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Every 50th post, I feel it’s important to take a step back from the smut and examine how depictions of sexuality and explicit imagery fit into the broader weave of life.

The first anniversary of the shootings in Newtown, CT is next month. It came at the tail end of a year featuring at least fifteen other mass shootings.

I have strong opinions when it comes gun violence; this is not the appropriate forum to vent them.

However, I feel compelled to address the rash in sexually explicit imagery where guns feature prominently as props.

I am not so much bothered by the stuff akin to Jackie Brown’s Chicks who Love Guns gag. But such images represent only a small fraction of what has been crossing my dash. Most of said imagery features a male bodied individual holding a gun to a female bodied-person while engaged in sexual activity.

I believe (I do not employ that word often or lightly) in protecting first amendment rights. Either all speech is free or none is.

Freedom of speech does not require agreement or even a duty to listen.

There is no way to sidestep the fact a gun–an instrument capable of causing grievous bodily harm and/or death–tinges the image with the shades of coercion. Coercion is unequivocally incompatible with consent. Period.

To me, those who make such images are irresponsible but I won’t question their right to carry on in such a fashion.

Yet, I do not owe them an their reprehensible work an audience. Henceforth, I will exercise my right to a heckler’s veto: if you post images/gifs featuring guns as props in sexual exchanges, I will unfollow you.

I encourage like-minded followers to do the same.