American Savage Book Summary

Book Summary

15 min

Audio available

Brief Summary

Be open and honest. It will be good for you and your relationships. Shaming yourself or others is no way to live. The rationale for judging others is often hypocritical and illogical. Sexual liberation is good for everyone, regardless of their orientation. Fighting for changes that keep people happier, healthier, and safer is important and goes beyond sex.

About the Author

Dan Savage began his media career writing an advice column for The Stranger in 1991 and American Savage is his sixth book. Savage has been a vocal gay rights advocate, co-founding the It Gets Better campaign with his husband. Using his platform, Savage has addressed a number of political issues. Many concern sex, sexuality, and reproductive rights for all sexual orientations, but Savage also speaks out on any issue of importance.

Topics

Biography & Memoir Politics

American Savage Book Summary Preview

Key Insights

Sex education in America is inadequate. Filled with misconceptions around sex and sexuality, many long-held beliefs don’t hold up. Explore and break down the common perceptions about sex, sexuality, and relationships in American Savage.

Gay rights activist and sex advice columnist Dan Savage shares what he’s learned over his career and his sometimes controversial positions. Not willing to stay confined to the topics of sex that come to him in his advice column, Savage is willing to take on politicians and religion.

American Savage is about challenging norms and expectations, approaching issues with an open mind, and becoming more tolerant.

Using the Bible for antigay arguments may be convenient, but it is also hypocritical.

After being raised Catholic, Savage highlights the conflicting use of the Bible when it comes to the rights of LGBT people. According to the Old Testament, a man that “lies with” another man should be put to death.

The Bible also supports slavery and wants to stone women who have sex before marriage in other passages from the Old Testament. Most people accept that these positions are outdated and wrong. From that perspective, the Old Testament is not appropriate for Christianity in modern times.

To accept one part and not another by cherry-picking what fits your needs is hypocritical. People that want to condemn homosexuals will accept part of the Old Testament because it fits their bigotry.

The persecution of gay people by the Church and others relies on the hypocritical interpretation of the Bible. Despite the hypocrisy, the Church has used its power to influence politics. The Church has tried to block same-sex marriage and adoption rights for same-sex couples.

Sometimes extramarital sex is best for a relationship.

Savage started his sex advice column in 1991. Since then, he’s heard a variety of relationship questions.

One situation he’s heard about from a number of his readers is a sexless relationship. A person writes in because they feel deprived of sex. The reason for their situation may vary. Some people find that having children changes their partner’s sex drive. In other cases, chronic illness changes the level of physical intimacy that may be possible or desired.

One husband wrote that his marriage was wonderful but was sexless. His wife had no libido and he couldn’t bring it back. Savage advised that a discreet affair may be the best thing for the relationship.

The man took Savage’s advice. He later wrote back in with an update to say that his wife’s sex drive had returned. The husband ended the affair at that time and their marriage remained intact.

Every partner should be GGG: good in bed, giving pleasure, and game for anything.

More often than suggesting taking a lover, Savage focused on his regular mantra for a healthy relationship: good, giving, and game, or GGG. This means that you should aim to be good in bed, give pleasure to your partner without immediately expecting reciprocation, and being game for anything reasonable.

Partners that have a GGG approach to their relationship are more open and honest. You communicate sexual needs and work...