Ann E. Menasche

Ann E. Menasche is a feminist and civil rights lawyer. She argues in the following viewpoint that most of the efforts of anti-pornography feminists support the central objective of the women’s movement: equal rights for women. She contends that all feminists should oppose pornography because it is hate speech that encourages sexual violence against women. Feminists who resort to name-calling and misrepresentation of the anti-pornography stance threaten to shut down the feminist debate about sexuality and pornography’s effects on women, she argues.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Menasche, what is the main difference between the stances of anti-pornography feminists and those on the far-right who oppose pornography?
2. In the author’s opinion, why have increasing numbers of women and...