Contemporary Sexual Politics: The Resistance

In last week’s post, I highlighted how there are both conscious (in autocratic states) and unconscious efforts to regulate sexuality in contemporary society. Following Foucault’s notion that such efforts constitute an exercise of power, it is also evident that these efforts encounter resistance. Foucault himself famously stated: “Where there is power, there is resistance, and yet, or rather consequently, this resistance is never in a position of exteriority in relation to power” (Foucault 1976, 95). One interpretation of this is that certain forms of power inevitably give rise to specific forms of resistance—which remains true in Sweden today.

In my own research, I have seen that sexuality was regulated in a repressive manner during the first three decades of the 20th century. At that time, contraceptives were considered a threat both to public morality and to the perceived need to increase Sweden’s population—both in quantitative and qualitative terms. This eventually led to the criminalization of advertising and informing about contraceptives, a move that was challenged by numerous actors, such as the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education and certain socialist agitators. The ban was eventually lifted, partly because people already had widespread knowledge of contraceptives due to these efforts. On the other hand, the lifting of the ban was also driven by increased pressure from medical science, which viewed condoms as instrumental in combating STDs, while other contraceptives were promoted for eugenic purposes.

This dynamic clearly reflects Foucault’s theory of knowledge: that something does not have to be true in order to be treated as scientific truth. In the case of condoms, their effectiveness in preventing disease transmission can be seen as an actual truth. However, the idea that criminals were inherently predisposed to criminal behavior due to hereditary traits—used at the time to justify contraceptive use—would today be dismissed as pseudoscience. Nevertheless, it was once treated as valid scientific reasoning.

Today, even nationalist movements have embraced contraceptives. There is little contemporary debate suggesting that contraception is a threat to the nation. Instead, other forms of regulation have emerged—particularly targeting gender expression and sexuality. For example, “Drag Queen Story Hour” events at local libraries have been questioned in the name of “protecting children,” and alternative sexual expressions (such as kink and BDSM) have recently experienced a cultural backlash. This may be a response to their increased visibility a decade ago; today, such practices are often framed as dangerous, particularly for young people.



In response to this, we can also observe a form of cultural resistance, where both sexual practices and relationships are increasingly problematized and openly discussed. For instance, in the popular Swedish TV show Married at First Sight, there was a conversation about sexuality in which sex was not necessarily defined as penetrative intercourse between a penis and a vagina. Instead, a variety of other practices were highlighted. This can be seen as a clear challenge to normative understandings of sex, and a reformulation of what counts as sex in the first place. In doing so, it redefines knowledge around sexuality—and thus challenges the conditions under which power over individuals can be exercised.

Another example of cultural resistance can be found in podcasts. Today, there is a wide array of Swedish podcasts that provide education and reflection on sexuality. This, in turn, offers people new knowledge and new ways to think about sexuality. And if I were to guess where future struggles over sexual politics will take place, I would argue that they will occur in the realm of education. History shows us that such struggles have—so far—often ended in defeat for those aiming to oppress. Hopefully, that will once again be the case.

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