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After Legal Equality: Family, Sex, Kinship (PDF)
by Robert LeckeyGroups seeking legal equality often take a victory as the end of the line. Once judgment is granted or a law is passed, coalitions disband and life goes on in a new state of equality. Policy makers too may assume that a troublesome file is now closed. This collection arises from the urgent sense that law reforms driven by equality call for fresh lines of inquiry. In unintended ways, reforms may harm their intended beneficiaries. They may also worsen the disadvantage of other groups. Committed to tackling these important issues beyond the boundaries that often confine legal scholarship, this book pursues an interdisciplinary consideration of efforts to advance equality, as it explores the developments, challenges, and consequences that arise from law reforms aiming to deliver equality in the areas of sexuality, kinship, and family relations. With an international array of contributors, After Legal Equality: Family, Sex, Kinship will be an invaluable resource for those with interests in this area.
Queer Theory: Law Culture Empire
by Robert LeckeyQueer Theory: Law, Culture, Empire uses queer theory to examine the complex interactions of law, culture, and empire. Building on recent work on empire, and taking contextual, socio-legal, comparative, and interdisciplinary approaches, it studies how activists and scholars engaged in queer theory projects can unwittingly advance imperial projects and how queer theory can itself show imperial ambitions. The authors – from five continents – delve into examples drawn from Bollywood cinema to California’s 2008 marriage referendum. The chapters view a wide range of texts – from cultural productions to laws and judgments – as regulatory forces requiring scrutiny from outside Western, heterosexual privilege. This innovative collection goes beyond earlier queer legal work, engaging with recent developments, featuring case studies from India, South Africa, the US, Australasia, Eastern Europe, and embracing the frames offered by different disciplinary lenses. Queer Theory: Law, Culture, Empire will be of particular interest to students and researchers in the fields of socio-legal studies, comparative law, law and gender/sexuality, and law and culture.
Queer Theory: Law, Culture, Empire
by Robert Leckey Kim BrooksQueer Theory: Law, Culture, Empire uses queer theory to examine the complex interactions of law, culture, and empire. Building on recent work on empire, and taking contextual, socio-legal, comparative, and interdisciplinary approaches, it studies how activists and scholars engaged in queer theory projects can unwittingly advance imperial projects and how queer theory can itself show imperial ambitions. The authors – from five continents – delve into examples drawn from Bollywood cinema to California’s 2008 marriage referendum. The chapters view a wide range of texts – from cultural productions to laws and judgments – as regulatory forces requiring scrutiny from outside Western, heterosexual privilege. This innovative collection goes beyond earlier queer legal work, engaging with recent developments, featuring case studies from India, South Africa, the US, Australasia, Eastern Europe, and embracing the frames offered by different disciplinary lenses. Queer Theory: Law, Culture, Empire will be of particular interest to students and researchers in the fields of socio-legal studies, comparative law, law and gender/sexuality, and law and culture.
Pretended: Historical, Cultural and Personal Perspectives
by Catherine LeePretended is a vivid historical, political and cultural account of schools and teaching under Section 28, a law that banned schools in the UK from promoting homosexuality as a 'pretended family relationship'.Catherine Lee was a teacher in schools for each of the 15 years that Section 28 was law (between 1988 and 2003). In Pretended, she considers the landscape for lesbian and gay teachers leading up to, during and after Section 28. Drawing on her diary entries from the Section 28 era, Lee poignantly recalls the challenges and incidents affecting her and thousands of other teachers during this period of state-sanctioned homophobia. She reveals how these diaries led to her involvement in the 2022 feature film Blue Jean, and describes how this unexpected opportunity helped her to make peace with Section 28.Pretended will resonate with every lesbian and gay teacher who experienced Section 28 and will shock those who previously knew nothing about this law. Crucially, Pretended will explain to those who were lesbian and gay students during Section 28 why they never saw people like them in the curriculum, never had a role model and never had an adult in school to talk to about their identity.
The Nightland Express
by J. M. LeeIn antebellum America, two teens bury their secrets and join the historic Pony Express, and soon discover the mortal world is not the only one on the brink of war.
