Books on Activism and Philosophy
 The Trouble with Normal argues passionately against same-sex marriage, but here's the twist: not because it denigrates the institution of marriage, but because it perpetuates the cultural shame attached to sex between consenting but unmarried adults. When gay men and lesbians try to claim that they're just like "normal folk," Michael Warner writes, they do a profound disservice to other queer folk who choose not to live in monogamous or matrimonial bliss and who believe that the solution to being stigmatized for your sexuality is not to pretend it doesn't exist.  Harmful to Minors presents a well-researched and powerful case against the stereotypical sex-negative and anti-pleasure philosophy that has pervaded Western thought about minors since Freud. Levine's work is in no way an apologia for predatory pedophilia, but rather is a long overdue reexamination of the roots of sex-negative thinking and its consequences in distorting the sexual lives of minors in Western culture. It also exposes the terrible consequences of that thinking - grave miscarriages of justice, teen pregnancy, harsh stigmatization of normative sexuality, teen prostitution, damaged self-esteem, shattered relationships, etc. Levine rightly calls into question a great many "unquestioned" assumptions about minors' sexuality, highlights the abject failure of "abstinence unless married" sex "education," and exposes the real motivations and beliefs of the religious and secular conservatives who have seized control of the public agenda surrounding sexuality and sex education. A must-read book for any sex-positive citizen, not only for its truthful and hard-hitting treatment of the sexuality of minors, but also for its chilling message of how our culture has been hijacked by sex-negative thinking that could influence future generations in profoundly harmful ways. |
 This anthology presents a vivid collection of essays that explore the history, strategies, philosophy, and diversity of bisexual politics and theory in the United States. The 33 contributors develop a multifaceted approach to defining bisexual politics. The authors analyze different organizing strategies, formulate new bisexual political theory, provide a vision of future directions for redefining sexuality and gender, and educate activists and allies about current issues pertaining to the bisexual community.  It's almost impossible to believe this clear-headed look at relationships was written in 1929! Bertrand Russell lays out a compelling case for freedom in relationships that is as relevant as today's headlines. His look at the history and rationale that produced the restrictive dogma of monolithic monogamy as we know it today makes for fascinating reading. His critique of the faulty thinking and outright manipulation that led Western society into the moral cul de sac of seeking to repress the virtually irrepressible is Russell at his best.  "Al Seckel (a member of the Bertrand Russell Society who has lectured extensively on Russell's life and work) has compiled an exhaustive collection of Russell's very best and most thought provoking essays on ethics, social morality, happiness, sex, adultery, marriage and divorce. Often hidden in obscure journals, pamphlets, out-of-print periodicals and hard-to-find books, the works assembled here comprise a comprehensive volume that is augmented by valuable section introductions and editor's comments. This volume also includes "Morality and Instinct," which is published here for the first time." - From the book's cover |