It's not okay, and it's not harmless

 

A lot of the stories on here are about the excitement some people get from 'flashing', which I'll define as 'intentionally exposing one's genitalia to other people without their express consent, in circumstances where such exposure would not be expected.' So, wandering around a nudist resort isn't flashing. Undressing in a communal changing room isn't flashing. Opening your underwear in front of someone walking past 50 yards away, IS. 

Flashing is fundamentally wrong because by definition you're using other people for your own sexual gratification without their prior agreement (and by 'agreement' I DON'T mean 'happens to be somewhere in the vicinity'.) In other words, it's a form of sexual assault.

Men: you probably think that because no touching is involved, you're not doing any real harm. Well, since you don't know anything about your flashee(s), how do you know that? The elderly woman to whom you're exposing yourself might have been raped as a child and you're forcing her to relive that trauma. The group of schoolgirls might grow up to think that all men are selfish, sex-obsessed perverts who don't give a damn about how they feel. In short, male flashers give all men a bad name.

Women: leaving aside the obvious risks to your personal safety, you can't have it both ways. If on the one hand you want women to feel safe to go where they want and do what they want without sexual harassment or discrimination; you can't on the other hand reinforce the stereotype of women being purely sex objects. The man you flash today, might decide it's okay to spike a woman's drink tonight because, 'well, they're all gagging for it, aren't they?'

Yes, I am exaggerating for effect but my point is, you can't KNOW that.

In my own opinion ALL sexual activity has to be with the explicit, full and free consent of ALL parties involved.

Author:Lindsayl | Category: Sex Stories In Public

Well said.

General point: I accidentally 'reported' a couple of the comments below while I was scrolling on my touchscreen. So far I've had no problem at all with any of the comments; there just doesn't seem to be a way of cancelling a 'report' before it gets submitted.

Jcannaday3: I absolutely DO include 'cyberflashing' in my definition. Yes, one can just click past and block, and one can do the equivalent in real life, but there are always going to be some individuals who are badly affected by it and why would anyone think that's an acceptable way to get one's kicks? Personally I'd LOVE to live in a society that treats the human body as just another one of evolution's masterpieces and not weigh it down with artificial concepts of sin and morality, but we are where we are.
Wetgirl2: nah, the thought of flashing anyone doesn't do anything for me. I love women and would hate to do anything that might upset them. And you will concede that your sexual confidence is at one end of the scale which has the Catholic Church at the other; most people are closer to the middle.
Guinevere: I'd certainly love to see your boobs as well; just do me a favour and check with me first...
Folks, we're all on this site for the same reason and I enjoy READING about other people's sex lives; I just don't think it's acceptable to get one's sexual satisfaction at the cost of other people's peace of mind.

Good post and some good, respectful discussion as well. I see where lindsayl is coming from and, while she possibly underplays context, there could be trauma and danger involved occasionally.

I respectfully disagree. This "just say no" nancy-reagan-esque diatribe is a bit much. Given your age, it's understandable you didn't include "dick pics" in your list, but it's all pretty much the same, and electronic "exposure" is much more prevalent. It's alarmist and disingenuous to call any of this sexual assault. This does a grave disservice to what sexual assault really is. Seeing something unwanted happens all the time and I'm much more personally offended by gratuitous violence than a set of boobs or a tumescent penis. As one person mentioned, it's all about context, and in this digital age, if it's an unwanted or unsolicited sexually oriented pic, "delete and block" and move on with your life. If it's in "real life", point and giggle. The true flasher is looking for the reaction, not his/her exposure per se.
If we weren't so damned preoccupied with our Victorian neuroses about our bodies, this wouldn't even be an issue, and even for the miniscule minority of people who expose themselves for sexual titillation, the numbers would be even fewer than they are right now. This "boogey man" lurking in the shadows is extremely rare and mostly consigned to dime store novels. I'm not buying it.