The 7-10 Split (Peach Blossom #1)
by null Karmen LeeReaders love Karmen Lee: 'The perfect cozy romance to get you out of a reading rut!'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ It was never just a game… Ava Williams has every reason to hate Grace Jones. They were once thick as thieves and bowling rivals who pushed each other.Then they shared a kiss…and after that, nothing was ever the same. But then Grace, bowling pro and local celeb, starts teaching at the same small-town high school as Ava. And Grace is handed the school’s new bowling team that Ava’s been trying to set up for years! Now they’re expected to work together and lead the team to victory in six months. And with that, their rivalry is back…as is their undeniable attraction. So it’s just a matter of time before it explodes – one way or the other. 'Brimming with heart and humour, this second chance romance has it all.' Ashley Herring Blake, award-winning author of Delilah Green Doesn’t Perfect for fans of: Enemies to lovers 🔥 Forced proximity ❤️ Second chance romance 💔 More reader reviews for Karmen Lee: 'You won't regret picking this book, I sure as hell didn't.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I really loved this story. Even though it was only 150 pages, it gave me everything.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This was such a sweet love story!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fake Dates and Mooncakes: The Buzziest Queer YA of 2023
by Sher LeeFake-dates, mooncakes and rich people problems. But love wasn't meant to be on the menu ... Meet Dylan Tang: he juggles school and delivery runs for his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn. Winning a mooncake competition could bring the publicity they need to stay afloat.Enter Theo Somers: a charming, wealthy customer who convinces Dylan to be his fake date to a family wedding full of crazy rich drama. Their romance is supposed to be just for show . . . but soon Dylan’s falling for Theo. For real.With the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can’t risk being distracted by rich-people problems. Can he save his family’s business and follow his heart—or will he fail to do both?
curious (Modern Plays)
by Jasmine Lee-JonesBeing a woman is blood and gutsIt's intestineFuck florals and ballgownsIt's ballsIt's livers and kidneys and puke and mucusRipping and tearing and shreddingRed stain on linen beddingIt's sheddingJaz is in her second year at drama school. Jaz is tired of performing. Hence her conundrum. But when she stumbles across a piece of forgotten history – her life is changed forever…What does it mean to find yourself? Especially when it seems the world you live in is diametrically set against you doing just that?Set against the sprawling backdrop of urban London across centuries, curious is a frank, funny and moving excavation of the lives of two actresses who are young, Black, queer and trying to find out who they are. It is written and performed by Jasmine Lee-Jones, the winner of Evening Standard Award 2019 and Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Most Promising Playwright for her play seven methods of killing kylie jenner.
curious (Modern Plays)
by Jasmine Lee-JonesBeing a woman is blood and gutsIt's intestineFuck florals and ballgownsIt's ballsIt's livers and kidneys and puke and mucusRipping and tearing and shreddingRed stain on linen beddingIt's sheddingJaz is in her second year at drama school. Jaz is tired of performing. Hence her conundrum. But when she stumbles across a piece of forgotten history – her life is changed forever…What does it mean to find yourself? Especially when it seems the world you live in is diametrically set against you doing just that?Set against the sprawling backdrop of urban London across centuries, curious is a frank, funny and moving excavation of the lives of two actresses who are young, Black, queer and trying to find out who they are. It is written and performed by Jasmine Lee-Jones, the winner of Evening Standard Award 2019 and Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Most Promising Playwright for her play seven methods of killing kylie jenner.
