- Email: [email protected]
The Lesbian Heresy
Book Reviews
ence on the sexual attitudes of women in Britain in this century little or nothing has previously been written. While acknowledging the pervasiveness and resilience of the patriarchal model of sexuality, Jackson ends on a note of optimism, pointing out that many women and, in particular, feminist lesbians, empowered by the continuing stream of radical critiques of patriarchal models of sexuality provided by feminist scholars and activists (dating back as far as Mary Wollstonecraft), are imagining, constructing, and living out entirely original feminist models of sexuality. She calls for the creation of new language to express these models. The historical perspective of this book is invaluable in illuminating current debates on sexuality amongst women because it demonstrates so lucidly that the forces now ranged against feminism are the very same forces that have opposed feminism in the past: notions of essentialism, accusations of "anti-sex" attitudes, the temptations of assimilation into patriarchal systems, the drives of ambition, the phenomenon of women peddling m e n ' s sexist propaganda. The radical critique that Jackson provides gives feminists today both the opportunity to learn from f e m i n i s t s of the past and the strength and confirmation that comes from being part of a long tradition of resistance. The Real Facts of Life is refreshingly free of some of the less helpful marks of postmodernism in the clarity of its language, its political commitment, and its engagement with the material reality of women's oppression. It is a timely contribution to Women's Studies and to the theory of sexuality, in particular. ELAINEMILLER LEWISHAMCOLLEGE LONDON, UK BIRCKBECKCOLLEGE LONDON, UK
Tnr: Lr,s B ~ HERESY,by Sheila Jeffreys, 208 pages. Spinifex Press, Melbourne, 1993. Soft cover, RRP $AUS24.95.
The Lesbian Heresy is Sheila Jeffreys' third book. In it, she continues her project of exposing and criticising the ways in which discourses of sexuality function to fit women into male supremacist meanings, values, and practices. In her first book, Spinster and Her Enemies, Jeffreys documented the role sexology played in the backlash against the gains made for women by feminism in the nineteenth century. In Anticlimax, her second book, she examined the ways in which sexual libertarianism distorts and weakens the current feminist struggle against male sexual violence. In Heresy, she turns her investigation to lesbianism itself, and finds the antifeminist and misogynist values of domination and objectification within our very heartland. The "heresy" of the title is lesbian feminism. In the early days of "second wave" feminism, lesbian feminism was heretical in its insistence that, not only was lesbianism positive and beneficial for women, it was also a political challenge to the male supremacist institution of heterosexuality. Its "heresy" lay in its opposition to malestream beliefs that heterosexuality was the only "natural" sexual desire for women, and women's only form of love and intimacy. Over 20 years ago, lesbian feminism challenged mate supremacy's core belief that women exist only to
79
service and nurture men and male interests and desires, In doing so, it challenged the ideology of heterosexual desire which constitutes and feeds off relations of domination and subordination. Jeffreys argues that lesbian feminism is still heretical in malestream terms, but that it has also acquired a "heretical" status among lesbians. The meanings and values of lesbian feminism have come under attack from within the ranks of feminism's own constituency, among lesbians themselves. Recent discourses of lesbian sexuality, emanating from "queer theory" and "postmodernism," extol the virtues of sexual libertarianism, sex "therapy," sadomasochism, "butch/femme'" role playing, biological determinism, sexual "transgression," and worship of the male. Within this context, lesbian feminism is trivialised, derided, and dismissed as "political correctness," "prudery," "moralism," and "anti-sex." Jeffreys' book takes us on a guided tour of these discourses, pointing out in detail the ways in which they constitute an assimilation of lesbians into "the values of heteropatriarchy." In the process she demonstrates that lesbian feminism's resistance to these recent discourses is not, of course, a new heretical stance, but the old one - - its opposition to the erotics of domination - - however it is manifested, no matter how many permutations and combinations it adopts, in all its tiresome multiplicity. She concludes by calling for "'a deeper separation" from "the whole mindset of the heteropatriarchy," by way of a reaffirmation of the meanings and values of lesbian feminism. This includes the ongoing project of creating a sexuality based on equality and mutual respect, but it does not confine lesbianism to the merely sexual. Central to the project of lesbian feminism is female friendship, the loving commitment of women to women which ensures that women's attention, energy, and recognition are focused on each other instead of on men. I have no major criticisms of Sheila Jeffreys' work and no political criticisms at all. She is one of a courageous band of radical feminists who assert their political and ethical principles against the worst that male supremacy can do. Jeffreys' is one of the few voices still raised in protest against the patriarchal recuperation from and cooptation of the feminist threat to the male hegemony, both in academe and elsewhere. She writes in a clear, succinct style which, although it may avoid engaging in subtle nuances, nonetheless says what needs to be said in a manner accessible to those unacquainted with the more arcane levels of academic disputation. Her style of often bald assertion succeeds in showing the reader where the problems lie and what needs to be done about them. It displays political courage and clarity and a refusal of political indifference in the face of current attempts to fragment feminism into a welter of "feminisms" having nothing in common but "difference." From the feminist standpoint of intransigence in the face of the on-going hegemony of male supremacist interests, values, and meanings, such an enterprise is to be applauded. DENISETHOMPSON LEICHHARDT,AUSTRALIA REFERENCES Jeffreys, Sheila. (1985). The spinster and her enemies: Feminism and sexuality 1800-1930. London: Pandora Press.
