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Butler, "The Double Standard of Morality," Oct. 1886
Document 6: Josephine E. Butler, "The Double Standard of Morality,"
Philanthropist, 1 (October 1886), pp. 1-2.
Introduction
Josephine Butler led the fight to repeal the series of contagious diseases acts
passed in Britain between 1864 and 1869 that effectively regulated, rather than
abolished, prostitution. In 1875, Butler led in forming the British, Continental, and
General Federation for the Abolition of State Regulated Prostitution. Her work was
greatly admired in the American social purity movement. In the following article,
Butler argued against the double standard, which held women responsible for
sexual indiscretions while excusing the behavior of men. A major goal of the age-ofconsent
campaign was to eliminate this double standard.
THE DOUBLE STANDARD OF MORALITY
__________
BY JOSEPHINE E. BUTLER
__________
As a floating straw indicates the flow of the tide, so there are
certain expressions that have become almost proverbial and till lately
have passed unchallenged in conversation and in literature, plainly
revealing the double standard of morality which society has accepted.
One of these expressions is, "He is only sowing his wild oats;" another
is, that "a reformed profligate makes a good husband." The latter is a
sentiment so gross that I would not repeat it, if it were not necessary to
do so--as a proof of the extent of the aberration of human judgment in
this matter.
Here we are at once brought into contact with the false and
misleading idea that the essence of right and wrong is in some way
dependent on sex. We never hear it carelessly or complacently
asserted of a young wom[a]n that "she is only sowing her wild oats."
This is not a pleasant aspect of the question; but let us deal faithfully
with it. It is a fact, that numbers even of moral and religious people
have permitted themselves to accept and condone in man what is
fiercely condemned in woman.
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