Go Lightly: The funny, sharp and heartfelt bisexual love story
by Brydie Lee-Kennedy'Sharp and funny and humane ... Brydie skewers everyone equally, but always with empathy, warmth and wit.' Monica Heisey, author of Really Good, Actually'A novel that really nails the chaos, panic and joy of being young' Daisy Buchanan, author of Insatiable'Captures twentysomething chaos ... Very funny' THE TIMESA funny and tender twenty-first century story of family, friendship, love – and how getting it wrong is sometimes the only way to get it right.WHO IS ADA?With Sadie she's an Aussie girl in London, a performer, a ball of creativity and a lover of food.With Stuart she's funny and quirky, capable of finding romance in a dinner of crisps on a cold harbour and long train rides.With her family she's the joker, the peacekeeper, the entertainer.But she doesn't have to choose which version of herself to be… right?Ada's answer to most questions is: yes. Every night is an opportunity to be thrilled and every morning a chance to recount it to her friends, so when she falls for Sadie and Stuart at the same time, she sees no reason not to pursue them both.But as the realities of modern life begin to catch up with her, and everyone wants Ada to define herself in relation to them, she feels the weight of the questions: which version of yourself is most true? And do other people enhance your best self, or distort it?Go Lightly is a tribute to party girls who'd rather enjoy the present than fear the future or regret the past, and a love letter to the community you find when you're far from home.'Funny, perceptive and effortlessly engaging … I loved this novel' Lily Lindon, author of Double Booked
Go Lightly: The funny, sharp and heartfelt bisexual love story
by Brydie Lee-Kennedy'Sharp and funny and humane ... Brydie skewers everyone equally, but always with empathy, warmth and wit.' Monica Heisey, author of Really Good, Actually'A novel that really nails the chaos, panic and joy of being young' Daisy Buchanan, author of Insatiable'Captures twentysomething chaos ... Very funny' THE TIMESA funny and tender twenty-first century story of family, friendship, love – and how getting it wrong is sometimes the only way to get it right.WHO IS ADA?With Sadie she's an Aussie girl in London, a performer, a ball of creativity and a lover of food.With Stuart she's funny and quirky, capable of finding romance in a dinner of crisps on a cold harbour and long train rides.With her family she's the joker, the peacekeeper, the entertainer.But she doesn't have to choose which version of herself to be… right?Ada's answer to most questions is: yes. Every night is an opportunity to be thrilled and every morning a chance to recount it to her friends, so when she falls for Sadie and Stuart at the same time, she sees no reason not to pursue them both.But as the realities of modern life begin to catch up with her, and everyone wants Ada to define herself in relation to them, she feels the weight of the questions: which version of yourself is most true? And do other people enhance your best self, or distort it?Go Lightly is a tribute to party girls who'd rather enjoy the present than fear the future or regret the past, and a love letter to the community you find when you're far from home.'Funny, perceptive and effortlessly engaging … I loved this novel' Lily Lindon, author of Double Booked
Longtime Companions: Autobiographies of Gay Male Fidelity
by Alfred Lees Ronald NelsonLongtime Companions: Autobiographies of Gay Male Fidelity provides a sophisticated alternative to “anything goes” gay literature. Challenging the stereotype that gay men are incapable of lasting and successful relationships, 15 long-term gay couples share slices of their own lives to give you insight into their present relationships, while some discuss life after their mates have passed on. You will find that their stories offer an inspirational and richly fulfilling alternative to an empty life of promiscuity that lacks true love.Through a treasury of autobiographical essays, Longtime Companions documents how committed gay male unions can be as enduring, nurturing, and diverse as heterosexual marriages and proves that loving commitments and life-sharing are not exclusive to heterosexual unions. A celebration of gay diversity, this book offers you insights from contributors of different ages, professions, geographic locations, and attitudes. You will learn the intimate details of the couples’lives, including: how they met their partners how soon they committed to each other how long the couples have been together--from 14 years to over 50 years their keys to leading successful, happy lives the ways in which their relationships fulfill their personal needs and contribute to community lifeYou will come to realize the true strength of these men’s relationships as you share in their struggles within a society that offers them little recognition or support for their successful relationships. Co-editor Alfred Lees explains in the introduction to Longtime Companions, “We’ve all worked diligently to make our partnerships sound, nurturing, and enduring. We’ve done this without any social motivation, largely without role models, in the face of ‘official’disapproval or contempt. We’ve told our stories here to refute--by the simple facts of our experience--the grotesque misrepresentation of gays as being incapable of stable, committed relationships.” Will add more. . . Through a treasury of autobiographical essays, Longtime Companions documents how committed gay-male unions can be as enduring, nurturing, and diverse as heterosexual marriages and proves that loving commitment and life-sharing are not exclusive to heterosexual unions. A celebration of gay diversity, contributors vary in age, profession, geographic location, and attitudes. You will learn the intimate details of the couples’lives, including: how they met their partners how soon they committed to each other how they managed to collaborate on successful, fulfilling lives how some have maintained their commitment as part of an open relationshipYou will come to realize the true strength of these men’s relationships as you share in their struggles within a society that offers them little recognition or support for their successful relationships. Co-Author Alfred Lees explains in the Introduction to Longtime Companions, “We’ve all worked diligently to make our partnerships sound, nurturing, and enduring. We&’ve done this without any social innovation, largely without role models, in the face of ‘official” disapproval or contempt. We’ve told our stories here to refute--by the simple facts of our experience--the grotesque misrepresentation of gays as being incapable of stable, committed relationships.”