80
Book Reviews
Jeffreys, Sheila. (I 990). Anticlimax: A feminist perspective on the sexual revolution. London: The Womens Press.
CHOICES IN SEXUALITY, by Susan McCammon, David Knox, and Caroline Schacht, 886 pages. West Publishing Company, St. Paul, MN, 1993. Hard cover, US$47.95. The purpose of this text is three-fold: (a) to "encourage readers to make deliberate informed choices in regard to sexuality," (b) to increase readers' awareness that sexual choices are influenced by sexual values and cultural setting, and (c) to provide a foundation for making deliberate informed choices regarding sexuality throughout one's life (McCammon et al., 1993, p. v). The book is logically organized and should encourage active learning among students. A set of questions to stimulate thinking is included at the beginning of each chapter, along with an inventory or scale for self-assessment on a topic discussed in the chapter, a summary and key terms, and a short "Consideration" section, which provides insights, implications, explanations, and applications of material presented. The text is "user friendly" in regard to presentation of empirical data, statistics, and theories, which often bore students. The text includes updated research and information from a wide array of fields of study in the area of sexuality - - family science, medical science, anthropology, history, psychology, and sociology. Choices in Sexuality is rich with empirical data which address cross-cultural studies and issues of diversity (e.g., race/ethnicity and sexual orientation). This book is divided into six parts. Part I presents general information about making choices. To assist readers in recognizing the magnitude of sexual choices that individuals may confront during the course of their lives, the authors kick off this section with a list of "more than 100 choices in sexuality." Emphasized is the fact that some choices are dichotomous, and some are revocable; not to decide is to decide. Chapters 1, 2, and 3 include a discussion of free will and determinism, factors influencing choices, and tradeoffs involved in making choices. Part II includes background information necessary to make informed sexual decisions. Chapter 4 includes an examination of various research methods used to gather, evaluate, and explain data on human sexuality. In addition to traditional theories of sexuality, the authors include a provocative and stimulating discussion and illustration of liberal, radical, socialist, and multicultural feminist theories in the study of human sexuality. Sexual anatomical and physiological information on males and females is included in Chapters 5 and 6. These two chapters conclude with an array of contemporary choices that individuals confront in regard to their anatomy, such as whether or not to have breast implants, m a m m o g r a m s , pap tests, prostate rectal exams, and whether or not to conduct self-examinations. A unique feature of Chapter 7 is that the authors address the effect of recreational drugs, tobacco, alcohol, and anabolic steroids on the sexual response cycle. This chapter should provoke a stimulating discussion among students and teachers. Contextual aspects of sexuality are examined in Part III. To emphasize the significance of gender in studying human sexuality, the authors begin Chapter 8 by addressing a Saturday Night Live character, Pat. This chapter dis-
cusses how gender roles develop and how gender role expectations affect sexual decisions of women and men. Issues of androgyny and gender role transcendence are also addressed. In Chapters 9 and 10 intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects of sexual activities and choices are examined. Attention is devoted to explaining how self-concept and sexual concept are associated with body image and sexual guilt about various sexual activities. Issues of heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual orientations are addressed in Chapter 11, and sexuality across the life span is examined in Chapter 12. Chapter 12 is unique in that the discussion includes life span issues among heterosexuals as well as homosexuals and bisexuals. "Two of the positive aspects of viewing sexuality from a choice perspective are the opportunity for enhancement of our sexuality and the fostering of a sense of personal responsibility" (McCammon et al., 1993, p. 75). In Part IV, the authors devote attention to various choices regard'ing