The Right has politicized private life, expanding the zone of public sexuality. This guarantees policies that will worsen social problems and increase personal anxiety, providing proof that sexuality is fundamentally negative--so citizens demand more sex-negative policies.

With examples ripped from today's headlines, with brutal honesty and a wicked sense of humor, Marty Klein names names, challenges political hypocrisy, and shows the financial connections between government and conservative religious groups that are systematically taking away your rights. And, in the process, changing American society--forever.

In our free society, people have the right to choose how they live their lives.-- President George Bush, June 3, 2006

So why does our government want to censor what you read, hear, and see, try to limit your access to contraception, attempt to legislate good moral values, and try to brainwash your kids about abstinence?

These are the kinds of questions Dr. Marty Klein asks--and answers--in his new book, "America's War on Sex." With hundreds of examples ripped from today's headlines, he names names, challenges political hypocrisy, and shows the financial connections between government and conservative religious groups that are systematically taking away your rights. Dr. Klein isn't shy about it. He demands to know--as you should demand to know--answers to difficult questions, such as: If 50 million Americans consume pornography, why does the government dare to regulate it without consulting any consumers? Why do Congressmen listen to victims of porn but not healthy adults who use porn? Now that abstinence-only sex education has been proven a failure, why does the government still give it $200 million each year? And how can most of that money go to faith-based groups who tell your kids how God feels about their sexual choices? Why do hundreds of American communities feel they have the right to eliminate legal adult entertainment, claiming we're not that kind of city? Why do family courts have the right to judge the private sexual habits of each parent when making custody decisions? How can licensed pharmacists and physicians claim they have the right to deny you legal medical care if it violates their conscience?

Our glorious Constitution guarantees us the widest range of rights civilization has ever seen. Why are those rights systematically undermined and revoked when it comes to sexual expression?

Is there a conspiracy to deny us our sexual rights? No, says Marty Klein: It's worse than a conspiracy. It's a war. They're very open about it--it's a War on Sex.

It's a war that threatens the very fabric of our secular democracy. The American Taliban, our own sexual jihadists, want to replace our government with laws based on the Bible, creating a country in which normal sex is narrowly defined and no one has the right to alternative sexual information, health care, or personal expression.

America is fighting a war on terror to prevent the overthrow of our way of life by fanatics who want to base all law on their strict religious beliefs. It is completely unacceptable that a group of conservative Americans is trying to accomplish the same thing right here.

An exploration of the diverse presentations of gender dysphoria and how it affects an individual's physical, psychological, social, and sexual adjustment, Gender Dysphoria provides comprehensive and applicable treatment approaches available for a wide spectrum of presentations of this disorder. The need for evaluating and treating gender dysphoria in the context of the gender dysphoric client's overall mental and physical health is stressed. International experts in the clinical management of gender dysphoria contribute valuable information on contemporary approaches in assessment, psychological and medical treatment, and adjustment of individuals with gender identity disorders. In Gender Dysphoria, clinicians will find important information on hormone therapy options and their physical results and side effects, and the effectiveness of sex reassignment surgery in improving a gender dysphoric client's adjustment. This comprehensive book covers a wealth of topics essential for clinicians who treat gender dysphoria, including: terminology and classification of gender identity disorders a validation of the "Cross-Gender Questionnaire," a newly developed clinical assessment tool reported regrets of post-surgical transsexuals the affective component of gender dysphoria in young boys a model for identifying and treating gender identity disorder in females a thorough description of a comprehensive treatment approach for a wide spectrum of presentations of gender dysphoria Filled with useful information on the clinical management of gender identity disorders, Gender Dysphoria meets the practical needs of clinical sexologists, psychotherapists, counselors, social workers, physicians, sex researchers, social scientists, and specialists who evaluate and treat gender dysphoria.

Just as psychoanalytic interest in masochism dates from the earliest days of psychoanalysis, the various approaches to its understanding have reflected the developmental vicissitudes of psychoanalytic theory as it moved from its early focus on instinct to considerations of psychic structure and oedipall dynamics, object relations, separation-individuation, self-organization, and self-esteem regulation, and as it progressed into more systematic investigation of child development.