Longtime Companions: Autobiographies of Gay Male Fidelity
by Alfred Lees Ronald NelsonLongtime Companions: Autobiographies of Gay Male Fidelity provides a sophisticated alternative to “anything goes” gay literature. Challenging the stereotype that gay men are incapable of lasting and successful relationships, 15 long-term gay couples share slices of their own lives to give you insight into their present relationships, while some discuss life after their mates have passed on. You will find that their stories offer an inspirational and richly fulfilling alternative to an empty life of promiscuity that lacks true love.Through a treasury of autobiographical essays, Longtime Companions documents how committed gay male unions can be as enduring, nurturing, and diverse as heterosexual marriages and proves that loving commitments and life-sharing are not exclusive to heterosexual unions. A celebration of gay diversity, this book offers you insights from contributors of different ages, professions, geographic locations, and attitudes. You will learn the intimate details of the couples’lives, including: how they met their partners how soon they committed to each other how long the couples have been together--from 14 years to over 50 years their keys to leading successful, happy lives the ways in which their relationships fulfill their personal needs and contribute to community lifeYou will come to realize the true strength of these men’s relationships as you share in their struggles within a society that offers them little recognition or support for their successful relationships. Co-editor Alfred Lees explains in the introduction to Longtime Companions, “We’ve all worked diligently to make our partnerships sound, nurturing, and enduring. We’ve done this without any social motivation, largely without role models, in the face of ‘official’disapproval or contempt. We’ve told our stories here to refute--by the simple facts of our experience--the grotesque misrepresentation of gays as being incapable of stable, committed relationships.” Will add more. . . Through a treasury of autobiographical essays, Longtime Companions documents how committed gay-male unions can be as enduring, nurturing, and diverse as heterosexual marriages and proves that loving commitment and life-sharing are not exclusive to heterosexual unions. A celebration of gay diversity, contributors vary in age, profession, geographic location, and attitudes. You will learn the intimate details of the couples’lives, including: how they met their partners how soon they committed to each other how they managed to collaborate on successful, fulfilling lives how some have maintained their commitment as part of an open relationshipYou will come to realize the true strength of these men’s relationships as you share in their struggles within a society that offers them little recognition or support for their successful relationships. Co-Author Alfred Lees explains in the Introduction to Longtime Companions, “We’ve all worked diligently to make our partnerships sound, nurturing, and enduring. We&’ve done this without any social innovation, largely without role models, in the face of ‘official” disapproval or contempt. We’ve told our stories here to refute--by the simple facts of our experience--the grotesque misrepresentation of gays as being incapable of stable, committed relationships.”
What It Feels Like for a Girl
by Paris Lees"Fresh, original, heartbreaking" Reni Eddo-Lodge"Devastating, hilarious, unlike anything I have ever read. Destined to be a classic" Pandora Sykes'A must-read ... as mesmerising as it is poignant' Stylist, SPRING MUST-READ BOOKS TO FEEL EMPOWERED'This utterly distinctive memoir, written almost out loud in Nottinghamshire vernacular, hauls you into the world Lees grew up in... it's shocking, funny, heart-rending and totally brilliant' The Bookseller, EDITOR'S CHOICE MAY 2021'What It Feels Like for a Girl says it like it is' Evening Standard, BEST NEW BOOKS IN 2021Thirteen-year-old Byron needs to get away, and doesn't care how. Sick of being beaten up by lads for "talkin' like a poof" after school. Sick of dad - the weightlifting, womanising Gaz - and Mam, who pissed off to Turkey like Shirley Valentine. Sick of all the people in Hucknall who shuffle about like the living dead, going on about kitchens they're too skint to do up and marriages they're too scared to leave.It's a new millennium, Madonna's 'Music' is top of the charts and there's a whole world to explore - and Byron's happy to beg, steal and skank onto a rollercoaster ride of hedonism. Life explodes like a rush of ecstasy when Byron escapes into Nottingham's kinetic underworld and discovers the East Midlands' premier podium-dancer-cum-hellraiser, the mesmerising Lady Die. But when the comedown finally kicks in, Byron arrives at a shocking encounter that will change life forever. Bold, poignant and riotously funny, What It Feels Like For a Girl is the unique, hotly-anticipated and addictively-readable debut from one of Britain's most exciting young writers.
