Blanchard's definition of "paraphilia" (sexual perversion) has absolutely no basis in science, only in his own hang-ups on what constitutes proper sexual behavior.
Ray Blanchard is the father of the "autogynephilia" theory, a stigmatizing and transphobic theory that reduces trans women who are attracted to women to sexual perverts ("paraphiliacs").
What people often miss in the transgender debate is the basis for Blanchard understanding of the term paraphilia.
The basis for Blanchard's thinking is the kind of quasi-Darwinian model you find in much of evolutionary psychology, that is: the purpose of sex is reproduction.
This is why he also argues that homosexuality is a disorder (even if he has made desperate attempts at proving that homosexuality can be evolutionary advantageous elsewhere).
Blanchard's (and the gay sexologists James Cantor's) definition of paraphilia therefore ends up like this:
"The term paraphilia denotes any powerful [intense] and persistent sexual interest other than sexual interest in copulatory or precopulatory behavior [genital stimulation or preparatory fondling] with phenotypically normal, consenting adult human partners. "
(Cantor et al., 2009, p. 527, text in brackets refer to the version proposed to the latest edition of the American psychiatric manual, the DSM-5)
To put this in more everyday terms:
"The term paraphilia covers everything that cannot be classified as a traditional intercourse or traditional foreplay with an adult human partner that looks normal and who agrees to having sex."
Blanchard himself agrees that the definition seems to label everything outside a very narrow range of sexual behaviors as paraphilic. In his presentation, however, he puts up two slides that are supposed to show that this is not the case.
Paraphilic: e.g.
Not paraphilic: e.g.
And this is where he reveals that his science is nothing but an old man's desperate attempt at forcing his own view of what is "normal" upon a nature that does not care for these kinds of neurotic classification schemes.
There is actually no underpinning logic to what Blanchard considers paraphilic or not paraphilic, only his own personal prejudices as what should be considered kosher at this particular point in history.
This isn't science. This is sexist stereotypes camouflaged as science. This is the story about the blind leading the seeing. This is the story about the sexually obsessed telling healthy people that they are perverts. This is the story about sexology becoming a weapon of oppression.
Relevant blog posts
Literature
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| We believe this couple will pass Blanchard's perversion test, even the woman is on top and the man is fully clothed. It is hard to say, given the vagueness of Blanchard's definition. Photo: strigaroman |
Ray Blanchard is the father of the "autogynephilia" theory, a stigmatizing and transphobic theory that reduces trans women who are attracted to women to sexual perverts ("paraphiliacs").
What people often miss in the transgender debate is the basis for Blanchard understanding of the term paraphilia.
The basis for Blanchard's thinking is the kind of quasi-Darwinian model you find in much of evolutionary psychology, that is: the purpose of sex is reproduction.
This is why he also argues that homosexuality is a disorder (even if he has made desperate attempts at proving that homosexuality can be evolutionary advantageous elsewhere).
Blanchard's (and the gay sexologists James Cantor's) definition of paraphilia therefore ends up like this:
"The term paraphilia denotes any powerful [intense] and persistent sexual interest other than sexual interest in copulatory or precopulatory behavior [genital stimulation or preparatory fondling] with phenotypically normal, consenting adult human partners. "
(Cantor et al., 2009, p. 527, text in brackets refer to the version proposed to the latest edition of the American psychiatric manual, the DSM-5)
To put this in more everyday terms:
"The term paraphilia covers everything that cannot be classified as a traditional intercourse or traditional foreplay with an adult human partner that looks normal and who agrees to having sex."
Blanchard himself agrees that the definition seems to label everything outside a very narrow range of sexual behaviors as paraphilic. In his presentation, however, he puts up two slides that are supposed to show that this is not the case.
Paraphilic: e.g.
- enemas;
- feces or urine;
- generalized interest in amputees,
- paralyzed persons,
- physical deformities;
- bondage;
- whipping;
- cutting; hypoxia,
- sneezing or smoking persons,
- obscene telephone calls.
Not paraphilic: e.g.
- cunnilingus,
- fellatio,
- anal penetration with the finger, penis, or dildo;
- anilingus,
- intracrural intercourse;
- cross masturbation;
- kissing;
- and fondling.
And this is where he reveals that his science is nothing but an old man's desperate attempt at forcing his own view of what is "normal" upon a nature that does not care for these kinds of neurotic classification schemes.
There is actually no underpinning logic to what Blanchard considers paraphilic or not paraphilic, only his own personal prejudices as what should be considered kosher at this particular point in history.
This isn't science. This is sexist stereotypes camouflaged as science. This is the story about the blind leading the seeing. This is the story about the sexually obsessed telling healthy people that they are perverts. This is the story about sexology becoming a weapon of oppression.
POSTSCRIPT ON THE CELESTIAL EMPORIUM
Blanchard's definition reminds me a bit about Jorge Luis Borges' "Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge". Borges' point was that our ways of classifying the world around us is often based on completely arbitrary concepts grown out of a particular culture. His quote from an imaginary ancient Chinese encyclopaedia serves to illustrate this.
The encyclopaedia divides animals into:
- those that belong to the Emperor,
- embalmed ones,
- those that are trained,
- suckling pigs,
- mermaids,
- fabulous ones,
- stray dogs,
- those included in the present classification,
- those that tremble as if they were mad,
- innumerable ones,
- those drawn with a very fine camelhair brush,
- others,
- those that have just broken a flower vase,
- those that from a long way off look like flies.
Blanchard' lists of parahilic and non-paraphilic sexual desires and practices are equally absurd.
Relevant blog posts
- On how American psychiatry persecutes transgender crossdreamers and crossdressers
- Bibliography on paraphilias and the DSM-5
- What the DSM-5 says about terms like transgender, transsexual and gender dysphoria
- On grammar, paraphilia and the DSM-5
- The British Psychological Society asks for crossdressing and other types of sexual behavior to be removed from the DSM-5
- Blanchard debunked: Surveys show that all kinds of people experience "autogynephilia"
Literature
- Presentation by Blanchard on his paraphilia definition.
- Charles Moser: Yet another paraphilia definition fails
- Andrew C. Hinderliter: Defining Paraphilia in DSM-5: Do Not Disregard Grammar
- Andrew C. Hinderliter: Defining Paraphilia: Excluding Exclusion
- Blanchard, R: "Paraphilias vs. paraphilic disorders, pedophilia vs. pedo- and hebephilia, and autogynephilic vs. fetishistic transvestism." Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Sex Therapy and Research (SSTAR), April 3, 2009, Arlington, Virginia (Powerpoint here)
- Cantor, J. M., Blanchard, R., & Barbaree, H. (2009). Sexual disorders. In P. H. Blaney & T. Millon (Eds.), Oxford textbook of psychopathology (2nd ed., pp. 527–548). New York: Oxford University Press.
