Female Masculinities and the Gender Wars: The Politics of Sex
£18.20£20.90 (-13%)
“Thoughtful and often moving.” Gaby Hinsliff, The Guardian
Female Masculinities and the Gender Wars provides important theoretical background and context to the ‘gender wars’ or ‘TERF wars’ – the fracture at the forefront of the LGBTQ international conversation. Using queer and female masculinities as a lens, Finn Mackay investigates the current generational shift that is refusing the previous assumed fixity of sex, gender and sexual identity. Transgender and trans rights movements are currently experiencing political backlash from within certain lesbian and lesbian feminist groups, resulting in a situation in which these two minority communities are frequently pitted against one another or perceived as diametrically opposed.
Uniquely, Finn Mackay approaches this debate through the context of female masculinity, butch and transmasculine lesbian masculinities. There has been increasing interest in the study of masculinity, influenced by a popular discourse around so-called ‘toxic masculinity’, the rise of men’s rights activism and theory and critical work on Trump’s America and the MeToo movement.
An increasingly important topic in political science and sociological academia, this book aims to break new ground in the discussion of the politics of gender and identity.
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Additional information
| Publisher | I.B. Tauris (21 Oct. 2021) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 264 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0755606639 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0755606634 |
| Dimensions | 15.93 x 1.79 x 23.29 cm |
by Chris9966
I read this book over Christmas after being “challenged” by a lesbian friend to read it. At first, I was put off by the cost but in reality, it has over 220 griping pages and is of excellent value.
Although the title gives the impression the book centres on the ‘gender war’ and butch lesbianism – the author goes way back, reflecting on the history of the war as well as where it is potentially going to take us in the 2022s and beyond. It looks at both sides of the war in a constructive and reasoned way.
The warning is stark and real for everyone involved in the war – from those active within social media to journalists and the media at large.
I am not a lesbian but am certainly a Rad Fem and could relate to what the author (Finn Mackay) was saying in the book – in essence, that right-wing American conservatism is infiltrating British values potentially at the cost of LGBT+ rights as well of those of women.
The book succeeds in explaining “butch” lesbianism very well and in the latter chapters refers to an in-depth survey from some 200 respondents which proves the diversity of a small but nevertheless significant group of women.
This is a great book, but sadly may well not get the publicity it deserves because it is “not controversial” enough to make the sort of headlines many want to see or read about.
Do read this book though – I genuinely can’t recommend it highly enough! SIX STARS !!
by Chris9966
FULL DISCLOSURE: I AM A FINN MACKAY FAN! I admire people who are able to combine the highly personal with political productivity. Being able to occupy seemingly oppositional spaces at the same time is pure genius. This book is one that should be on the syllabus of every humanities course, including Masculinity Studies! BUY THIS BOOK. I know you will be glad you did.
by Dosi Doe
Finn Mackay has achieved the almost impossible feat of explaining all of us to each other, finding the common ground and some tentative hope for the future.
Beautifully researched and nuanced – everyone should read this!