ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that violence should not be used in as the sole indicator of nonconsensual sex. One argument which makes this link is addressed, namely Susan Sontag’s essay ‘Fascinating Fascism’, which links the art of Leni Riefenstahl to the practice of S/M. Susan Sontag’s claim that sexual violence is fascistic is rejected for two reasons. First, her argument is not a convincing account of the sexual dynamics of fascism. Second, Sontag also seems to misunderstand violent sex. The claim is made that it is wrong to see all violence as possessing one unitary set of properties. Violence is a broad term, whose common meaning is hard to pin down. Non-oppressive forms of violence can be envisaged. The most important question to ask of all sexual activity is ‘did consent take place?’ If this is the key issue, then the presence of violence is only a secondary question.
