Editing Sexual revolution (section)

==Feminism and sexual liberation==
{{POV section|date=September 2018}}

Since the beginning of the '''sexual liberation movement''' in the Western world, which coincided with [[second-wave feminism]] and the [[women's liberation movement]] initiated in the early 1960s,<ref name="Urban 2007">{{cite book |last=Urban |first=Hugh B. |author-link=Hugh Urban |year=2007 |orig-date=2003 |chapter=The Cult of Ecstasy: Meldings of East and West in a New Age of Tantra |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wvtLClojU_4C&pg=PA203 |title=Tantra: Sex, Secrecy, Politics, and Power in the Study of Religion |location=[[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]] and [[Delhi]] |publisher=[[University of California Press]]/[[Motilal Banarsidass]] |edition=1st |pages=203–263 |doi=10.1525/california/9780520230620.003.0007 |isbn=9780520236561 |jstor=10.1525/j.ctt1pp4mm.12}}</ref><ref name="Pike 2004">{{cite book |last=Pike |first=Sarah M. |author-link=Sarah M. Pike |year=2004 |chapter=Part II – "All Acts of Love and Pleasure Are My Rituals": Sex, Gender, and the Sacred |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2DoK_bUwSR0C&pg=PA115 |title=New Age and Neopagan Religions in America |location=[[New York City|New York]] |publisher=[[Columbia University Press]] |series=Columbia Contemporary American Religion Series |pages=115–144 |isbn=9780231508384 |jstor=10.7312/pike12402.10 |lccn=2003061844}}</ref> new religious movements and alternative spiritualities such as [[Modern Paganism]] and the [[New Age]] began to grow and spread across the globe alongside their intersection with the sexual liberation movement and the [[counterculture of the 1960s]],<ref name="Urban 2007"/><ref name="Pike 2004"/> and exhibited characteristic features, such as the embrace of [[alternative lifestyles]], unconventional dress, rejection of [[Abrahamic religions]] and their [[Social conservatism|conservative social mores]], use of [[Cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] and other [[Recreational drug use|recreational drugs]], relaxed attitude, [[Sarcasm|sarcastic humble]] or self-imposed poverty, and ''laissez-faire'' [[Human sexual activity|sexual behavior]].<ref name="Urban 2007"/><ref name="Pike 2004"/> The sexual liberation movement was aided by feminist ideologues in their mutual struggle to challenge traditional ideas regarding [[Human female sexuality|female sexuality]], [[Human male sexuality|male sexuality]], and [[queer]] sexuality.<ref name="Pike 2004"/> Elimination of undue favorable bias towards men and objectification of women, as well as support for women's right to choose their sexual partners free of outside interference or societal judgment, were three of the main goals associated with sexual liberation from the feminist perspective.<ref name="Pike 2004"/> Since during the early stages of feminism, women's liberation was often equated with sexual liberation rather than associated with it. Many feminist thinkers believed that assertion of the primacy of sexuality would be a major step towards the ultimate goal of women's liberation, thus women were urged to initiate sexual advances, enjoy sex and experiment with new forms of sexuality.<ref name="Ending Female Sexual Oppression">{{cite book|last=Hooks|first=Bell|title=Feminist Theory, From Margin To Centre|year=1984|publisher=South End Press classics|location=Cambridge, MA|isbn=978-0-89608-613-5|pages=149}}</ref>

The feminist movements insisted and focused on the sexual liberation for women, both physical and psychological. The pursuit of sexual pleasure for women was the core ideology, which subsequently was to set the foundation for female independence. Although whether or not sexual freedom should be a feminist issue is currently a much-debated topic,<ref name="Ending Female Sexual Oppression" /> the feminist movement overtly defines itself as the movement for social, political, and economic equality of men and women.<ref name="What is Feminism">{{cite web|last=Baumgardner and Richards|title=What Is Feminism|url=http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/genwom/whatisfem.htm|access-date=March 27, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130406000204/http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/genwom/whatisfem.htm|archive-date=April 6, 2013}}</ref> Feminist movements are also involved the fight against sexism and since sexism is a highly complex notion,<ref name="Sexism">{{cite book|last=Cudd|first=Ann|title=Feminist Theory A Philosophical Anthology|year=2005|publisher=Blackwell Publishing Ltd|location=Malden, MA|isbn=978-1-4051-1660-2|pages=74}}</ref> it is difficult to separate the feminist critique toward sexism from its fight against sexual oppression.

The feminist movement has helped create a social climate in which LGBT people and women are increasingly able to be open and free with their sexuality,<ref name="Ending Female Sexual Oppression 2">{{cite book|last=Hooks|first=Bell|title=Feminist Theory, From Margin To Centre|year=1984|publisher=South End Press classics|location=Cambridge, MA|isbn=978-0-89608-613-5|pages=155}}</ref> which enabled a spiritual liberation of sorts with regards to sex. Rather than being forced to hide their sexual desires or feelings, women and LGBT people have gained and continue to gain increased freedom in this area.  Consequently, the feminist movement to end sexual oppression has and continues to directly contribute to the sexual liberation movement.