Masochism: Current Psychoanalytic Perspectives offers an updated review of perspectives on masochism influence by current developments in psychoanalytic research and theory. The newer emphasis on and investigations of early preoedipal events have, as Cooper stresses in this volume, provided a significant scientific and clinical yield. The application of these newer perspectives to the issue of masochism holds considerable promise.

The debate on whether or not people are born homosexual (biological essentialist theory) or become homosexual during the course of their lives (social constructionist theory) continues as each side claims to prove the truth through research and clinical findings. This breakthrough book shows the fissures in concepts of the gay and lesbian identity and the one-sidedness of both biological essentialist and social constructionist versions of both sexual and gender identity. The editors present an alternative view--sexual and gender expression is a product of complementary biological, personal, and cultural influences in If You Seduce a Straight Person, Can You Make Them Gay?Through theoretical analysis, ethnographic and empirical data, and case studies, the editors show how the one-sidedness of both biological essentialist and social constructionist versions of sexual and gender identity make it difficult, if not impossible, to conceptually determine the origin of an individual s sexual expression. This thought-provoking book covers many topics that are sure to cause readers to re-evaluate their thinking about the origins of gay and lesbian identity. Among the topics examined with this fresh perspective are: Childhood Cross-Gender Behavior and Adult Homosexuality Gay and Lesbian Teachers and Coming Out Homosexuality, Marriage, Fidelity, and the Gay Community: Case of Gay Husbands Can Seduction Make Straight Men Gay? Gay and Lesbian Identities in Non-industrialized Societies--Surinam (Dutch New Guinea), Turkey, Nicaragua, and Argentina Political-Economic Construction of Gay Male IdentitiesReaders will clearly see that the controversy over the being born gay or becoming gay debate is far from resolved. From the beginning, the book explores how human beings are less constrained by biology than many would like to believe. Social circumstances and economics cause some determination of identity, but not exclusively. Theoretical introductions to each chapter attempt to synthesize elements on both sides of this most contemporary debate.

The debate on whether or not people are born homosexual (biological essentialist theory) or become homosexual during the course of their lives (social constructionist theory) continues as each side claims to prove the truth through research and clinical findings. This breakthrough book shows the fissures in concepts of the gay and lesbian identity and the one-sidedness of both biological essentialist and social constructionist versions of both sexual and gender identity. The editors present an alternative view--sexual and gender expression is a product of complementary biological, personal, and cultural influences in If You Seduce a Straight Person, Can You Make Them Gay?Through theoretical analysis, ethnographic and empirical data, and case studies, the editors show how the one-sidedness of both biological essentialist and social constructionist versions of sexual and gender identity make it difficult, if not impossible, to conceptually determine the origin of an individual s sexual expression. This thought-provoking book covers many topics that are sure to cause readers to re-evaluate their thinking about the origins of gay and lesbian identity. Among the topics examined with this fresh perspective are: Childhood Cross-Gender Behavior and Adult Homosexuality Gay and Lesbian Teachers and Coming Out Homosexuality, Marriage, Fidelity, and the Gay Community: Case of Gay Husbands Can Seduction Make Straight Men Gay? Gay and Lesbian Identities in Non-industrialized Societies--Surinam (Dutch New Guinea), Turkey, Nicaragua, and Argentina Political-Economic Construction of Gay Male IdentitiesReaders will clearly see that the controversy over the being born gay or becoming gay debate is far from resolved. From the beginning, the book explores how human beings are less constrained by biology than many would like to believe. Social circumstances and economics cause some determination of identity, but not exclusively. Theoretical introductions to each chapter attempt to synthesize elements on both sides of this most contemporary debate."

Human sexuality today stands at the crossroads between biological diversity and social conformity, and a battle between the two rages in the media, in social institutions, and in our daily lives. As a sex therapist, Michael Aaron witnesses this struggle each and every day as it plays out on his therapy couch. Modern Sexuality: The Truth about Sex and Relationships examines how biology and society collide head-on in the realm of human sexuality. Here, Aaron carefully and convincingly debunks some of the most commonly held beliefs about sexuality - that it is learned and can be changed; that "abnormal" sexual behavior is pathological; that healthy sexuality involves intimacy; that intimacy is the same to everyone; and that sexuality must have a clearly defined purpose. Using groundbreaking brain-imaging studies and cutting- edge psychological insights, Modern Sexuality presents the overwhelming case for sexual diversity including orientation, non-traditional relationships, and even specific fantasies and kinks. In a world where sexual "outsiders" battle for acceptance, this work helps to explore the variety of sexual expressions from a normative standpoint, helping readers to understand that their own desires and those of others can happily exist on the same continuum.

