A comprehensive overview of feminist debates surrounding sexuality identifying the main theoretical positions and trends. Contributors include Judith Butler, bell hooks, Luce Irigaray, Catherine MacKinnon, Adrienne Rich, Gayle Rubin, Judith Walkowitz and Monique Wittig.

Contributors and Key Ideas:

• Judith Butler: Known for her work on gender performativity, Butler examines how sexuality is not biologically fixed but socially constructed and performative.
• bell hooks: Explores intersectional analyses of race, class, and gender in sexual politics, highlighting the significance of love, desire, and empowerment in feminist thought.
• Luce Irigaray: Focuses on the language of sexuality and the ways patriarchal structures silence and marginalize female desire and subjectivity.
• Catherine MacKinnon: Critiques the sexual objectification of women and addresses issues like pornography and sexual violence, arguing that sexual practices are shaped by patriarchy.
• Adrienne Rich: Known for her work on lesbian existence and compulsory heterosexuality, Rich challenges traditional sexual norms and advocates for alternative sexual identities.
• Gayle Rubin: Explores the social construction of sexual hierarchies and the policing of sexual behaviors, offering a feminist perspective on sexual freedom and sexual politics.
• Judith Walkowitz: Examines the relationship between sexuality, public health, and politics, particularly in the context of women’s rights and prostitution.
• Monique Wittig: Argues against the heteronormative structures of sexuality, proposing that lesbianism offers an alternative to the dominant patriarchal sexual order.