The Sex Positive Movement, The Body Positive Movement…. It’s Time For The Party Positive Movement!

There’s no doubt about it: The Sex Positive and Body Positive Movements are doing the necessary work of liberating contemporary women from some of society’s most oppressive standards. These movements are revolutionary. They’ve made space and secured essential rights for women from all walks of life. (That’s totally worth celebrating!)

But, we’re ready to add to this momentum. We felt it was about time for the Party Positivity Movement! 

We needed a movement that says you don’t need to limit your celebrations to weddings, showers, and birthdays. Our movement challenges society’s standards about what a woman can and should celebrate because a woman should feel empowered to celebrate, well, whatever the hell she/he/they want!

Before we dive deeper, let’s first take a look at the movements that paved the way for Party Positivity: the Sex Positive Movement and the Body Positive Movement. 

What Is the Sex Positive Movement? 

Let’s start with the definition of sex positive, courtesy of the Oxford Dictionary: sex pos·i·tive (adjective) having or promoting an open, tolerant, or progressive attitude towards sex and sexuality.

The movement started during the sexual revolution of the 1960s and has recently evolved alongside modern-day intersectional feminism. The result? A more inclusive and intersectional sex positive feminism. Sex positivity today focuses on providing comprehensive sex education, securing access to contraception, and combating rape culture.

Sex Positive: What It Is and What It Is *Not*

Sex positive means so much more than the dictionary’s simple definition, though.

At its core, sex positive is a way of being that practices non-judgment and celebrates sex, sexuality, and sensuality. It aims to eradicate victim-blaming and slut-shaming while promoting sexual empowerment, consent, and comprehensive sex education.

What Sex Positivity Is 

Committing to being sex positive means respecting an individual’s right to practice whatever brings them sensual or sexual pleasure, with an emphasis on consent, communication, and education. It means acknowledging that sex, in its various forms and practices, can be a positive part of someone’s life. That’s not such a radical idea, is it?

What Sex Positivity Isn’t 

Being sex positive doesn’t mean you need to have sex. On the contrary, it’s a movement that honors every woman’s right to make decisions that align with what’s best for them! 

While sex positivity doesn’t mean you have to have sex, it does mean you shouldn’t judge someone else for their sexual choices. Just like no one should pressure an individual to partake in certain sexual acts, no one should judge someone else for their consensual sexual choices.

Why We Need Sex Positivity

As a whole, our society is, well, sex negative. With our culture’s roots so heavily embedded in White, colonial values, it’s really no surprise that sex positivity is “unacceptable.” Our country, and much of the Western world, was founded on very puritanical values that dictated what was acceptable behavior for women and what they could do with their bodies. From this lens, sex and sexuality were seen as dirty, sinful, and shameful. 

The effects of this are, unfortunately, still prevalent today. In many communities, women are still being told what to do with their bodies. Many are even outcast for participating in any behavior that strays from what’s “culturally appropriate.” Currently, the U.S. federal government invests millions into “abstinence-only” sexual education curricula despite being proven ineffective at preventing STIs and unwanted pregnancy.

The Sex Positive Movement challenges all of this with one premise: Women should be able to do whatever pleases them. Amen!

What Is the Body Positive Movement? 

At its core, body positivity is the idea that everybody has the right to a positive body image, regardless of shape, size, color, or ability….not just picture-perfect Instagram influencers!

Born from the early Sex Positive Movement, the Body Positive Movement promotes self-love and self-acceptance. The movement champions improving the lives of those who don’t fit society’s impossible beauty standards by building self-confidence divorced from body image. Research has shown that adopting a body positive attitude improves mental health outcomes.

This seems like a very simple premise; however, when it comes to the beauty standards that society has imposed on us, the idea of body positivity can seem pretty radical!

Why We Need Body Positivity

Body positive advocates point to the diet, wellness, fashion, and other “self-care” industries – and the media that fuels them – as the culprits who reinforce these impossible beauty standards. These industries earn billions per year and are fueled by our negative self-perception and desires to modify our bodies. If you’ve ever thought a diet product or program could “fix” your imperfections, you know how powerful these industries are– and how they make so much money.

When so many women struggle with body image, the Body Positive Movement is absolutely necessary. We all deserve to accept, love, and appreciate our bodies.

Enter Party Positivity!  

We’re true believers of these movements, and it was about time we added another revolutionary movement to this powerful pack. 

The party scene isn’t immune to society’s patriarchal pressures and expectations. While we agree that weddings, baby showers, and birthdays are worth celebrating, those aren’t the only milestone events that define a woman’s life. 

Party Positivity is the movement that challenges these expectations. Being “party positive” means celebrating your life and your success on YOUR terms. It champions inclusivity and honors the diverse array of wins a woman can celebrate. It could look like throwing your bestie a divorce party, organizing a dinner party to celebrate your latest promotion at work, or even getting your friends together to celebrate your first Pap smear!

If there ever was a perfect time for a party positive movement, it’s now! You deserve to celebrate your life on your terms, free from society’s outdated expectations. 

Positivity Movements All Around

Party Positivity wouldn’t be a thing if it weren’t for the world-shattering movements that came before it. We take pride in the fact that sex and body positivity are woven within the foundation of Party Positivity. Whether you’re celebrating purchasing your first sex toy, throwing yourself an intuitive eating dinner party, or just out for drinks to celebrate your routine STI testing, these movements go hand in hand. To be party positive is to be sex positive and body positive. 

Ready to throw your first Party Positive celebration? Check out our downloadable freebies for all the resources you’ll need to make sure your event is an unforgettably positive one.