A History of BisexualityWhy is bisexuality the object of such skepticism? Why do sexologists steer clear of it in their research? Why has bisexuality, in stark contrast to homosexuality, only recently emerged as a nascent political and cultural identity? Bisexuality has been rendered as mostly irrelevant to the history, theory, and politics of sexuality. With A History of Bisexuality, Steven Angelides explores the reasons why, and invites us to rethink our preconceptions about sexual identity. Retracing the evolution of sexology, and revisiting modern epistemological categories of sexuality in psychoanalysis, gay liberation, social constructionism, queer theory, biology, and human genetics, Angelides argues that bisexuality has historically functioned as the structural other to sexual identity itself, undermining assumptions about heterosexuality and homosexuality. In a book that will become the center of debate about the nature of sexuality for years to come, A History of Bisexuality compels us to rethink contemporary discourses of sexual theory and politics. |
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ality Altman analysis argued behavior Bergler Bieber biological category of bisexuality challenge chapter claim concept of bisexuality construction constructionist crisis critique cultural deconstructive Dennis Altman desire Despite discourses of sexuality distinct economy of hetero)sexuality edited effect Ellis emergence epistemic epistemological erasure evolutionary fact female Feminism feminist Fliess Foucauldian Freudian Garber gay and lesbian gay liberation Gay Liberation Front gender and sexuality Havelock Ellis hermaphroditism hetero hetero/homosexual opposition heteronormative heterosexual History of Sexuality homo homosexuality human identified individual Inside/Out Judith Butler Kinsey Lesbian Lesbian and Gay London Male Homosexuality masculine Melbourne Michel Foucault modern mosexuality normative Oedipus complex pleasure Politics present tense problematic proper object Psychiatry psychic psychoanalytic psychomedical queer theory Quoted radical Rado relation represented role Routledge scientific Sedgwick sexological sexual identity shift Sigmund Freud social structure Studies suggest theoretical theorists theory of sexuality tion truth University Press woman women York