Break her back and overthrow the government

One writer analyses the correlation between sexual freedom and state authoritarianism across the world.

Amelie Baker
13th February 2023
Image credit: Flickr
Sex and government - not the most obvious of pairings, nor the most agreeable, but the two are undeniably related. I don’t mean to bring politicians into the bedroom, but, really, they were already there.

Sexual freedom and sexual limitations are, unfortunately, controlled by the state instead of the individual: it is politicians who ultimately decide who we can have sex with, who we can marry, and what we do with our bodies. As gross as this sounds, this is the case in countries across the world, democratic or not. And while we don’t want to think about Rishi Sunak in a sexual context, it is true of this country as well. In the UK, however, we are lucky enough to have a reasonably progressive democracy from when it comes to sexual freedoms: abortion is legal, same-sex marriage is legal, and the majority of laws related to both are in place for our own protection. We also do not have any military coups or civil unrest (if we ignore the strikes). Can there be a link between the two?

The UK is lucky enough to be reasonably progressive when it comes to sexual freedoms and bodily autonomy

According to Hilary Clinton, there most definitely is. She argues that women’s rights and violence against women should be considered national security issues. Meanwhile, certain sections of the US appear to view this statement as a personal challenge. Increasing right-wing extremism, as seen in the attack on the Capitol in 2021, seems to be more prominent in Republican-dominated states seeking to control abortion, and, by extension, sex itself. These states' increasingly drastic approaches to issues surrounding female bodily autonomy, in addition to events on the federal level (such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade) is certainly indicative of a connection between political stability and political approaches towards sex. In the US, it seems that women's rights issues are indeed becoming an issue of national security.

Looking further afield, Brunei is an example of a country in which it is legal to flog and in some cases kill LGBTQ+ citizens, reflecting the extremist approach taken to sexual policy issues and the state's existence as a Sharia law-influenced monarchical dictatorship. The Sultan has been the head of state, with full control of the executive branch and of the government's emergency powers since 1962. This shows how an authoritarian state can exercise its absolute power through the control of its subjects’ bodies and sexual autonomy.

We should celebrate our right to sexual freedom

In Nigeria, a country which experienced nine coups between 1966 and 2014, identifying as LGBTQ+ can result in a prison sentence of up to 14 years - although some have argued that this has more to do with the destructive effects of British colonial rule rather than the government's domineering approach to sexual issues. Regardless, it is clear that in countries where there is state control of individuals' sex lives and bodily autonomy, the ruling government is much more reliant on restrictive measures both inside and outside the bedroom. 

We are relatively lucky here in the UK, and we should celebrate our right to sexual freedom. So by all means, break her back and overthrow the government this Valentine's day. Rishi won’t see it coming.

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