Balkan Beats 31

Page 41

Sexuality

Mix Fix

Nothing to hide

Masturbation, from the most natural act to sin by Elena Mullor

As women, we have been educated to be formal, to smile and to always act properly. In the

past, many women were forced to show restraint in any situation, to endure any obscene behaviour of which they were the victims, to not show their feelings while always be presentable. It’s a fact that women were always forced to be strong and good, but lately this behaviour is disappearing and becoming a woman’s claim.

Masturbation

Many topics of conversation have not been al-

The definition of masturbation is the stimulation

of one’s genital organs in order to obtain sexual pleasure. Sigmund Freud is credited with discovering that masturbation is common in childhood. However, it was Havelock Ellis who provided us with more knowledge about it, as he noted that masturbation is a common practice in both sexes, and is carried out throughout most of one’s life.

lowed to women for years. We’ve been forbidden to talk about sport, economy, politics and business. Even today, some people consider our opinion invalid on certain issues. For some years now, this situation has been changing. Thanks to feminism, women can be free and can express themselves. Our position in society has changed incredibly, we can now talk about any topic that we like. Obviously, feminism means much more The act of masturbation was considered somethan just this; feminism means equality between thing normal in most societies; it was a common act, personal and private but never demeaning or men and women. forbidden. While the Spartans condemned this We can describe a ‘taboo’ as a topic not usually practice, other followers of the Ancient Greek rediscussed at a gathering of friends. Like many ligion considered it a gift from the gods, since the other topics of conversation, female masturba- god Hermes taught his son Pan (better known as Faun) how to masturbate in order to endure tion has been hidden for a long time. the disdain of the nymph Echo. Faun learned the lesson, overcame his pain and transmitted the teaching to the first shepherds of the Greek arcadia. The philosopher Diogenes, the famous doctor Galen as well as several playwrights and craftsmen represented the act in their works.

Masturbation fell out of favour in Europe with

Women were subjected to the norms of society that men have created

Source: Elena Mullor

the beginning of Christianity, even if the Bible makes no mention of it. The Church taught that masturbation and other forms of non-penetrative relations were worse sins than sex, rape, incest or adultery. For Christians, the ‘non-reproductive’

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