The movement to end sexual exploitation lost a pioneering advocate recently. Dr. Judith Reisman died on April 9 at the age of 85.
Dr. Reisman is remembered for devoting her life to the protection of women and children from sexual exploitation which she tirelessly did while serving as an Associate Professor at the University of Haifa in Israel, as a Full Professor at American University in Washington, DC., and as Director of the Liberty Child Protection Center at Liberty University School of Law.
During her tenure, Dr. Reisman’s research reexamined the basis of the “Sexual Revolution.” She was the first person to courageously take on the falsehoods of the infamous Kinsey Report, which was used to justify hardcore pornography and other sexual vices. She exposed Kinsey’s reliance upon sexual predators to base his report—evidence of crime rather than valid research. Thanks to her work, people started to take a critical look at Kinsey’s study and educate the public on its problems.
Dr. Reisman also exposed porn magazines like Playboy, Penthouse, and Hustler for using child images in their materials. She received pushback and raging personal criticism from the porn industry and its allies, but even that could not stop her. She managed to hold these magazines accountable and her efforts resulted in the wholesale elimination of child images in these publications after winning a lawsuit against Playboy.
Dr. Reisman authored many scholarly articles and books, most notably including Sexual Sabotage; Kinsey: Crime and Consequences; and Soft Porn Plays Hardball.
Much of her life was dedicated to exposing the harms of the pornography industry, heavily using neuroscience to explain the pathways of the brain and how pornography use “rewires” healthy neural pathways with “neuro-toxins.”
The strong criticism she faced and the strength she showed in persevering to expose the truth left the movement to end sexual exploitation with a rock-solid foundation on which to stand. Truly, the work we are doing today is built on the shoulders of giants, including Dr. Reisman’s. Dr. Reisman will be greatly missed by the staff of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, and all she worked with throughout the years.
Access Dr. Judith Reisman’s work here.
