Why society views some sex as 'natural' and others as 'bad'

Science · Published 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Is our moral compass on sexuality a biological reality or a social construct? Anthropologist Gayle Rubin argues that our judgment of 'good' versus 'bad' sex stems from a hierarchical valuation called the Charmed Circle. By examining these boundaries, we can uncover how power—not nature—defines what we find acceptable.

In her foundational 1984 essay 'Thinking Sex,' Gayle Rubin introduced the concept of the 'Charmed Circle.' This framework describes how society privileges certain sexual behaviors (the interior of the circle) while marginalizing others (the exterior). Rubin identifies key binaries that define these boundaries, including couple versus group dynamics, monogamy versus promiscuity, and the use of manufactured objects versus bodies only. These are not inherent moral truths but ideological formations that create a hierarchical valuation of human intimacy.

Rubin argues that much of our sexual judgment is driven by 'sex negativity'—the Western cultural tendency to view sex as a dangerous or destructive force unless it is tied to marriage or reproduction. This often leads to the 'fallacy of the misplaced scale,' where sex acts are burdened with an excess of significance. Because society lacks a concept of 'benign sexual variation,' people often fear that allowing 'bad' sex will inevitably lead to chaos, a perspective Rubin calls a 'domino theory of sexual peril.'

Her work is deeply rooted in her anthropological study of urban sexual subcultures, such as the gay male leather community in San Francisco. Rubin argues that we should approach different sexual cultures with the same respect we give to other unique cultures. By breaking away from the 'now functionless' sex/gender system—where women are treated as commodities and sexual needs are socially engineered—Rubin suggests that a genderless identity and a polymorphous sexuality without hierarchies are possible.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• The roots of antisexualism range from religious asceticism to political theory
• Is sexual orientation a social construct or a biological reality?
• Why women's sexuality is often treated as a puzzle to be solved
• Western concepts of sex and gender are historical constructs rather than biological certainties
• Was sexual orientation always a fixed identity or a cultural invention?
• What does it mean when a child feels their gender identity differs from birth?
• Was Australia's longest-serving Chief Justice a brilliant legal mind or a failed politician?
• Bugis society recognizes five distinct genders, challenging the traditional binary for over six centuries.
• Can a private university eliminate tuition costs for families earning under $100,000 annually?
• Is the divine inherently gendered, or does human language force a binary upon transcendence?
• The only Indian signatory of the Treaty of Versailles
• The Turkish National Police has roots stretching back to the 19th-century Ottoman Empire.

More in Social scientists · More in Science · Latest · A–Z · All topics