communication including discussing issues, resolving conflict, and expressing preference in sexuality (Chapter 13). This chapter provides numerous opportunities for students to enhance their communication skills in sexual matters by providing self-assessment scales and suggestions for how to ask "open-ended questions," "use reflective listening," and "address recurring or disturbing issues." Chapter 14 focuses on how love relates to sexuality. Love is presented as a continuum of emotional intensity - humans may have sex with or without love. Chapter 15 concentrates on choices that relate to resolving forms of sexual dysfunction. Part V provides information about four aspects of health as they relate to sexuality. The importance of physical and mental health to sexuality is the focus of Chapter 16, which includes information on maintaining good health and adjusting to disease or disability. A discussion of what paraphilias are, how they developed, and how they are treated in regard to sexuality is the focus of Chapter 17. Attention is given to explaining how our attitudes toward paraphilias are influenced by individual and social choices. Choices related to avoiding sexually transmitted diseases are discussed in Chapter 18. Part V concludes with Chapter 19 addressing issues of rape, child sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and the commercial uses of sexuality. The greatest strength of this section is that it stimulates students to apply information to their personal life, and it provides suggestions for ways to manage various problems that they may encounter in developing and maintaining sexual relationships. The final section examines sexual issues in regard to reproductive choices. Choices surrounding planning children and birth control are discussed in Chapter 20. Two unique features of this chapter are the discussion of noncontraceptive health benefits of the pill and the pictorial illustrations showing students how to use various barrier contraceptive methods. Information that is important in making decisions about pregnancy, childbirth, abortion, and other pregnancy outcomes are included in Chapters 21 and 22. Individual and social concerns regarding the complexities of sex education are the focus of the concluding Chapter 23. Choices in Sexuality provides a provocative and scholarly discussion of the complex issues related to making deliberate choices in regard to sexuality. The blend of contemporary issues and empirically based studies is particularly fruitful. This volume would be most relevant to undergraduate students enrolled in family science, psychol-
ence on the sexual attitudes of women in Britain in this century little or nothing has previously been written. While acknowledging the pervasiveness and resilience of the patriarchal model of sexuality, Jackson ends on a note of optimism, pointing out that many women and, in particular, feminist lesbians, empowered by the continuing stream of radical critiques of patriarchal models of sexuality provided by feminist scholars and activists (dating back as far as Mary Wollstonecraft), are imagining, constructing, and living out entirely original feminist models of sexuality. She calls for the creation of new language to express these models. The historical perspective of this book is invaluable in illuminating current debates on sexuality amongst women because it demonstrates so lucidly that the forces now ranged against feminism are the very same forces that have opposed feminism in the past: notions of essentialism, accusations of "anti-sex" attitudes, the temptations of assimilation into patriarchal systems, the drives of ambition, the phenomenon of women peddling m e n ' s sexist propaganda. The radical critique that Jackson provides gives feminists today both the opportunity to learn from f e m i n i s t s of the past and the strength and confirmation that comes from being part of a long tradition of resistance. The Real Facts of Life is refreshingly free of some of the less helpful marks of postmodernism in the clarity of its language, its political commitment, and its engagement with the material reality of women's oppression. It is a timely contribution to Women's Studies and to the theory of sexuality, in particular. ELAINEMILLER LEWISHAMCOLLEGE LONDON, UK BIRCKBECKCOLLEGE LONDON, UK
Tnr: Lr,s B ~ HERESY,by Sheila Jeffreys, 208 pages. Spinifex Press, Melbourne, 1993. Soft cover, RRP $AUS24.95.
