Reclaiming the word slut

I've mentioned in passing on this blog that I consider myself to be a slut and I don't see that as a bad thing, but I figured this little revelation might need a post of its own to explain exactly what I mean. After all, to most people 'slut' is a rather nasty word that is often used to describe women of questionable morals who will have sex with anyone. However, non-monogamous people who are ethical about it (i.e. those of us who have additional relationships without all the lies and the cheating), have long sought to reclaim the word slut from those who use it in the pejorative sense. After all, what's wrong with liking sex? As Dossie Easton and Janet W. Hardy said in their book The Ethical Slut, "a slut is a person of any gender who has the courage to lead life according to the radical proposition that sex is nice and pleasure is good for you." Sex is an amazingly pleasurable thing and it's a shame that society seems to consider anyone who, by their standards, overindulges as somehow wrong in the head. Seriously, who doesn't want free fun? With the correct physical and emotional precautions in place, there really is no downside as far as I can see. It's worth also mentioning here that, just because we enjoy it, this doesn't mean we'll be happy to do it with absolutely anyone. After all, people who consider themselves to be foodies aren't often found in McDonalds, so why should a self-proclaimed slut not also have impeccable standards and taste? I enjoy spending time with wonderful people who make me feel good and enhance my life in some way. For some of that time, we may be naked. Does that really make me a bad person?

On a related note, I have discovered today that I'm up for Best Sex-Positive Blog in Miss SB's Very Prestigious and Entirely Serious Blog Awards 2010. If you fancy voting for me before Thursday, that'd be grand.