Louise Perry

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Louise Perry
Louise Perry (cropped).jpg
Louise Perry, 2023
OccupationJournalist, Podcast host
LanguageEnglish
NationalityBritish
Education SOAS
Children2
Website
www.louisemperry.co.uk

Louise Perry is a British journalist, author and podcast host. She is a features writer for the Daily Mail and a columnist at the New Statesman . [1] [2] [3] Helen Lewis, writing for The Atlantic in 2023, classified Perry as a leading reactionary feminist.

Contents

Perry co-runs the charity We Can't Consent To This which campaigns around problems with the rough sex murder defence. [4] She is the co-founder and research director of The Other Half, a non-partisan feminist think tank which was founded in 2022. [1] She is the host of the podcast Maiden Mother Matriarch.

Biography

Perry graduated from University of London's SOAS with a bachelors degree in anthropology, reported to have included women's studies. [5] [6] [7] At this time, she is said to have conformed with the views of her peers, that "porn is great, BDSM is fun, sex work is work." [6] However, her views changed after college, as she worked for several years in a rape crisis centre. [8] [9]

This "harrowing" experience became the starting point of her first book The Case Against the Sexual Revolution through Polity Press. [10] Published in 2022, the book became a bestseller in the UK. [11] It argues for the recognition of innate difference between men and women, rather than being socialised differences; a view that The Atlantic described as "heretical." [12] The religious journal America said it "decimates any case for the sexual revolution." [13] The Guardian reviewed the work "daring and important" as:

"In this cultural moment, The Case Against the Sexual Revolution could hardly be more radical. It is an act of insurrection, its seditiousness born not only of the pieties it is determined to explode, but of the fact that it is also diligently researched and written in plain English." [14]

In February of that year, Perry joined a debate at the Oxford Union, where she argued against the proposition "We Should Welcome the New Era of Porn." [15] She drew on evidence indicating the high suicide rates of actors in the adult entertainment industry, that the idea of consent for such young actors was problematic and implored her audience to abandon the use of online pornography as damaging. [15] [16] [17] Perry wrote an essay for the October 2023 issue of First Things on abortion and infanticide in ancient Rome. [18] [19] The article was discussed in National Review , and described Perry as making a non-Christian argument in favour of Christian ethics. It quotes Perry's saying:

When pro-life and pro-choice advocates fight about the nitty-gritty of abortion policy, what they are really fighting about is whether our society ought to remain Christian. Most people who describe themselves as pro-choice have not really thought about what truly abandoning Christianity would mean—that is, truly abandoning Christians’ historically bizarre insistence that “God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” [19]

On 13 September 2023, Perry and Anna Khachiyan, the co-host of the Red Scare podcast, debated Grimes and Sarah Haider in what was called "a clash of the female titans". The debate was held at The Theatre at Ace Hotel and was moderated by Bari Weiss. [20] [21] [22]

Perry was a participant at the first conference of the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship in October-November 2023. [23] In her panel, she argued that both women, and the community more generally, had been adversely affected by the widespread belief we can take traditional sexual norms "just throw them out the window.” [23]

By 2022, Perry was described as being a London-based writer, "a non-religious feminist", and a new mother. [24] The Australian Broadcasting Corporation journalist, Andrew West, described her as left-leaning. [25] while on her podcast she features interviews with guests from across the political spectrum.

Personal life

In 2017, Perry married her now-husband, a police officer. [26] [6] When asked if she had forbidden him from watching porn, she replied, "Of course." [17] Perry gave birth to the couple's first son in 2021. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Facial (sexual act)</span> Sexual activity involving ejaculating on the face of another

A facial is a sexual activity in which a man ejaculates semen onto the face of one or more sexual partners. A facial is a form of non-penetrative sex, though it is generally performed after some other means of sexual stimulation, such as vaginal sex, anal sex, oral sex, manual sex or masturbation. Facials are regularly portrayed in pornographic films and videos, often as a way to close a scene.

Sex-positive feminism, also known as pro-sex feminism, sex-radical feminism, or sexually liberal feminism, is a feminist movement centering on the idea that sexual freedom is an essential component of women's freedom. They oppose legal or social efforts to control sexual activities between consenting adults, whether they are initiated by the government, other feminists, opponents of feminism, or any other institution. They embrace sexual minority groups, endorsing the value of coalition-building with marginalized groups. Sex-positive feminism is connected with the sex-positive movement. Sex-positive feminism brings together anti-censorship activists, LGBT activists, feminist scholars, producers of pornography and erotica, among others. Sex-positive feminists believe that prostitution can be a positive experience if workers are treated with respect, and agree that sex work should not be criminalized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opposition to pornography</span> Overview of opposing views to pornography

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candida Royalle</span> American pornographic filmmaker (1950–2015)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pornography</span> Portrayal of sexual subject matter

Pornography has been defined as sexual subject material such as a picture, video, text, or audio that is intended for sexual arousal. Made for consumption by adults, pornography depictions have evolved from cave paintings, some forty millennia ago, to virtual reality presentations. A general distinction of adult content is made classifying it as pornography or erotica.

