The Rise of Consumer Culture Preceded the Demand for Sexual and Gender Liberation
The rise of consumer culture and industrialization resulted in the rejection of occupations as a source of identity by people in western society. In order to fill this void they looked inward. As sex was separated from procreation, sex for recreation and enjoyment became more important, and the type of sex people enjoyed became a basis for their identity. Fringe markets of goods and services that targeted these identities appeared. These markets bolstered people’s propensity to use their sexuality as an identity source and brought people of various sexualities together. Sub-groups and communities formed as a result and the larger they grew, the more apparent the oppression they faced from mainstream society became. The sub-groups fought and are still fighting for civil rights. Sub-groups that earned rights and became more accepted, explicitly and implicitly, encouraged other sub-groups to develop and fight for their right to express themselves. The more groups that developed and earned rights, the more difficult it became for society to justify denying new groups the same rights.
