In chapter 7, The Alphabet Soup of Sexualities, Plante defines and further explains all sexual orientations. Here, the word sex is thrown around in quite a different contexts. The two ways sex is defined in the chapter is by the gender in which a person identifies with and the act of sex. Most popularly in this chapter sex used when speaking about orientations. Love is never really brought up, but …show more content…
This chapter is all about porn. It was extremely interesting to learn about the history of porn, the actors, all of the sex, the money, and the effect it may or may not have on those who watch it. However, once again there was no real tie between love and sex in this chapter. While it may not be connected with love, it made a slight connection with intimacy. Porn definitely depicts intimate acts when you think of intimacy as meaning sexual intercourse, I mean that is what porn is all about: sexual intercourse. However, if you hear the word intimacy and immediately connect it with personal sex between loved ones, there is no relation …show more content…
Plante defines sex in this chapter by the penis. “The penis is defined by intercourse and penetration, and the clitoris and vagina are defined by the penis as well” (271). This statement angers me for some reason. Do not get me wrong, I enjoy sex and certainly enjoy penis as well. I, however, do not like to think that my vagina is defined by it. I honestly have a different opinion. I feel as though the vagina is empowering and men are weak for it, but that is a different topic all on its own. Getting back to chapter 9 and all of its glory, Plante does connect the act of sex with something other than it being defined as performing the deed. While the definition still stands as the act of sex, she connects it with the mind as well. Young teenage girls are told to think before they have sex. They are told to think about it because while their body may be ready their mind may not be. Plante says, “This is important-because when sexuality is seen as something merely physical, it is denigrated. If sex is purely physical and not emotional or intimate, then it is cheapened” (275). While this statement is directed towards women, I believe that men need to hear it as well. It may only be for a few paragraphs in the last chapter of the book, but Plante lets it be known that sex, while defined as an act, can and will be related to