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Feminist views on pornography range from total condemnation of the medium as an inherent form of violence against women to an embracing of some forms as a medium of feminist expression. This debate reflects larger concerns surrounding feminist views on sexuality, and is closely related to those on prostitution, BDSM, and other issues. Pornography has been one of the most divisive issues in feminism, particularly in Anglophone (English-speaking) countries. This division was exemplified in the feminist sex wars of the 1980s, which pitted anti-pornography activists against pro-pornography ones.

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Feminist pornography, also known by other terms in internet such as 'ethical porn' or 'fair-trade porn' is a genre of film developed by or for those within the sex-positive feminist movement. It was created for the purpose of promoting gender equality by portraying more bodily movements and sexual fantasies of women and members of the LGBT community.

Feminist views on sexuality widely vary. Many feminists, particularly radical feminists, are highly critical of what they see as sexual objectification and sexual exploitation in the media and society. Radical feminists are often opposed to the sex industry, including opposition to prostitution and pornography. Other feminists define themselves as sex-positive feminists and believe that a wide variety of expressions of female sexuality can be empowering to women when they are freely chosen. Some feminists support efforts to reform the sex industry to become less sexist, such as the feminist pornography movement.

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Suzannah Weiss is an American writer and sexologist. She has written for publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and New York Magazine and edited for Teen Vogue, Complex, and Vice. She is the author of Subjectified: Becoming a Sexual Subject, which details her journey toward sexual empowerment and lays out a framework for moving beyond the objectification of women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debra Soh</span> Canadian sex researcher

Debra W. Soh is a Canadian columnist, author, and former academic sex researcher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Khachiyan</span> American podcaster (born 1985)

Anna Leonidovna Khachiyan is an American cultural critic, writer, and co-host of the Red Scare podcast with Dasha Nekrasova, based out of New York City. She is the daughter of Soviet-American mathematician Leonid Khachiyan.

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<i>The Case Against the Sexual Revolution</i> Book by Louise Perry

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References

  1. 1 2 "Against the Sexual Revolution: An Interview with Louise Perry". Areo. 17 November 2022.
  2. ↑ "Review: The sexual revolution has hurt both men and women. Where do we go from here?". America Magazine. 15 December 2022.
  3. ↑ Lewis, Helen (18 June 2023). "The Feminists Insisting That Women Are Built Differently". The Atlantic.
  4. ↑ "If the government bans the 'rough sex' defence, what would it mean?". The Independent. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  5. ↑ "The SOAS Spirit issue 07 by The SOAS Spirit - Issuu". issuu.com. 6 February 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Hackett, Laura (5 January 2024). "Louise Perry: the feminist telling women to switch off porn and get married". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  7. ↑ Perry, Louise (29 January 2020). "The strange world of the radically left-wing Soas university". The Spectator. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  8. ↑ "Feminising Feminism – - Helen Dale".
  9. ↑ Duggan, Michael (2 October 2022). "Book Interview: A feminist challenge to modern thinking on sex". Irish Examiner.
  10. ↑ "The Case Against the Sexual Revolution by Louise Perry review – a potent, plain-speaking womanifesto | Society books | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com.
  11. ↑ Hymowitz, Kay S. (9 September 2022). "Review of The Case Against the Sexual Revolution by Louise Perry". City Journal.
  12. ↑ Lewis, Helen (18 June 2023). "The Feminists Insisting That Women Are Built Differently". The Atlantic. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  13. ↑ "Review: The sexual revolution has hurt both men and women. Where do we go from here?". America Magazine. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  14. ↑ Cooke, Rachel (6 June 2022). "The Case Against the Sexual Revolution by Louise Perry review – a potent, plain-speaking womanifesto". The Guardian .
  15. 1 2 Lintern, Estelle Atkinson and Meg (10 February 2022). "New era of porn not welcome, says Union". Cherwell. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  16. ↑ "Oxford Union Term Hilary 2022 by The Oxford Union - Issuu". issuu.com. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  17. 1 2 "The new fight against pornography". Deseret News. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  18. ↑ "We Are Repaganizing | Louise Perry". First Things.
  19. 1 2 Kearns, Madeleine (12 September 2023). "Babies' Bones". National Review. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  20. ↑ Staff, BrooklynVegan (31 July 2023). "Grimes taking part in 'Has The Sexual Revolution Failed?' live debate, moderated by Bari Weiss".
  21. ↑ Howley, Kerry (16 September 2023). "Scenes From the End of the Sexual Revolution". Intelligencer.
  22. ↑ "Bari Weiss' big L.A. debate was less 'free expression' than self-promotion". Los Angeles Times. 14 September 2023.
  23. 1 2 Lehmann, Claire (3 November 2023). "Why feminism is no guarantee of women's happiness". The Australian .
  24. ↑ Matthew, Elizabeth Grace (15 December 2022). "Review: The sexual revolution has hurt both men and women. Where do we go from here?". America Magazine.
  25. ↑ "The consequences of the sexual revolution with writer Louise Perry". ABC listen. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  26. ↑ Perry, Louise (11 August 2022). "LOUISE PERRY: I still believe in marrying before starting a family". Mail Online. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  27. ↑ "Louise Perry on motherhood, consent and the case against the sexual revolution". Theos Think Tank. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
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