About this item
Highlights
- The author of landmark manifesto Whipping Girl exposes the violent ways we are all sexualized-then offers a bold path for resistance Feminists have long challenged the ways in which men tend to sexualize women.
- About the Author: Julia Serano is the author of four books, including the acclaimed modern classic Whipping Girl.
- 320 Pages
- Social Science, LGBT Studies
Description
About the Book
"When the mainstream transgender rights movement was still a glimmer on the horizon, Julia Serano's smash-hit manifesto Whipping Girl revolutionized the way we think about gender. With the movement for trans rights now at the center of our cultural debates, Julia Serano returns with a groundbreaking exploration of what it means to be sexualized. We tend to think of sexualization-that is, when people are reduced to their sexual bodies-as an issue that only affects women. But, as Serano deftly reveals, society sexualizes everyone along dehumanizing double standards, to disastrous effects. She shows how a predator-and-prey dynamic leads straight men to both admire and deride their partners, how bisexuals are stereotyped as "greedy," and how trans people are maligned as "entrappers" of cisgender people. Along the way, she unpacks why queerness is thought of as contagious, how people of color are sexualized to justify violence against them, and more broadly, how sexualization harms us all. Julia Serano confronts these arbitrary social rules, showing us that they're not natural or innate but instead are constructed. She then reveals powerful new ways to resist, by affirming consent and redefining courtship, so that we can forge life-affirming values for future generations"--Book Synopsis
The author of landmark manifesto Whipping Girl exposes the violent ways we are all sexualized-then offers a bold path for resistance
Feminists have long challenged the ways in which men tend to sexualize women. But pioneering activist, biologist, and trans woman Julia Serano argues that sexualization is a far more pervasive problem, as it's something that we all do to other people, often without being aware of it.
Why do we perceive men as sexual predators and women as sexual objects? Why are LGBTQ+ people stereotyped as being sexually indiscriminate and deceptive? Why are people of color still being hypersexualized? These stereotypes push minorities farther into the margins, and even the privileged are policed from transgressing, lest they also become targets. Many view sexualization as a mere component of sexism, racism, or queerphobia, but Serano argues that liberation from sexual violence comes through collectively confronting sexualization itself.
Review Quotes
"... what I love about Julia's work is how generous and accessible her writing is. She doesn't just tell you terms and what they mean, she plots them out in such a way that they click into place in your head without you even noticing."--Sadhbh O'Sullivan, Refinery29
"'Sexed Up' doesn't just identify a common problem; it identifies a common ground for solidarity and resistance."--Noah Berlatsky, NBC News Think!
"The ringing, undeniable truth of how intensely North America assigns sexual deviance (in one direction or another) to everyone it deems marginal (so, everyone but white, straight, able-bodied cis men)--assembled, contextualized and with all the connections very clearly made in a way that cuts directly to the heart of how kyriarchy uses sexual shame as a form of control (still, again, endlessly) and as a way to turn people who would otherwise be natural allies against one another." --S. Bear Bergman, xtra
"This book in particular scratches an itch by making a feminist argument about sexism and patriarchy from a fully trans- and queer-inclusive point of view.... Unlike most people with axes to grind, though, Serano, a scientist by training, reads widely, and has been thinking hard about gender for at least two decades. When Serano introduces a concept... I expect the idea to pervade and permeate feminist thought." --Helen Boyd, LIBER: A Feminist Review
"Julia Serano is a razor-sharp observer and a generous, compassionate, and liberatory thinker. Sexed Up is a wise, nuanced, and unapologetic guide to understanding what goes on under the hood of sexualization in American culture."
--Dr. Hanne Blank Boyd, historian and author of Straight"Serano has done it again, taking an idea you thought you understood and unfolding depths to it you never knew were there. Sexed Up is the sexualization rethink you didn't know you needed."
--Jaclyn Friedman, author of What You Really Really Want"An engaging and thoughtful addition for any library's popular human sexuality collection."
--Library Journal
"Serano succeeds in explicating a wide range of complex ideas about gender, sexuality, and identity, and offers incisive new frameworks for reckoning with some of the most discussed issues in contemporary feminism and queer culture. The result is a nuanced and approachable guide to 'making sex more equitable.'"
--Publishers Weekly
"Julia Serano brings us the incisive, clear-eyed analysis of today's culture wars that we so desperately need. Thoughtful and deeply researched, Sexed Up provides a more compassionate way of dealing with our cultural programming around sexuality."--Annalee Newitz, Lambda Award winning author of Four Lost Cities
"Fascinating, comprehensive, and clearly explained, Sexed Up leads the reader through a radically sensible analysis of what sexualization is and how it happens. (Hint: You're soaking in it!) As we work to create a sex-positive culture, we'll reference this vitally important book again and again."
--Carol Queen, PhD, Author of Exhibitionism for the Shy and co-founder of the Center for Sex & Culture"Julia Serano acutely speaks to many nuances in gender and sexuality that unjustly dictate the safety, value, and autonomy of marginalized genders. Immersive and precise, she traces enduring stigmas to their illogical roots." --Koa Beck, author of White Feminism
"How lucky we are to have Julia Serano -- a writer who brings razor-sharp analysis to the most challenging issues we face today. Sexed Up is another worthy addition to the canon, brimming with the unique patience, care, and clarity Serano brings to untangling our sexual preconceptions."--Jude Ellison S. Doyle, author of Trainwreck
"A brilliant tour de force on an under-theorized topic--sexualization--and the havoc it wreaks on so many lives, especially the most marginalized. I can't wait to discuss this book: it's essential reading."--Kate Manne, author of Down Girl
"Julia Serano continues to be one of the most remarkable feminists writing today. Sexed Up is a must-read for anyone who cares about feminism, misogyny, and how we talk about sex."--Jessica Valenti, New York Times-bestselling author of Sex Object
About the Author
Julia Serano is the author of four books, including the acclaimed modern classic Whipping Girl. Her writing has been published in the New York Times, the Guardian, TIME, Salon, Ms., and Bitch. Serano holds a PhD in biochemistry from Columbia University. She lives in Oakland, California.