Catherine Itzin

Pornography is not about sexual expression, argues Catherine Itzin in the following viewpoint, but about the objectification and subordination of women and children. This treatment of women and children is harmful, she contends. Instead of censoring pornography, Itzin favors legislation that would allow victims of pornography to sue the manufacturers and distributors for the harm they have experienced. Itzin is an honorary research fellow in the Violence Abuse and Gender Relations Research Unit at the University of Bradford in Massachusetts. She is also the editor and coauthor of Pornography: Women, Violence and Civil Liberties.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What evidence does Itzin present to support her view that pornography is about power and sexual objectification?
2. In Itzin’s opinion, what is the real free speech issue for women concerning...