Seeing Straight

An Introduction to Gender and Sexual Privilege

By (author) Jean Halley, Amy Eshleman

Publication date:

29 November 2016

Length of book:

248 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781442233539

Seeing Straight introduces students to key concepts in gender and sexuality through the lens of privilege and power. After an accessible overview, the book asks students to examine the privilege inherent in approaching heterosexual and cisgender identities as “normal,” as well as the problems of treating queer gender and sexuality as “abnormal.” Compelling real-life examples illustrate theory and empirical research, revealing phenomena that shape not only students’ own lives, but also their communities, their country, and the field of gender studies itself. The book addresses tough topics like hate, violence, and privilege, and it also considers institutionalized heteronormativity through the military, law, religion, and more. The book ends with a chapter called “It’s Getting Better” that presents evidence for queer hope and courage. Filled with compelling true stories, this book is an ideal introduction to gender and sexuality that encourages students to question their own assumptions.

1. Privileged Thinking: Sex, Gender, and Sexuality
2. Privileged Assumptions: Heterosexuality and the Normative Expression of Gender
3. Privileged Power, Hate, and Heteronormativity
4. Fifty Ways to Be Normal and Other Challenges to Privilege
5. Institutionalized Heteronormativity: Military, Law, and Religion
6. Privileged (Popular) Culture and Internalized Expectations
7. Violence, Aggression, and Privilege
8. It’s Getting Better: Queer Hope, Queer Courage

Seeing Straight is a rewarding—and challenging—book designed to take the young adult from passive acceptance of gender norms and sex roles, through the long and exciting history of awakening of identity, sexuality, dissent, freedom, and into adult respect for the variety of humanity. The volume covers stereotyping and prejudice, sex and gender, queer theory, gender privilege and heteronormativity, what is normal, what is deviant, what is queer and what is courage. The authors emphasize opportunity, empowerment, sex positivity, and the costs of gender and sexual oppression. This book will improve the lives of the students who read it.