Why Talking about Sex can be Controversial?

Recently, in Japan, there was a huge controversy about a poster asking for blood donation. Here is the image of the poster (source: Animate Holdings):

The controversy went viral on Twitter like this:

A

This poster emphasizes the breast of the character too much! Exhibiting such a poster is environmental sexual harassment.

B

I like women with big breast… it’s none of your business.

C

There are people who have big breast! Are you saying they are ‘environmental sexual harassment’?

Unfortunately, the controversy never reached to settlement… people just blamed each other. There are many cases like this which a discussion about sex became a never-ending controversy. Why talking about sex can be controversial easily?

In my opinion, it is because people often do not distinguish these three terms when they talk about sex-related issues:
1) gender (sexes considered with reference to social and cultural differences)
2) sexuality (sexes considered by yourself about your sexual identity or orientation)
3) biological sex (sexes considered with biological differences)

You can easily understand that these terms are really different by following example:
1) Nowadays many restaurants in Japan offer it, but still many people dislike its flavor.
2) Usually people prefer eating it with fish, but I prefer eating it with meat.
3) It is a soft plant grows leaves which contain vitamin C.
These descriptions all talk about coriander, but sound totally different as their perspectives are totally different.

Considering these, you can see why the controversy above never reached to settlement: these people argued the matter from totally different points of view.

A

This poster emphasizes the breast of the character too much! Putting such a poster in front of many people is environmental sexual harassment. (= talking about society which sees women’s (big) breast as an object of sexual desire.)

B

I like women with big breast… it’s none of your business. (= talking about yourself)

C

There are people who have big breast like this! Are you saying they are ‘environmental sexual harassment’? (= talking about biological fact that there are people who have big breast)

Therefore, to discuss sex meaningfully, you should distinguish these three terms.
Hope this article (recipe) fills your ’hungry’ heart a little (and also you enjoy coriander 🙂 )!!

[Written by: Chihiro]