Susie Bright talks about the first time she was sexually assaulted, the connection (and lack thereof) to forced-sex fantasies, and a bit of (personal) history tying feminism to sex fantasies of various kinds:
"What really happens when you get your consciousness raised, is that you aren’t afraid of your fantasies. You see the difference between real-life anxieties and limitations versus your potential to go to any extreme in fantasy. That is empowering. Erotic dreams communicate powerful and personal messages. But to read them as if they were tea leaves amounts to some pretty tacky fortune telling."
A worthy topic, but strange that she doesn't tie it in with the real-life playing-out of "extreme" fantasy, something that seems casually accepted in many parts of the Bay Area we live in. There's the real life in which feminists want to see women treated appropriately - with respect, and as equals. And there's the sexual fantasy of dominating or being dominated - a situation where the power differential is part of the appeal. And there's the real-life scene where the fantasy is played out with a trusted partner - not quite the same reality as the constant daily life where equality and respect are desired, but still, it has more of an impact on that daily reality than a fantasy will.

Tangent (since we're talking about forced sex fiction): I went to Inside Story Time back in August - one of San Francisco's many monthly literary nights, this time themed "Bottoms." It didn't change my belief that Writers With Drinks is the only monthly literary event worth going to in this city. Charlie Anders' between-authors banter used to annoy me; now I realize it's one of the things that saves her event from sameness and lameness.