Awkward Alliances and the Indianapolis Anti-Pornography Ordinance of 1984

Abstract

This thesis examines the motivations behind the advocates and detractors of the Indianapolis Anti-Pornography Ordinance of 1984. It will examine how and why Indianapolis Conservatives, who opposed pornography due to its perceived moral implications, joined forces with a radical feminist to create an ordinance outlawing pornography that utilized the radical feminist argument of pornography’s potential violence. It will explain the national divide between radical and liberal feminists on the issue of pornography and how this is reflected on a local scale through the methods of Indianapolis feminists to contend with violence against women. Through interviews with those associated with the ordinance, it will broaden the understanding of the sides in the debate and how the ordinance was defeated. This thesis will also demonstrate that while the ordinance ultimately failed to be enforced after being signed into law by Mayor Hudnut, it marked a significant moment in not only Indianapolis but the Nation’s history and helped change the course of the pornography debate.