What Do We Do Now That the Sexual Revolution Is over?(Cover Story‪)‬

Over the past two decades some of the hard-won gains of the sexual revolution have lost ground to politicized religious fundamentalism. For example, while there have been improvements in the family planning field, government program funding in the United States has recently been slashed and the availability of certain contraceptives is under attack. Furthermore, although progress has been made in sexual health with the discovery and government approval of a variety of birth control methods and contraceptives, some health insurance companies in the United States--and more recently some pharmacies--refuse coverage for and access to this technology. In fact, many health insurance policies today don't provide coverage for the full range of sexual health needs: they won't pay for contraceptives, sexual dysfunction medications, tubal ligations, vasectomies, sexual reassignment surgery, and the like. Conservative legal actions have also created difficulties regarding access to comprehensive family planning services in the United States and through its programs abroad. Amid this backlash, however, there has been progress. Gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals, and transgendered people have enjoyed legislative, judicial, corporate, and social gains. And marriage rights for non-heterosexuals are now on the table. Additionally, with the expansion of various sexual rights movements, mainstream notions of gender, sex, and relationships have been challenged and we are being asked to embrace a fuller spectrum of possibilities beyond the binary male-female union.