one “Security, Territory and Population.”

Year Original French English Translation
1997 1976–1977 Il faut défendre la société Society Must Be Defended
1999 1974–1975 Les anormaux Abnormal
2001 1981–1982 L’Herméneutique du sujet The Hermeneutics of the Subject
2003 1973–1974 Le pouvoir psychiatrique Psychiatric Power
2004 1977–1978 Sécurité, territoire, population Security, Territory, Population
2004 1978–1979 Naissance de la biopolitique The Birth of Biopolitics
Forthcoming 1970–1971 La Volonté de Savoir The Will to Knowledge
Forthcoming 1971–1972 Theories et Institutions Penales Theories of Punishment
Forthcoming 1972–1973 La Société Punitive The Punitive Society
Forthcoming 1979–1980 Du gouvernement des vivants The Government of Man
Forthcoming 1980–1981 Subjectivite et Vérité Subjectivity and Truth
2008 1982–1983 Le Gouvernement de soi et des autres The Government of Self and Others
Forthcoming 1983–1984 Le Courage de la Vérité The Courage of Truth