# What is sexual perversion? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 10, 2004, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-sexual-perversion/279221 "2004-12-10T22:38:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-sexual-perversion/279221/1 "2004-12-10T22:38:19Z")
Many might argue that sexual perversion is the predilection to be aroused by things that the _definer_ sees as unnatural or unlawful. I, however, am too much of a moral relativist\*to subscribe to that. Instead, I define sexual perversion as having the predilection to be aroused by things that _the pervert themselves_ finds unnatural or shameful. Indeed, to be truly perverted one the shame and unnaturalness is integral in the arousal. So, for instance, a child molester might not be a pervert, even if they feel immense guilt over their actions, unless this guilt was in itself arousing. Similarly, a truly bisexual person who, nonetheless, mainly bats for one team, would not be a pervert, but someone who occasionally wants to just be all nasty and forbidden and dirty with a member of the non-preferred sex is. Finally, the classic “pervert” who sneaks peeks of naked or semi-clothed people or exposes themself again, is only a real pervert if they are aroused by the weirdness and wrongness of it all. You can even extend it to non-sexual things: for instance, once in awhile I like to look at the goatse image, not because it’s sexually arousing (it’s not,) but because in my mind i’m like “ewww, thats filthy and disgusting and so wrong…lemme see it again.” So in that case, I like it in a perverted way, but not in a perverted sexual way. \*in the sense that, while I believe that morals are, indeed, left up to the individual, there are nonetheless _ethical_ standards that should apply to all, since they are pretty objective and work both ways in most situations. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-sexual-perversion/279221/2 "2004-12-10T23:02:27Z")
Apparantly, it’s whatever a federal judge says it is. ---
**Author:** ![pervert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@pervert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pervert)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-sexual-perversion/279221/3 "2004-12-10T23:06:58Z")
I think what you are describing is a joy in the perversion of something. The joy in twisting a notion until it means the opposite of the usual. Enjoying puns can evoke this sort of thing. I do have to ask you one thing, though. If I recognize that an activity is twisted or unnormal, I enjoy the unnormalness of it, but I am not shamed by this, is it still perverted in your book? ---
**Author:** ![ThatGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e5b9ba/32.png) [@ThatGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-sexual-perversion/279221/4 "2004-12-12T16:45:09Z")
That definition opens itself up to many problems, i’m more inclined to define a perverse desire as one that is not ‘natrual’…However i would never mix ‘perverse’ with ‘immoral’. Anal sex is perverted, but not immoral. Child molestation is both. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-sexual-perversion/279221/5 "2004-12-13T17:44:57Z")
My GF used to say, “It’s only perverted the _first_ time you do it.” In her defense, she really did have a nice ass. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-sexual-perversion/279221/6 "2004-12-13T17:53:22Z")
Dictionary like explanation probably is “doing stuff other don’t find normal”… so Anal Sex probably would be a “sexual perversion”. Threesome’s too. Still by this criteria so would abstinence and celibacy since having sex normally is normal !! (yep double normal there…) There is a famous brazilian author that says: “Of all perversions… celibacy is the sickest.” ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-sexual-perversion/279221/7 "2004-12-13T17:55:02Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > My GF used to say, “It’s only perverted the _first_ time you do it.” Jeez… that kind of spoils my sex if I thought that way… I prefer perverted everytime ! ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-sexual-perversion/279221/8 "2004-12-13T19:51:26Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Apparantly, it’s whatever a federal judge says it is. According to this morning’s CSPAN radio broadcast, it’s what the American Parental Television Counsil says it is. :rolleyes: Those guys are so right of the FCC, they think that Powell Jr. is doing a shoddy job of it. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-sexual-perversion/279221/9 "2004-12-14T00:20:46Z")
As the old joke goes, kinky is using a feather, perverted is using the whole chicken. I see sexual perversion as any form of sexuality that is outside the norm of socially accepted sexuality. Celibacy is not perverted, for though unusual it is a socially accepted sexuality. Homosexuality and bisexuality are hardly considered perversion any more as society changes. Bestiality, paedophilia, and Felching all remain perverted according to current society mores where I live in Silicon Valley. BDSM is a very broard group of sexual practaces some are becoming more socially accepted, whilst others are still firmly considered perverted. So it is all relative to the society you live in whether something is An Imoral act, Sick, Perverted, Kinky, Wierd, Normal, Vanilla as a roughly defined scale of pervosity. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-sexual-perversion/279221/10 "2004-12-14T02:23:54Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > An Imoral act, Sick, Perverted, Kinky, Wierd, Normal, Vanilla as a roughly defined scale of pervosity. “pervosity”? I like it. If it isn’t a word, it should be.