The Lesbian Heresy is Sheila Jeffreys' third book. In it, she continues her project of exposing and criticising the ways in which discourses of sexuality function to fit women into male supremacist meanings, values, and practices. In her first book, Spinster and Her Enemies, Jeffreys documented the role sexology played in the backlash against the gains made for women by feminism in the nineteenth century. In Anticlimax, her second book, she examined the ways in which sexual libertarianism distorts and weakens the current feminist struggle against male sexual violence. In Heresy, she turns her investigation to lesbianism itself, and finds the antifeminist and misogynist values of domination and objectification within our very heartland. The "heresy" of the title is lesbian feminism. In the early days of "second wave" feminism, lesbian feminism was heretical in its insistence that, not only was lesbianism positive and beneficial for women, it was also a political challenge to the male supremacist institution of heterosexuality. Its "heresy" lay in its opposition to malestream beliefs that heterosexuality was the only "natural" sexual desire for women, and women's only form of love and intimacy. Over 20 years ago, lesbian feminism challenged mate supremacy's core belief that women exist only to
79
service and nurture men and male interests and desires, In doing so, it challenged the ideology of heterosexual desire which constitutes and feeds off relations of domination and subordination. Jeffreys argues that lesbian feminism is still heretical in malestream terms, but that it has also acquired a "heretical" status among lesbians. The meanings and values of lesbian feminism have come under attack from within the ranks of feminism's own constituency, among lesbians themselves. Recent discourses of lesbian sexuality, emanating from "queer theory" and "postmodernism," extol the virtues of sexual libertarianism, sex "therapy," sadomasochism, "butch/femme'" role playing, biological determinism, sexual "transgression," and worship of the male. Within this context, lesbian feminism is trivialised, derided, and dismissed as "political correctness," "prudery," "moralism," and "anti-sex." Jeffreys' book takes us on a guided tour of these discourses, pointing out in detail the ways in which they constitute an assimilation of lesbians into "the values of heteropatriarchy." In the process she demonstrates that lesbian feminism's resistance to these recent discourses is not, of course, a new heretical stance, but the old one - - its opposition to the erotics of domination - - however it is manifested, no matter how many permutations and combinations it adopts, in all its tiresome multiplicity. She concludes by calling for "'a deeper separation" from "the whole mindset of the heteropatriarchy," by way of a reaffirmation of the meanings and values of lesbian feminism. This includes the ongoing project of creating a sexuality based on equality and mutual respect, but it does not confine lesbianism to the merely sexual. Central to the project of lesbian feminism is female friendship, the loving commitment of women to women which ensures that women's attention, energy, and recognition are focused on each other instead of on men. I have no major criticisms of Sheila Jeffreys' work and no political criticisms at all. She is one of a courageous band of radical feminists who assert their political and ethical principles against the worst that male supremacy can do. Jeffreys' is one of the few voices still raised in protest against the patriarchal recuperation from and cooptation of the feminist threat to the male hegemony, both in academe and elsewhere. She writes in a clear, succinct style which, although it may avoid engaging in subtle nuances, nonetheless says what needs to be said in a manner accessible to those unacquainted with the more arcane levels of academic disputation. Her style of often bald assertion succeeds in showing the reader where the problems lie and what needs to be done about them. It displays political courage and clarity and a refusal of political indifference in the face of current attempts to fragment feminism into a welter of "feminisms" having nothing in common but "difference." From the feminist standpoint of intransigence in the face of the on-going hegemony of male supremacist interests, values, and meanings, such an enterprise is to be applauded. DENISETHOMPSON LEICHHARDT,AUSTRALIA REFERENCES Jeffreys, Sheila. (1985). The spinster and her enemies: Feminism and sexuality 1800-1930. London: Pandora Press.
80
Book Reviews
Jeffreys, Sheila. (I 990). Anticlimax: A feminist perspective on the sexual revolution. London: The Womens Press.
