Gary Bruce Wilson (1956–2021) was an American anti-

pornography Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,

campaigner.

Biography

Wilson was an atheist who lived in Ashland, Oregon. He was formerly an adjunct professor of biology at Southern Oregon University and also taught at vocational schools. Together with his wife, Marina Robinson, he was an instructor of

karezza ''Coitus reservatus'' (''coitus'', "sexual intercourse, union" and ''reservatus'', "reserved, saved"), also known as sexual continence, is a form of sexual intercourse in which the man does not attempt to ejaculate within his partner, but instead ...

, and the couple shared an antipathy towards orgasms. He became widely known from his 2012 TEDx talk entitled "The Great Porn Experiment" in which he argued exposure to pornography changes brain chemistry. The talk has been viewed over 13 million times. Wilson started the website YourBrainOnPorn.com with his wife which argues that pornography is an addiction the same as overeating or

compulsive gambling Problem gambling or ludomania is repetitive gambling behavior despite harm and negative consequences. Problem gambling may be diagnosed as a mental disorder according to ''DSM-5'' if certain diagnostic criteria are met. Pathological gambling is ...

.Isaac Abel (June 7, 2013)
"Was I Actually 'Addicted' to Internet Pornography?"
''The Atlantic''. Four years after the site's launch, he published the book ''Your Brain On Porn: Internet Pornography and the Emerging Science of Addiction'', on the same topic and had it translated into Arabic, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Japanese, and Russian."Best-selling author of Your Brain on Porn, Gary Wilson, has passed away"
''AP''. May 26, 2021. Wilson argued, counter to relevant experts in the subject, that porn addiction is a public health issue,Van Boom, Daniel (Dec. 1 2020)
"Porn addiction is ruining lives, but scientists aren't convinced it's real"
''CNET''. and said it led to negative effects such as depression and

erectile dysfunction Erectile dysfunction (ED), also called impotence, is the type of sexual dysfunction in which the penis fails to become or stay erect during sexual activity. It is the most common sexual problem in men.Cunningham GR, Rosen RC. Overview of male ...

. Wilson's material prominently undergirds the internet fads "

NoFap NoFap is a website and community forum that serves as a support group for those who wish to give up pornography and masturbation. Its name comes from the slang term '' fap'', referring to male masturbation. While reasons for this abstinance ...

" and "

No Nut November No Nut November is an internet challenge revolving around male abstinence from masturbation, sex and ejaculation (or colloquially "to nut") during the month of November. It originated in late 2010 and grew in popularity on social media during and ...

", with his TED-X talk often linked in relevant fora in spite of the note posted by TED at the top of the recording: “This talk contains several assertions that are not supported by academically respected studies in medicine and psychology. While some viewers might find advice provided in this talk to be helpful, please do not look to this talk for medical advice.”Manavis, Sarah
"No Nut November: the insidious internet challenge encouraging men not to masturbate. What may appear to be just another weird and bizarre internet challenge is underpinned by extreme misogyny and threats of violence."
''New Statesman''. November 13, 2018. According to historian Brian M. Watson, Wilson "with no scientific training or background ...has made a career peddling pseudoscience." This gist of his argument is the

Coolidge effect The Coolidge effect is a biological phenomenon seen in animals, whereby males exhibit renewed sexual interest whenever a new female is introduced, even after sex with prior but still available sexual partners. To a lesser extent, the effect is also ...

(desensitization due to seeing many new naked bodies), but scholars have expressed doubts that it applies to humans. Wilson died on May 20, 2021 after years of illness."The National Center on Sexual Exploitation Remembers Gary Wilson"
''National Center on Sexual Exploitation''. May 25, 2021.

References

External links

YourBrainOnPorn.com
Gary Wilson's website {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Gary Bruce 1956 births 2021 deaths 21st-century American male writers Anti-pornography activists