Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back If you wish, you can skip ahead to praise for Sexed Up, read reviews of, interviews about, and excerpts from the book, or check out the Table of Contents.
Julia’s latest book, Sexed Up, is out now! It’s available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook— those links will take you to the Seal Press website, which offers a variety of outlets to choose from. You can also go to your local bookstore or library and ask them to order a copy for you. And if you like it, please give it a good review at Goodreads, Amazon, and elsewhere!
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: 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? Serano confronts these presumptions head-on, showing us how they arise from unconscious biases rather than reflecting reality. While many view sexualization as a mere component of sexism, racism, or queerphobia, Serano persuasively argues that liberation from sexual violence comes through collectively confronting sexualization itself. She then reveals powerful new ways to resist, providing numerous strategies designed to foster sexual equity without sacrificing sexual diversity in the process. Lively and provocative, Sexed Up provides a breath of fresh air for seasoned activists and newcomers alike. Once again, Julia Serano proves that she is an unmatched voice leading us toward necessary change. For a more detailed description, check out Sexed Up: a chapter-by-chapter preview of my new book. And if you wish to invite Julia to give a Sexed Up-themed talk or book reading, please check out her booking webpage! Sexed Up is published by Seal Press: ISBN-13 9781541674806 (hardcover), ISBN-13 9781541674790 (ebook), 336 pages. I want to thank everyone at Seal Press, especially my editor Emi Ikkanda, and Laura Mazer who originally acquired the book. Praise for Sexed Up “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 “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 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 “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 “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 “Julia 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 “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 Reviews of Sexed Up “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 (full review via link) “Sexed Up doesn’t just identify a common problem; it identifies a common ground for solidarity and resistance.” —NBC News (full review via link) “An engaging and thoughtful addition for any library’s popular human sexuality collection.” —Library Journal (full review via link) “Part of 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.” —Refinery29 (full review via link) “A feminist argument about sexism and patriarchy from a fully trans- and queer-inclusive point of view... When Serano introduces a concept ... I expect the idea to pervade and permeate feminist thought. ” —Liber: a Feminist Review (full review via link) “Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back gives every bit of [Julia’s] usual rigor as it interrogates the ways that people who hold stigmatized identities are desexualized, hypersexualized, sex-shamed or sex-policed. ” —Xtra (full review via link) Excerpts from Sexed Up
Table of Contents: Introduction Chapter 1: The Two Filing Cabinets in Our Minds Chapter 2: Opposites Chapter 3: Unwanted Attention Chapter 4: The Predator/Prey Mindset Chapter 5: Confused Sluts Chapter 6: Sexualization, Objectification, and Stigma Chapter 7: Intersectionality and Hypersexualization Chapter 8: Queer as a Three Dollar Bill Chapter 9: You Make Me Sick Chapter 10: Fantasies and Hierarchies Chapter 11: Rethinking Sex and Challenging Sexualization To learn more about each of these chapters, check out Julia’s Sexed Up chapter-by-chapter preview. |
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