Taking eroticism on the English Renaissance Stage as a paradigm for issues of sexuality and identity, these essays explore the nature of sexual definition and desire in early modern culture. Identifying the stage as a primary site for the display of eroticism, the authors examine how the Renaissance stage functioned as a decoder for erotic experience, both reinforcing and subverting expected sexual behaviour.
This volume also addresses a crucial theoretical problem in postmodern cultural criticism: how can subjective phenomena, such as Renaissance erotic experience, be placed in its historical, public context? And can this experience be examined without recourse to psychoanalytical theory? Contributors argue that theatrical erotic dynamics served to deconstruct gender itself, leaving conventional categories of sexuality blurred, confused - or absent. In seeking to reposition the conventions and subversions of gender and desire in terms of one another, these essays open up a new and distinctive perspective in the cultural debate.

Learn effective strategies for therapy with promiscuous patients from this in-depth exploration of the phenomenon of promiscuity in the lives and backgrounds of patients seeking psychotherapy. This unique book features insights about the pitfalls of patients who cannot bear commitment to any one person, or who jeopardize their commitments with a need to spark their lives with promiscuity. Psychotherapy and the Promiscuous Patient teaches psychotherapists to respond to their patients'promiscuous behavior as a symptom of a problem, not the problem itself. A realm of aspects of promiscuity are explored within the psychiatric context. Promiscuity is very broadly defined in fascinating examinations of adult promiscuity as a result of childhood sexual abuse, hypersexuality in adult males, addiction to the sensation of "falling in love," career promiscuity, and even psychotherapy as an uncommon "promiscuity'--a nonexclusive, altruistic love. Timely chapters confront the changing distinctions between promiscuity and sex addiction and challenge readers to uncover the various emotional needs met by promiscuity in order to protect patients from their self-destructive behavior. Knowledgeable practicing psychotherapists relate methods for dealing with patients'constant restlessness and working with a variety of patients in an intimate setting. Psychotherapy and the Promiscuous Patient contains invaluable strategies that can be directly applied to practice including: the use of narrative construction and reconstruction as treatment for sexually promiscuous clients a self-psychological approach to treatment the importance of confusion as an introduction to change in therapy a method of self-investigation applied to promiscuous behavior the implications of the clinical meaning and therapeutic use of strong-laughter outbursts in psychology a self-psychology perspective on transference to therapistsPsychotherapy and the Promiscuous Patient is a valuable clinical book for psychotherapists, and it offers an across the board appeal to a wide variety of psychiatrists and related social scientists who are interested in today's shifting moral climate. It is also an ideal supplemental text for an introductory methods or applications in psychiatry course.

Contents:
Part I: Erotic Welfare Editor's Introduction 1. Author's Introduction 2. Sex and Logic of Late Capitalism 3. Disciplining Pleasures 4. Regulating Women in the Age of Sexual Epidemic 5. Reproductive Regulations 6. Hospitalization and AIDS Part II: Selected Writings 1. Bodies, Pleasures -- Powers 2. Defusing the Canon 3. True Confessions 4. Interpretation and Retrieval: Rereading Beauvoir 5. Just Say No: Repression, Anti-Sex and the New Film 6. Feminism and Postmodernism Index

What can psychology teach us about sex? How do different bodies and brains respond sexually? How can we prevent people being stigmatised for their sexuality? The Psychology of Sex takes you on a tour through the different ways that psychologists have created and sustained certain understandings of sex and sexuality. Bearing in mind the subjective nature of sex, the book explores cultural concerns around sexualisation, pornography, and sex addiction, as well as drawing on research from sexual communities and the applied area of sex therapy. When so much of our relationship to sex happens in the mind, The Psychology of Sex shows us how important it is to understand where our ideas about sex come from.

The `riddle of femininity', like Freud's reference to women's sexuality as a `dark continent', has been treated as a romantic aside or a sexist evasion, rather than a problem to be solved. In this first comprehensive study, Teresa Brennan suggests that by placing these theories in the context of Freud's work overall, we will begin to understand why femininity was such a riddle for Freud.

