In addition to drugs and music, the counterculture is remembered for intensifying the sexual revolution. By 1960, the FDA had approved the birth control pill, allowing women more control over their bodies and more sexual freedom.[25] During this period, sexuality and gender roles became more liberalized, and women began to vocalize their discontent with society’s expectations of them. Most notably, two books from the early 1960s paved the way for this discourse: Helen Gurley Brown’s Sex and the Single Girl (1962) and Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique (1963). Friedan’s work demonstrated that suburban women were unsatisfied with their domestic roles, and Brown’s book encouraged women to be independent, both financially and sexually.[26] Both texts were pivotal in shifting the collective consciousness towards female liberation. The counterculture incorporated these shifts into its own movement by embracing sexual exploration and experimentation, celebrating the body, and advocating for “free love.”[27]
However, while the sexual revolution challenged some of these societal norms, it did little to expand the discussion on homosexuality, which was still considered deviant and even illegal in some states. The gay liberation movement did not take off until the end of the decade, when, in 1969, the Stonewall riots sparked greater public awareness to the issue.[28] In this way, Joplin’s downplaying of her bisexuality aligned more with the already established norms at the time. Even within the counterculture, most homosexuals remained in the closet.
But Janis’s sexuality was still not as revolutionary as it has been portrayed. While it is true that she openly slept with many people (even publicly bragging about how she slept with football star Joe Namath), her sexual encounters reflected her penchant for partying hard more than consciously changing norms for women.[29] She preferred being “one of the guys” more than making a statement about female social behavior. When asked about feminism, she dismissed the notion, saying of feminists that “it seemed like they hadn’t had a good time in months.”[30]
Joplin dressed as she wanted, slept with who she wanted, and behaved how she wanted. From this perspective, her actions pushed the boundaries for how women could act in mainstream society. And in this way, Janis’s sexuality lined up with the counterculture’s openness towards sexuality. However, while the counterculture helped open some doors in this regard, it would not be until the 1970s that liberation for women and the queer community would really make headway. Women were still seen as objects for men’s pleasure in much of the hippie scene, and gay behavior was still taboo. Viewed from this angle, Janis (and the counterculture, for that matter) did not revolutionize sex or women’s freedoms as expansively as is remembered.