CHOICES IN SEXUALITY, by Susan McCammon, David Knox, and Caroline Schacht, 886 pages. West Publishing Company, St. Paul, MN, 1993. Hard cover, US$47.95. The purpose of this text is three-fold: (a) to "encourage readers to make deliberate informed choices in regard to sexuality," (b) to increase readers' awareness that sexual choices are influenced by sexual values and cultural setting, and (c) to provide a foundation for making deliberate informed choices regarding sexuality throughout one's life (McCammon et al., 1993, p. v). The book is logically organized and should encourage active learning among students. A set of questions to stimulate thinking is included at the beginning of each chapter, along with an inventory or scale for self-assessment on a topic discussed in the chapter, a summary and key terms, and a short "Consideration" section, which provides insights, implications, explanations, and applications of material presented. The text is "user friendly" in regard to presentation of empirical data, statistics, and theories, which often bore students. The text includes updated research and information from a wide array of fields of study in the area of sexuality - - family science, medical science, anthropology, history, psychology, and sociology. Choices in Sexuality is rich with empirical data which address cross-cultural studies and issues of diversity (e.g., race/ethnicity and sexual orientation). This book is divided into six parts. Part I presents general information about making choices. To assist readers in recognizing the magnitude of sexual choices that individuals may confront during the course of their lives, the authors kick off this section with a list of "more than 100 choices in sexuality." Emphasized is the fact that some choices are dichotomous, and some are revocable; not to decide is to decide. Chapters 1, 2, and 3 include a discussion of free will and determinism, factors influencing choices, and tradeoffs involved in making choices. Part II includes background information necessary to make informed sexual decisions. Chapter 4 includes an examination of various research methods used to gather, evaluate, and explain data on human sexuality. In addition to traditional theories of sexuality, the authors include a provocative and stimulating discussion and illustration of liberal, radical, socialist, and multicultural feminist theories in the study of human sexuality. Sexual anatomical and physiological information on males and females is included in Chapters 5 and 6. These two chapters conclude with an array of contemporary choices that individuals confront in regard to their anatomy, such as whether or not to have breast implants, m a m m o g r a m s , pap tests, prostate rectal exams, and whether or not to conduct self-examinations. A unique feature of Chapter 7 is that the authors address the effect of recreational drugs, tobacco, alcohol, and anabolic steroids on the sexual response cycle. This chapter should provoke a stimulating discussion among students and teachers. Contextual aspects of sexuality are examined in Part III. To emphasize the significance of gender in studying human sexuality, the authors begin Chapter 8 by addressing a Saturday Night Live character, Pat. This chapter dis-
cusses how gender roles develop and how gender role expectations affect sexual decisions of women and men. Issues of androgyny and gender role transcendence are also addressed. In Chapters 9 and 10 intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects of sexual activities and choices are examined. Attention is devoted to explaining how self-concept and sexual concept are associated with body image and sexual guilt about various sexual activities. Issues of heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual orientations are addressed in Chapter 11, and sexuality across the life span is examined in Chapter 12. Chapter 12 is unique in that the discussion includes life span issues among heterosexuals as well as homosexuals and bisexuals. "Two of the positive aspects of viewing sexuality from a choice perspective are the opportunity for enhancement of our sexuality and the fostering of a sense of personal responsibility" (McCammon et al., 1993, p. 75). In Part IV, the authors devote attention to various choices regard'ing communication including discussing issues, resolving conflict, and expressing preference in sexuality (Chapter 13). This chapter provides numerous opportunities for students to enhance their communication skills in sexual matters by providing self-assessment scales and suggestions for how to ask "open-ended questions," "use reflective listening," and "address recurring or disturbing issues." Chapter 14 focuses on how love relates to sexuality. Love is presented as a continuum of emotional intensity - humans may have sex with or without love. Chapter 15 concentrates on choices that relate to resolving forms of sexual dysfunction. Part V provides information about four aspects of health as they relate to sexuality. The importance of physical and mental health to sexuality is the focus of Chapter 16, which includes information on maintaining good health and adjusting to disease or disability. A discussion of what paraphilias are, how they developed, and how they are treated in regard to sexuality is the focus of Chapter 17. Attention is given to explaining how our attitudes toward paraphilias are influenced by individual and social choices. Choices related to avoiding sexually transmitted diseases are discussed in Chapter 18. Part V concludes with Chapter 19 addressing issues of rape, child sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and the commercial uses of sexuality. The greatest strength of this section is that it stimulates students to apply information to their personal life, and it provides suggestions for ways to manage various problems that they may encounter in developing and maintaining sexual relationships. The final section examines sexual issues in regard to reproductive choices. Choices surrounding planning children and birth control are discussed in Chapter 20. Two unique features of this chapter are the discussion of noncontraceptive health benefits of the pill and the pictorial illustrations showing students how to use various barrier contraceptive methods. Information that is important in making decisions about pregnancy, childbirth, abortion, and other pregnancy outcomes are included in Chapters 21 and 22. Individual and social concerns regarding the complexities of sex education are the focus of the concluding Chapter 23. Choices in Sexuality provides a provocative and scholarly discussion of the complex issues related to making deliberate choices in regard to sexuality. The blend of contemporary issues and empirically based studies is particularly fruitful. This volume would be most relevant to undergraduate students enrolled in family science, psychol-