Nina Hartley

Society should not be ashamed of the sexual activity that is displayed in pornography, argues Nina Hartley in the following viewpoint. In fact, she maintains, high-quality pornography is beneficial because it celebrates the pleasure of sexuality—the instinctual life force that all humans share in common. In Hartley’s view, the existence of objectionable, tasteless pornography never justifies the suppression of sexually explicit images and texts. She concludes that concerned citizens should actively oppose any attempted censorship of sexually graphic materials. Hartley is an adult film actress and an activist in feminist and anticensorship issues.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. In Hartley’s opinion, what is fueling the current “anti-sex hysteria”"

2. How can pornography save civilization, in the author’s view"

3. According to Hartley, why does objectionable, poor- quality pornography exist...