The Politics of Sexuality

Glaringly missing from all the controversy and debate raging around now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s contentious confirmation hearings is the underlying issue that lays at the heart of the matter: Sexuality. Or in legal terms: Roe vs. Wade - the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision that established a woman's constitutional legal right to an abortion. In a twist of irony, the last-minute bombshell accusation that almost torpedoed Kavanaugh’s nomination was also about sexuality: his alleged sexual attack on Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. Beyond the story of extreme partisan politics, beyond the story of the Trump Presidency and age of disruption, beyond every imaginable angle covered by every media outlet, the true inside story – the root of the issue at hand, beyond all the symptoms – is our attitudes toward sexuality and relationships. We live in times where sexuality has become divorced of intimacy and commitment. It is looked at as a personal right to pleasure and leisure, not as a personal and social responsibility. “Sexual freedom” – the right to engage in sexuality as one sees fit, without consequences or commitment if one so deems fit — trumps the effort and work needed to build healthy and enduring relationships and families. The right to an abortion (not due to rape or other extenuating circumstances) has become equated with sexual freedom; it has become associated with the voice and battle cry for women’s rights and emancipation. This of course serves men’s interests as well – being able to engage in physical relations without consequences. Had our society considered sexuality as sacred, and seen sexual relationships as part of a serious commitment and intimate connection between soulmates, one can wonder if there would be both less motivation to choose abortion and less incidences of sexual assault. How much our politics and our political positions are affected by sexuality and the perceived freedoms around it? In this charged climate and paralyzing polarization, Rabbi Jacobson will address the state of sexuality in our times, and how it impacts virtually every aspect of our lives. What is sexuality? How is it different than intimacy? What can we do to build healthier and sustainable relationships? How can an improved attitude to sexuality free us from being trapped in a political vortex and help broaden our horizons? After all that has been said and written about the Senate’s confirmation proceedings, discover, in this refreshing and groundbreaking talk, a new perspective that will shed light on the core issues and its relevance to our lives.