Sexual Openness In The 1960s

Until the 1960s, birth control pills were inaccessible and widely prohibited, which essentially was leaving contraceptive decisions solely to men. In 1960, Margaret Sanger’s oral contraceptive was approved for use by the FDA . While birth control was still denied to a vast body of women in years following, this event influenced the beginning of sexual awareness and openness among American people. Now, sexual openness is widely debated and opinions surrounding the topic range in levels of tolerance; it is evident that the degree of openness has increased substantially since 1960. In many ways, the state of sexual awareness has become considerably more complicated since this era, and several factors have progressed into this idea. The advancement
Prior to 1960, women sexuality and even sexualality in general was a private matter between a husband and his wife. The federal approval of birth control had more significance than simply prevention of unwanted pregnancy; it gave women control over the decision to prevent pregnancy and ultimately more control over their own lives. Following the establishment of the birth control pill, many areas continued to deny women the right to use the pill. In 1965, the case of Griswold v. Connecticut ruled that women have the constitutional right to birth control because of an implied right to privacy. By allowing women to have a voice over contraception, the government and society were acknowledging that women have equal sexual desires and freedoms to men. However, the birth control pill was controversial because it allowed unmarried women to have intercouse with whomever they wanted, also making affairs less complicated. Many felt that the birth control pill promoted promiscuity and poor decisions. For years, the topic of sex was personal and only discussed behind closed doors, but in 1960 it became a topic of debate. This increased discussion about sexual relations and contraception; similar cases that also revolve around sexual freedoms, such as Eisenstadt v. Baird and Roe v. Wade, occurred following this case and
Though slavery was abolished and the “separate but equal” clause was gone, racism was still an active issue around the 1960s. Many states prohibited marriage between black and white men and women. However, in 1967 the Supreme Court ruled that interracial marriages are constitutional in the case of Loving v. Virginia. While interracial marriages did not become common for several years following, this case began the trend that only continued to increase afterwards. Today, this type of marriage is accepted by majority of Americans; however, a large percentage of people still disagree with the practice. It has become more complicated since 1960 simply because there was a scarce amount of interracial couples during that time. Now, there is more awareness, as well as more attention surrounding the topic. While the allowance of interracial marriage is not a negative matter, it was not as complicated when it was not permitted because it was discussed