Adolescence is a turbulent period, a time when young people are particularly prone to risky behaviour, such as drug use and unprotected sex. Risk Takers provides a comprehensive view of youthful involvement with drinking, smoking, illicit drug use, and sexual activity. In particular, the authors explore the evidence linking alcohol, drug use, disinhibition and risky sex. They discuss these issues in relation to evidence suggesting that some forms of risk-taking are interconnected. Though some young people are especially prone to take risks due to poverty and social advantage, the authors emphasize that risk-taking is commonplace adolescent behaviour, difficult to restrain or curb. They remind us that past attempts to reduce youthful alcohol and drug misuse have produced disappointing results, and they also point out that most young people have not modified their sexual behaviour in the light of the risks of AIDS. Risk-taking is unlikely to be prevented by mass media campaigns or bland slogans such as Just Say No. The authors examine the effectiveness of preventive strategies and public policy and emphasize the importance of harm-minimization strategies.

The "riddle of femininity," like Freud's reference to women's sexuality as a "dark continent," has been treated as a romantic aside or a sexist evasion rather than as a problem to be solved.
"The Interpretation of the Flesh," the first comprehensive study of Freud's theory of femininity, concludes that this riddle can indeed be answered. Teresa Brennan argues that the solution to Freud's "riddle of femininity" entails a different approach to mind and flesh, ideas and matter, from that traditionally mooted by Freudian studies. She states that the riddle can only be solved once outdated assumptions of the dualism of mind versus body are discarded--and such assumptions can only be discarded by a theory that goes beyond biological reductionism. Freud himself laid the basis for overcoming this dualism (although rejected up until now), and it is by overcoming it that the "riddle of femininity" becomes a soluble one.
"The Interpretation of the Flesh" offers a new way of thinking about the relation between the psychical, the social, and the physical, pointing out that the real riddle of femininity is primarily a problem for women suffering from what Freud described as "femininity's" negative effects on curiosity, intelligence and activity.
"The Interpretation of the Flesh" is relevant to all the debates on psychoanalysis and feminism. It is an important work for serious study in feminism, psychoanalysis, and the philosophy of science, and is invaluable for anyone interested in the ongoing feminist struggle.

Adolescence is a turbulent period, a time when young people are particularly prone to risky behaviour, such as drug use and unprotected sex. Risk Takers provides a comprehensive view of youthful involvement with drinking, smoking, illicit drug use, and sexual activity. In particular, the authors explore the evidence linking alcohol, drug use, disinhibition and risky sex. They discuss these issues in relation to evidence suggesting that some forms of risk-taking are interconnected. Though some young people are especially prone to take risks due to poverty and social advantage, the authors emphasize that risk-taking is commonplace adolescent behaviour, difficult to restrain or curb. They remind us that past attempts to reduce youthful alcohol and drug misuse have produced disappointing results, and they also point out that most young people have not modified their sexual behaviour in the light of the risks of AIDS. Risk-taking is unlikely to be prevented by mass media campaigns or bland slogans such as Just Say No. The authors examine the effectiveness of preventive strategies and public policy and emphasize the importance of harm-minimization strategies.

"Men, Sex and Relationships" draws on writings from the influential magazine of sexual politics, "Achilles Heel" (first published in 1978). The magazine sought to explore questions of masculinity from a standpoint which was sympathetic to the feminist critique of male power. Its aim was to make public collective explorations of men's emotional and sexual lives and relationships.
This collection focuses upon issues of childhood, sexualities and sexual identities, violence in its different dimensions, men's health, relationships and therapy. The book also includes an introductory essay by the editor which examines how the relationship of sexuality should be related to power as part of a movement for change.
Wide-ranging and stimulating, the essays present readers with an agenda of subjects for debate and research. The contributors call upon men to confront the repressed aspects of their emotional involvement with others. This collection is of interest to students of gender studies, sexuality and sexual politics.