Golem Girl: A Memoir
by Riva Lehrer'A hymn to life, love, family, and spirit' DAVID MITCHELL, author of Cloud AtlasThe vividly told, gloriously illustrated memoir of an artist born with disabilities who searches for freedom and connection in a society afraid of strange bodies.In 1958, amongst the children born with spina bifida is Riva Lehrer. At the time, most such children are not expected to survive. Her parents and doctors are determined to 'fix' her, sending the message over and over again that she is broken. That she will never have a job, a romantic relationship, or an independent life. Enduring countless medical interventions, Riva tries her best to be a good girl and a good patient in the quest to be cured.Everything changes when, as an adult, Riva is invited to join a group of artists, writers, and performers who are building Disability Culture. Their work is daring, edgy, funny, and dark-it rejects tropes that define disabled people as pathetic, frightening, or worthless. They insist that disability is an opportunity for creativity and resistance. Emboldened, Riva asks if she can paint their portraits-inventing an intimate and collaborative process that will transform the way she sees herself, others, and the world. Each portrait story begins to transform the myths she's been told her whole life about her body, her sexuality, and other measures of normal.Written with the vivid, cinematic prose of a visual artist, and the love and playfulness that defines all of Riva's work, Golem Girl is an extraordinary story of tenacity and creativity. With the author's magnificent portraits featured throughout, this memoir invites us to stretch ourselves toward a world where bodies flow between all possible forms of what it is to be human.'Riva Lehrer is a great artist and a great storyteller. This is a brilliant book, full of strangeness, beauty, and wonder' AUDREY NIFFENEGGER
Queer Tracks: Subversive Strategies in Rock and Pop Music (Ashgate Popular and Folk Music Series)
by Doris LeibetsederQueer Tracks describes motifs in popular music that deviate from heterosexual orientation, the binary gender system and fixed identities. This exciting cutting-edge work deals with the key concepts of current gender politics and queer theory in rock and pop music, including irony, parody, camp, mask/masquerade, mimesis/mimicry, cyborg, transsexuality, and dildo. Based on a constructivist concept of gender, Leibetseder asks: ’Which queer-feminist strategies are used in rock and pop music?’ ’How do they function?’ ’Where do they occur?’ Leibetseder's methodological process is to discover subversive strategies in queer theory, which are also used in rock and pop music, without assuming that these tactics were first invented in theory. Furthermore, this book explains where exactly the subversiveness is situated in those strategies and in popular music. With the help of a new kind of knowledge transfer the author combines sociological and cultural theories with practical examples of rock and pop music. The subversive character of these queer motifs is shown in the work of contemporary popular musicians and is at the same time related to classical discourses of the humanities. Queer Tracks is a revised translation of Queere Tracks. Subversive Strategien in Rock- und Popmusik, originally published in German.
Queer Tracks: Subversive Strategies in Rock and Pop Music (Ashgate Popular and Folk Music Series)
by Doris LeibetsederQueer Tracks describes motifs in popular music that deviate from heterosexual orientation, the binary gender system and fixed identities. This exciting cutting-edge work deals with the key concepts of current gender politics and queer theory in rock and pop music, including irony, parody, camp, mask/masquerade, mimesis/mimicry, cyborg, transsexuality, and dildo. Based on a constructivist concept of gender, Leibetseder asks: ’Which queer-feminist strategies are used in rock and pop music?’ ’How do they function?’ ’Where do they occur?’ Leibetseder's methodological process is to discover subversive strategies in queer theory, which are also used in rock and pop music, without assuming that these tactics were first invented in theory. Furthermore, this book explains where exactly the subversiveness is situated in those strategies and in popular music. With the help of a new kind of knowledge transfer the author combines sociological and cultural theories with practical examples of rock and pop music. The subversive character of these queer motifs is shown in the work of contemporary popular musicians and is at the same time related to classical discourses of the humanities. Queer Tracks is a revised translation of Queere Tracks. Subversive Strategien in Rock- und Popmusik, originally published in German.
