Meet Hooligan Sparrow.  Her real name is Ye Haiyan and she has been raising hell in China. Known mostly as a blogger and feminist activist, Ye has created quite a stir in her country of origin because of her outspoken and controversial grassroots tactics. Last year, she worked in a brothel where sexual intercourse costs under $3 US dollars, but Ye chose to do it for free.  Why?  In her own words:

"Beginning now, I am providing free sexual services for rural migrant workers. First of all, this is to prevent them from being caught and legally robbed by police. Secondly, this is to serve the sexual needs of the grassroots and help relieve social pressure. Thirdly, I want to create a sharp contrast between my love for the grassroots and the cruelty of the government. I hope that they will be touched by my action, which will end tomorrow."

Ye Haiyan's activism includes sex worker rights but it is much broader than that. In addition to working to increase HIV/AIDS awareness, she also works to protect girls and women from sexual abuse. Her most recent activism involved protesting an elementary school in Wanning City which is located in the Hainan Province of China, where six girls were raped by the school principle and one other government employee.

Ms. Ye's protests have led to her arrest more than once but she seems committed to defending sexual freedom as well as freedom from sexual abuse, regardless of the price. In her blog, she states " this fight is against the persecution of sex!" I find her words quite compelling because I believe laws which outlaw adult, consensual sex, create a culture of sexual shame and which can lead to many forms of sexual abuse.

However, the prevailing conversation about sex seems split between protection from sex or it's unfettered expression. Those who see sexual freedom as a slippery slope leading to a lack of protections for the vulnerable lobby for more laws in defense of the innocent. They tend to dominate discourse in the US. On the other side of the argument are a few rebellious souls striving to secure sex as a right which the state cannot infringe upon.

But must we envision the sexual landscape so polarized and divided?  Isn't it possible that freedom from sexual abuse and a sexual bill of rights might not only co-exist but inform and enhance each other? 

Read the rest . . . 

Sex Positive Parenting with Susie Bright

Deborah Anapol: The Mother of Modern Polyamory

The Divine Feminine with Caroline Muir

NY Times Bestselling Author, Christopher Ryan: Is Monogamy Dead?

One Woman's Story of Rape

And now you can enjoy Sex Talk Radio Network on Stitcher as well as iTunes. Check out The Shame Free Zone on both  iTunes and Sex Talk Radio Network.