"Men, Sex and Relationships" draws on writings from the influential magazine of sexual politics "Achilles Heel" (first published in 1978). The magazine sought to explore questions of masculinity from a standpoint which was sympathetic to the feminist critique of male power. It aimed to make public, collective explorations of mens' emotional and sexual lives and relationships. This collection focuses upon issues of childhood, sexualities and sexual identities, violence in its different dimensions, men's health, relationships and therapy. The book also includes an introductory essay by the editor which examines how the relationship of sexuality should be related to power as part of a movement for change. Wide-ranging and stimulating, the essays collected here present readers with an agenda of subjects for debate and research. They call upon men to confront the repressed aspects of their emotional involvement with others.

Though separated by only eleven years in age, Hemingway and Williams seem literary generations apart. Yet both authors bridged their modernist/postmodernist divide through mutual examinations of the polemics behind heteromasculinity, Hemingway in The Sun Also Rises and Williams in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. This book explores the two works many sociopolitical, literary, and intertextual ties, in particular how the conclusion of one echoes that of the other, not just in its irony but also in its implication of the audiences participation in engendering the social rules responsible for the protagonists struggle to negotiate his sexual identity. Hemingway's Sun shares more with Williams' Cat than just a similar ending, however. Both works explore more broadly the construction of a queer masculinity, where the parameters that define masculinity and sexuality grow as unstable and irresolute as the frontier during a war or the line of scrimmage during a football game.

Making a unique contribution of placing the current sexual exploitation of children and adolescents firmly in its historical context, this book looks at the family's and society's roles in child and adolescent sex abuse. Unlike most previous studies, this study allows a range of responses from negative to positive and avoids the methodological problems inherent in many other studies. Most studies combine the age groups of children and adolescents, whereas this study separates these different age groups and compares the nature and outcome of sexual experiences of children with those of adolescents. Utilizing sophisticated analytical measures, the author's findings repudiate many commonly held assumptions and serve to calm current hysteria regarding sexual abuse of minors.
Written to disseminate findings that could be helpful in realistically confronting the phenomenon of human sexuality, the results presented in this book dispel many current myths about early sexuality, including ethnic differences. The author wanted to separate scientific inquiry from the perpetration of pervading mores or social norms, and identify the real menaces to healthy adult functioning.

The "International Handbook on the Demography of Sexuality" is the first book to specifically address the study of sexuality from a demographic perspective. Demographic research has largely paid little attention to sexuality as a whole, or sexual orientation in particular, other than in studies examining the "consequences" of sex - sexually transmitted infections or fertility. Instead, the content of this handbook explores population sexuality in order to describe the prevalence of sexual behaviors, desires, and identities, as well as their connections with other demographic outcomes. The focus is on analyzing sexuality as a demographic topic in its own right, rather than solely as a variable in studies of sexually transmitted infection or other health-related topics. In this book, both researchers with traditional demographic backgrounds, as well as those with training in other disciplines, provide an overview of the state of current research on population sexuality. These chapters provide a foundation for the development of research in the burgeoning field of the demography of sexuality.

This work reflects the continuing debate as to whether we should experiment on human embryos or not. Should we use human embryos or tissue from them, for therapeutic or research programmes? The debate around questions such as this ranges from visions of new Frankenstein's monsters and grotesque hybrids on the one hand, to the possibility of cures for diseases like AIDS and cancer on the other. While the debate continues, decisions have to be made on the basis of the best available data, and this book aims to provide evidence for each side of the debate, drawing upon contributors who cover the scientific, legal, ethical, theological, historical, and public policy dimensions of human embryo research and experimentation. The scientific evidence is provided by figures in embryology such as Professor Robert Edwards, one of the pioneers of the "in vitro" fertilization technique. This book is intended to be of interest to students and teachers of medicine, philosophy, law, theology, social science and history.

This thought-provoking book examines the science behind human attractiveness-the ratios, proportions, and other factors that to a large extent dictate what we find "beautiful." It's said that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," but recent scientific research suggests that human attractiveness is much more objective than we once thought, deeply rooted in our biology and evolutionary history. For instance, facial symmetry is considered extremely attractive because it indicates good health and nutrition during the formative developmental years. This book explores these insights. Part I of The Biology of Beauty: The Science behind Human Attractiveness takes a closer look at what traits we find the most alluring and why. It discusses why attractiveness is important from an evolutionary standpoint and the advantages (and disadvantages) of being attractive. In addition to exploring these beauty "universals," it examines how beauty ideals can be shaped by factors such as culture, religion, and the media. Part II provides an in-depth analysis of individual features that contribute to attractiveness, offering scientific explanations for our preferences. The book also includes a collection of insightful sidebars that highlight beauty ideals in different parts of the world and at other times in history. Explores the high-interest and often controversial subject of beauty objectively, drawing on numerous scientific and psychological studies Demonstrates both the universal and variable aspects of beauty, helping readers to understand how ideals change over time and from culture to culture Examines the physical and psychological effects of living in a highly beauty-conscious society and highlights the impact of media on cultural ideals Features a unique two-part organization that offers readers a broad conceptual framework followed by a detailed analysis of particular features that contribute to attractiveness

