• Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Books
  • Podcast
  • Newsletter
  • Sexy Scribbles
  • Shop
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Hannah Witton

  • About
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Newsletter
  • Sexy Scribbles
  • Shop
  • Contact

On Being Sex Critical

July 27, 2018 · Sex & Relationships

Over the last two weeks I posted a 2-part series about sex positivity. “Why I’m Sex Positive” and “Why I’m NOT Sex Positive”.

Everything I said in those videos I believe and agree with. So because I agree with both, does that make me sex critical?

To be honest, I find it quite hard to let go of the label “sex-positive”. It’s the movement that brought me in to sex education, gave me the language to talk about diverse sexualities and fuelled my passion. Sex positivity taught me so much and made me truly understand the importance and necessity for comprehensive inclusive sex education in schools.

Whilst I still stand by sex positivity at it’s core, it has limitations. Maybe it’s time for me to evolve and grow. I’m now imagining this is sex-ed Pokemon and I’m Hannah Witton 2.0: Sex Critical Edition.

One of the best ways I can describe being “sex critical” is if we take the topic of porn. Consenting adults choosing to perform in porn and people watching porn for pleasure and learning new things about their desires is all good, right? But just because all parties involved are consenting and having a positive experience doesn’t mean we can’t still be critical. What gender roles are being perpetuated by the scene? Are any problematic behaviours being shown? Yes, the performers may have chosen this work but do they feel like they have the ability to choose to leave if they want to? Are they being paid fairly?

I love that even after 7 years of making videos and sex ed advocacy I’m still learning and changing my mind about things. It was actually my trip to Austria and the sex education seminar I attended there that inspired these videos. One of the workshops was about sex positivity. So we split into groups and I was on team NOT sex positive. We had articles to read (which is where I first came across “sex-negative feminism”) and debate our side.

I had gone into that seminar as a beacon of sex positivity – it was my framework for understanding sex. But that workshop changed everything. I had to consider things I’d never really thought about before. And I’m so grateful for it because it’s made me a better thinker, educator and person.

To be honest, I don’t want to tell you what you should be: sex positive, negative or critical. What I advocate for more is being open to learning new things that might change your mind. It’s a strange feeling. Like I said I’m still finding it hard to let go of “sex positivity” because it has meant so much to me. But with everything I know now, this seems to be the best way going forward. “Sex Critical” has been around for years and I’m kind of ashamed I didn’t discover it sooner but better late than never!

What do you think about all this? About being sex critical or simply about changing your mind about things? Let me know in the comments!

 

4 Comments

« Am I Disabled?
How Do YouTubers Make Money? – My Income Breakdown »

Comments

  1. Sam Saucier says

    July 27, 2018 at 4:58 pm

    For me, being sex critical should be the same thing as being sex positive. The two should encompass each other. I think being critical of the ways we interact with sexuality is the only way we can be truly be sex positive. If we just blindly accept all sex-related things without being critical of how we can be more inclusive, understanding, and radical, then it is actually detrimental to just accept these things at face value, although that may be the first step to being sex positive/critical (just as sex positivity was your gateway into the world of sex ed)

    Reply
  2. Annie says

    July 27, 2018 at 5:13 pm

    Even though I liked the points you were making in the video and I highly appreciate a critical view, I think in some ways its not critical enough. For example the need for sex positivity to include criticism of patriarchal structures – I think this is a very valid point. However at the end of the video you say, that sex positivity doesn’t take religion into account. Some of the most stable patriarchal structures stem from religion, so you can’t do both in my opinion. Being critical of patriarchal stuctures must include, in my opinion, criticism of religion.

    Reply
    • Mike says

      September 18, 2018 at 11:36 pm

      I think that what Hannah meant was the one needs to consider the role of religion in different individuals upbringing and self-image. That different people from different backgrounds (including religions that many in many in the west may not fully understand) our sure to have various different notions of what sex means to them and it’s not realistic to just expect everyone to just “shake it all off” because we see the lives they lead according to their upbringing as entirely oppressive. That doesn’t mean being uncritical of religion. It means having a more nuanced understanding of what kinds of role religion and faith (her complete words) can play in different people lives.

      Reply
  3. Riyha says

    July 31, 2018 at 7:54 am

    I thoroughly enjoyed watching your videos and your critical perspective pertaining this matter.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi! I’m Hannah, I’m a northerner living in London and I’ve been making online content for over 10 years. I’m known for having open and taboo busting conversations about sex and relationships, and I also love to nerd out about books, slow fashion, organisation and productivity.

  • Sex & Relationships
  • IBD & Ostomy
  • My Diary
  • Career
  • Travel
  • Style
Tweets by hannahwitton
Can you name all these pride flags? Thanks to Stef Can you name all these pride flags? Thanks to Stef from the @bishopsgateinstitute for showing us around! Full video behind the scenes at the UK’s biggest queer & kink archive on youtube.com/hannahwitton now! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️
Our “unconventional” opinions about romantic r Our “unconventional” opinions about romantic relationships 💖 check out @michellelelman’s dating dilemmas video on my YT channel & her new book “The Selfish Romantic”!
It’s my dad everyone!! After the video talking a It’s my dad everyone!! After the video talking about parenting with my mum, my dad really wanted his chance to Say His Piece and BOY DID HE! Watch him talk about getting praised for doing the bare minimum as a dad, what the word “fathering” implies and just general rants about gendered assumptions and parenting! 🥳🥳🥳
🚨London Parents 🚨 I’m giving a talk all ab 🚨London Parents 🚨 I’m giving a talk all about sex & intimacy after having a baby for @wearemotherplus! 16th Feb (just before my birthday 🥳) really excited to give this talk and chat to parents IRL about this topic that is so important but needs a real reframing in the way mainstream society talks about it. 
Hope to see you there! Tickets on sale now and babies welcome! 💛❤️
Details & tickets from wearemotherplus.com
Last week I met the one and only Emily Nagoski, an Last week I met the one and only Emily Nagoski, and her twin Amelia! They were in London giving a talk about their book Burnout and unlocking the stress cycle (I currently don’t have access to good sleep so I’ll have to pick laughing and crying instead! 😂😅😭) 

Emily is an incredible sex educator (Come As You Are author!) and I’ve been inspired and influenced by her work over the years 💖 I also interviewed her on my podcast @doingitpodcast via the interwebs in 2021 so it was lovely to be able to meet in person! 

Have you read Come As You Are or Burnout? What was something you learned from them?
Are we friends with our exes? Check out @michellel Are we friends with our exes? Check out @michellelelman’s dating dilemmas advice Q&A I’ve on my YT channel & her new book “The Selfish Romantic”!
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Copyright © Hannah Witton 2023 · Design by Gatto