The Secret Of You And Me
by Melissa Lenhardt"An emotional landslide of a novel that kept me gripped from first page to last." Clare Lydon, best-selling author of Before You Say I Do ’A compelling story of second chances and being true to yourself.’—Harper Bliss, bestselling author of Seasons of Love You always come back to your first love…
You Must Not Miss
by Katrina LenoOne of Us Is Lying meets Carrie in this suspenseful story of friendship, family, and revenge.Magpie Lewis started writing in her yellow notebook the day after her family self-destructed. The day her father ruined her mother's life. The day Eryn, Magpie's sister, skipped town and left her to fend for herself. The day of Brandon Phipp's party.Now Magpie is called a slut in the hallways of her high school, her former best friend won't speak to her, and she spends her lunch period with a group of misfits who've all been as socially exiled as she has. And so, feeling trapped and forgotten, Magpie retreats to her notebook, dreaming up a magical place called Near.Near is perfect - a place where her father never cheated, her mother never drank, and Magpie's own life never derailed so suddenly. She imagines Near so completely, so fully, that she writes it into existence, right in her own backyard. At first, Near is a peaceful escape, but soon it becomes something darker, somewhere nightmares lurk and hidden truths come to light. Soon it becomes a place where Magpie can do anything she wants...even get her revenge.You Must Not Miss is an intoxicating, twisted tale of magic, menace, and the monsters that live inside us all.
Scandinavian Homosexualities: Essays on Gay and Lesbian Studies
by Jan LeofstreomScandinavian Homosexualities offers non-Scandinavian readers a rare opportunity to explore the history, sociology, notions, experiences, and cultural politics of homosexuality in Scandinavian societies in English. This unique insight into some of the most advanced countries in regard to institutionalized civil rights for lesbians and gays will help you direct change and progress in your own country.Chapters in Scandinavian Homosexualities draw from a range of theoretical and methodological strands to give you an overall picture of homosexuality in Scandinavian society. They cover a wide range of issues, including: traditions and practices in the legal regulation of same-sex sexuality the historically changing understanding of femininity and masculinity physical, social, and cultural niches of same-sex desire and sexual conduct theoretical approaches to individual experiences of sexual and erotic selfIn Scandinavian Homosexualities, you’ll come to see the cultural and social differences that exist between Scandinavian and Anglo-American societies. Specifically, you’ll see how differences in the culture of gender and sexuality may bear upon our scholarly theories and conceptualizations of homosexuality and on our analysis of sexual and gender politics. In many of the chapters there is, thus, an agenda to encourage comparisons among Western societies.The Scandinavian countries are among the most advanced in the world with regard to institutionalized civil rights of lesbians and gays. They are also, which is relevant for analyses of sexuality and homosexuality, societies where men and women are exceptionally equal in access to social, economic, and cultural resources. You can directly apply what you learn in Scandinavian Homosexualities of the cultural specificities of gender and sexuality in Scandinavian societies to your efforts to establish equality for same-sex relationships within your own culture.
Scandinavian Homosexualities: Essays on Gay and Lesbian Studies
by Jan LeofstreomScandinavian Homosexualities offers non-Scandinavian readers a rare opportunity to explore the history, sociology, notions, experiences, and cultural politics of homosexuality in Scandinavian societies in English. This unique insight into some of the most advanced countries in regard to institutionalized civil rights for lesbians and gays will help you direct change and progress in your own country.Chapters in Scandinavian Homosexualities draw from a range of theoretical and methodological strands to give you an overall picture of homosexuality in Scandinavian society. They cover a wide range of issues, including: traditions and practices in the legal regulation of same-sex sexuality the historically changing understanding of femininity and masculinity physical, social, and cultural niches of same-sex desire and sexual conduct theoretical approaches to individual experiences of sexual and erotic selfIn Scandinavian Homosexualities, you’ll come to see the cultural and social differences that exist between Scandinavian and Anglo-American societies. Specifically, you’ll see how differences in the culture of gender and sexuality may bear upon our scholarly theories and conceptualizations of homosexuality and on our analysis of sexual and gender politics. In many of the chapters there is, thus, an agenda to encourage comparisons among Western societies.The Scandinavian countries are among the most advanced in the world with regard to institutionalized civil rights of lesbians and gays. They are also, which is relevant for analyses of sexuality and homosexuality, societies where men and women are exceptionally equal in access to social, economic, and cultural resources. You can directly apply what you learn in Scandinavian Homosexualities of the cultural specificities of gender and sexuality in Scandinavian societies to your efforts to establish equality for same-sex relationships within your own culture.
