Straight Sex

Is heterosexual sex inherently damaging to women? This is the central question of Straight Sex, Lynne Segal’s account of twentyfive years of feminist thinking on sexuality. Covering the thought of sixties-era sexual liberationists, alongside the ensuing passionate debates over sex and love within feminist and lesbian communities, Segal covers certain shifts toward greater sexual conservatism in the eighties. Straight Sex examines an array of issues, including sex as a subversive activity, the “liberated orgasm,” sex advice literature, gender uncertainties, queer politics, anti-pornography campaigns and the rise of the moral right.“Once again, Lynne Segal cuts through feminist ambivalence about sex with great intelligence, verve, and courage ... a stunning manifesto of sexual liberation.” —Barbara Ehrenreich

“A passionate and highly informative book.” —Times Literary SupplementLynne Segal is Anniversary Professor of Psychology and Gender Studies in the Department of Psychosocial Studies at Birkbeck College. Her books include Out of Time; Is the Future Female?; and Slow Motion.