Hey there, Remi!

I do personally believe that people can have meaningful, and even romantic, relationships with people of the sex they are attracted to without the parties in question viewing each other as sexual objects.

I haven't spent much time in that territory, per se, but I know I've had some meaningful romantic friendships that weren't very focused on a specifically sexual attraction. However, even with those, I did tend to go into sexual fantasy on rare-ish occasion (in which I saw those friends as sexual objects and desired them), and therein lies the catch. I do think that sexual relationships and sexual attractions very possibly HAVE to include some amount of sexual objectification, but I really don't think that's inherently a bad thing. I think that people who have a loving and/or meaningful, respectful sexual relationship do (and, actually, SHOULD) view each other as sexual objects (just not EXCLUSIVELY as such). Hopefully the people in the relationship are also attracted to and fond of many qualities in each other besides the sexual ones, providing a base that helps make the relationship meaningful in ways beyond pure sexuality, but being able to view each other (respectfully) as physically appealing and as means of sexual fulfillment are additional excellent elements to many perfectly lovely and healthy relationships.

I think a bit of mental separating out can happen when you're really turned on by someone you have a meaningful relationship with; you can dig them as a fully-rounded individual and respect that they're this incredible, complex entity and then your brain sort of melts down and narrows in on the sexual element of your attraction to them... narrows in on the physically-appealing. And this also includes focusing on any other, non-physical erotic qualities they possess, but it's usually still channeled into physical expression - into tangible connection with the person's physical presence (since sex, ultimately, is physical) - and, therefore, still comes back to the person's nature as a sexual being.

I tend to be of the opinion that objectification is too often entirely written off as a negative thing. You can see a person as a person and, simultaneously, as a physically attractive object that you are lucky enough to respectfully enjoy (especially if you are also offering yourself up as an object to your partner). I think it might be an essential element of relationships that feature sexual attraction. I do want to say, though, that I'm aware of how sexual objectification can be - and is - a very negative thing in many circumstances, as well.

Back to your point though... again, I am of the opinion that a meaningful romantic relationship that features no sexual objectification is entirely feasible (I'm just not sure if I can fathom this relationship as one that also functions as sexual; sounds like a romantic asexual relationship).

I may be going at answering your question entirely the wrong way, though! May I ask - how did this conversation come about in the Scorpio Mars tribe? I mean, I can easily see why Scorpio Mars folks would be ruminating on it, but I guess I'm wondering more about the context in which it was brought up so I'm not veering horribly into tangent territory or misinterpreting you!

And, to make one final comment that connects to astrology, I would guess that Earthy individuals (Earth Marses and Venuses for sure) would be likely to 'objectify' perhaps the most, at least in a very literal way. They might be more inclined to appreciate an individual as a physical presence to 'have' and enjoy. So maybe my take on the subject of people-as-sexual-objects is a bit too slanted by my Earthy, Earthy chart!

Jesus, sorry I utterly fail at being concise!! This is an interesting discussion topic.

Remi, do you mean a mature relationship where sex is not a factor at all or where sex takes the back-burner for intellectual and emotional connectons?

"Yes, we know that both men and women see one another as sexual objects, but do you think that you can have an meaningful "mature" relationship with the opposite sex or even the same sex without being viewed as a sexual object."

This is a no-brainer to me. Of course.