Trans Like Me: A Journey for All of Us
by CN Lester'Lester makes the most complex of subjects easy to digest. I finished with more insight and knowledge than I ever expected' StylistWhat does it mean to be transgender? How do we discuss the subject?In this eye-opening book, CN Lester, academic and activist, takes us on a journey through some of the most pressing issues concerning the trans debate: from pronouns to Caitlyn Jenner; from feminist and LGBTQ activists, to the rise in referrals for gender variant children - all by way of insightful and moving passages about the author's own experience. Trans Like Me shows us how to strive for authenticity in a world which often seeks to limit us by way of labels.'CN Lester breaks down the myths and misconceptions about trans people and politics with clarity and calm. An important, timely book' Juliet Jacques'CN Lester is a writer for our times - a moving, learned and essential voice at the razor edge of gender politics' Laurie Penny'One of the year's most important books on transgender identity' Gay Times
Boy Queen
by George LesterFall wig first into a world of big hair, high heels and even higher stakes in George Lester's debut novel Boy Queen.Life's a drag until you try . . . Robin Cooper’s life is falling apart. While his friends prepare to head off to University, Robin is looking at a pile of rejection letters from drama schools up and down the country, and facing a future without the people he loves the most. Everything seems like it’s ending, and Robin is scrabbling to find his feet.Unsure about what to do next and whether he has the talent to follow his dreams, he and his best friends go and drown their sorrows at a local drag show, where Robin realizes there might be a different, more sequinned path for him . . .With a mother who won't stop talking, a boyfriend who won't acknowledge him and a best friend who is dying to cover him in glitter make up, there's only one thing for Robin to do: bring it to the runway.
Men Who Beat the Men Who Love Them: Battered Gay Men and Domestic Violence
by Patrick Letellier David IslandDomestic violence in gay male relationships is the third largest health problem for gay men in America today. Men Who Beat the Men Who Love Them breaks the silence surrounding gay male domestic violence and exposes this hidden yet prevalent and destructive problem. The authors paint a vivid picture of gay men’s domestic violence, bringing its brutality to life by including personal narratives, written by one of the authors, by clearly defining what it is and what it is not through lists of violent acts and criminal code categories, and by thoroughly examining and analyzing the criminal, mental health, medical, political, and interpersonal issues involved. The authors boldly depart from the battered women’s literature by asserting that batterers have a diagnosable mental disorder, that battering is not gender based, and that much further criminalization of domestic violence is necessary.Striving for victim advocacy, the book underscores the idea that gay men’s domestic violence is totally unacceptable and is caused solely by individual abusive gay men who choose to batter. The book builds on and departs from what is known about domestic violence, with the authors challenging several fundamental premises in the literature, unabashedly identifying battering as a mental disorder. The authors explain that victims cannot stop their battering partners from battering and virtually all batterers choose to harm their partners in a premeditated fashion. The authors provide practical steps and suggestions for victims who want to leave and stay away from their violent partners and for friends who want to help battered gay men. Chapters describe the scope of the problem and refute myths and misconceptions. There are several detailed theory chapters in which the authors explain why gay men’s domestic violence occurs, who the batterers are, who the victims are at different stages of victimization, and how domestic violence can be stopped. A visionary, wide-ranging governmental and private plan of action is introduced, including lists of necessary laws and policies, as well as outlines of strong education, training, and advertising problems needed in various sectors of society. As a self-help book, Men Who Beat the Men Who Love Them provides practical information on a never-before discussed topic. As a trainer’s manual or teaching guide, it includes specific criteria for understanding the problem and for providing treatment.