Facilitated by developments in technologies, the non-consensual posting of sexually explicit images of someone else for revenge, entertainment or political motive - so-called revenge porn - has become a global phenomenon. This groundbreaking book argues that fundamental and recurring issues about how victims are violated can be understood in terms of gender and sexual dynamics and constructions, binary gender and sexual positioning and logics, and the use of sexual meanings. Using a discourse analytical approach the authors examine revenge pornography through the words of the perpetrators themselves and study the complex ways in which they invoke, and deploy, gender- and sexuality-based discourses to blame the victim. They explore strategies to curb the phenomenon of revenge porn, and by placing their research in a broader social and political context, the authors are able to examine the effectiveness of current legislative frameworks, education and awareness raising, victim support and perpetrator re-education programmes, along with wider political considerations. This enhanced understanding of the perpetrator mindset provides important insights into the use of social media to facilitate gender violence, and holds the promise of more effective interventions in future. This is a unique resource for students, academics, researchers, and professionals interested in revenge pornography and related issues.

Derek Duncan's timely study is the first book in English to examine constructions of male homosexuality in Italian literature. In admirably clear and elegant prose, Duncan analyzes texts ranging from the 1890s through the 1990s. He brings canonical authors like D'Annunzio and Pasolini together with under-appreciated writers like Comisso, and also looks at less conventionally literary genres. Duncan takes on the thorny theoretical issues surrounding questions of gay identity and also provides a sound historical context for his discussion of how Italian narrative sheds light on Italian homosexuality and on the broader issues attending contemporary sexuality, including complicating factors such as race. While the early texts considered were produced at a historical moment when 'homosexuality' as a culturally meaningful entity had yet to crystallize, recent autobiographies show the authors reflecting explicitly on questions of gay identity and what it means to be a homosexual male in present-day Italy. In charting the emergence of the homosexual in twentieth-century Italy, however, Duncan's focus is less on questions of identity than on the meaning attributed to sex between men in the broader cultural context. His book is a significant contribution to Italian literary criticism and to gender, gay, and cultural studies.

Our amorous and erotic experiences do not simply bring us pleasure; they shape our very identities, our ways of relating to ourselves, each other and our shared world. This volume challenges some of our most prevalent assumptions relating to identity, the body, monogamy, libido, sexual identity, seduction, fidelity, orgasm, and more. In twelve original and philosophically thought-provoking essays, the authors reflect on the broader meanings of love and sex: what their shifting historical meanings entail for us in the present; how they are constrained by social conventions; the ambiguous juxtaposition of agency and passivity that they reveal; how they shape and are formed by political institutions; the opportunities they present to resist the confines of gender and sexual orientation; how cultural artefacts can become incorporated into the body; and how love and sex both form and justify our ethical world views. Ideal for students both in philosophy and gender studies, this highly readable book takes us to the very heart of two of the most important dimensions of human experience and meaning-making: to the seductive and alluring, confusing and frustrating, realms of love and sex.

Originally published in 1993. The essays in this book collectively seek to illuminate the role of communication and sex-role socialization throughout the life cycle. Section 1 addresses some important issues and behaviours that have an impact on the beginnings of the socialization process. Section 2 covers socialization later on in relationships, the workplace and the political arena while section 3 looks at manifestations of socialization through communication strategies and skills. Finally section 4 addresses ways to alter socialization through instructional practices in higher education. The approach to studying sex-role socialization varies by perspective and methodology and conclusions are interpreted in diverse ways but the results have been very similar and the research in this volume shows that the socialization of males and females continues to reinforce male dominance despite women's advancement toward equal status in society. This work is of interest in the fields of sociology, psychology, anthropology and women's studies as well as communication.