A Curious History of Sex

by Kate Lister

  So, we must keep talking about sex. We must keep educating children about sex, and not just about what happens when a sperm gets its hands on an egg. We must talk about consent, pleasure, masturbation, pornography, love, relationships and our own bodies. Because the only way we will dispel shame is to drag sex out in the open and have a good long look at it. History has shown us how damaging shaming sexual practices, in all their myriad forms, can be. Let’s learn the lesson.

  * * *

  1 Old Bailey Proceedings Online (www.oldbaileyonline.org, version 8.0, 01 December 2018), May 1683, trial of Isabel Barker (t16830524-7).

  2 Nghiem L. Nguyen, ‘Roman Rape: An Overview of Roman Rape Laws from the Republican Period to Justinian’s Reign’, Michigan Journal of Gender And Law, 13.1 (2006), pp. 75–112.

  3 Dorothy Whitelock, ed., English Historical Documents (London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1955), p. 359.

  4 The Morning Chronicle, ‘Police Intelligence’, 20 February 1847, p. 4; Nottingham Review and General Advertiser for the Midland Counties, ‘Judicial Procedures’, 5 May 1837, p. 4.

  5 Bury and Norwich Post, ‘Miscellaneous’, 3 May 1837, p. 1.

  6 Kristoffer Nyro, The Kiss and Its History (London: Sands & Co, 1901), pp. 67–8.

  7 ‘Outcry over Teen’s Underwear in Rape Trial’, BBC News, 2018 [Accessed 7 December 2018].

  8 Siobhan Norton, ‘“This Is Not Consent”: How a Thong Prompted Protests Across Ireland over the Handling of Rape Trials’, Inews.Co.Uk, 2018 [Accessed 7 December 2018].

  9 Ibid.

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