This just in: Hugh Hefner is not a feminist!

This shocking revelation came from the January 26th issue of Time Magazine, where Hugh Hefner was interviewed in their 10 Questions feature:

Your industry is often accused of being damaging to women, yet you assert that you are an active feminist. Could you clarify this position? Thayne Stoddard NEW HAVEN, CONN.
My industry is magazine publishing. Pornography? That isn’t my industry. If you call sexual images pornography, then they are negative. If you call those same images erotic, they are positive. I’m not an active feminist. I’m an active humanist. I separated ways from feminism when it became antisexual. I believe embracing sexuality is part of what it means to be free.

In other words, he separated from feminism when feminists called him out for reinforcing stereotypes and sexist gender roles. I honestly don’t think that Playboy is about embracing one’s sexuality or, at least, doing it in an egalitarian and informed way. I’ve learned more about having a happy, healthy sexuality from sex-positive feminists than anywhere else. All people should see themselves as sexual beings rather than sexual objects. An empowered sexuality is about mutual pleasure and embracing one’s sexual identity not being arm candy!
“Pornography” vs. “erotica” has always seemed silly to me. I think erotica is just porn that the person describing it happens to like. Or perhaps it’s just classier porn.
Hefner’s comments about feminism (and what political correctness means) were deeply misinformed but in his defense he did make some very intelligent comments about same-sex marriage and how much sex has changed in America. Check it out.