Sex and Disability by Robert McRuer

Sex and Disability Reviews

• 
  kimberly_rose

  The first chapter connects LGBTQ peoples' rights with Disabled peoples' rights: access and space in both private and public domains, and control of one's body. I think this is fascinating and apt: it really makes the establishing of these rights significant to every single person: it's freedom... to achieve what all humans need, freedom for competence, for autonomy, for psychological relatedness.
  
  The middle of the book wobbles into "hmm, I wonder what I should make for dinner... or, oh, look at that novel on my living room floor, the one that just skid out of my tipping pile! I'll go read that for a bit" land. Translation: Boring. I started to forget the book was about *disability* and sexuality and began wondering, 'When did I pick up a book about [x]?' The focus seemed to shift from *disability*. On the other hand, maybe I missed the point of some essays because of the writing verbiage, the I'm-proving-I'm-smart writing. I don't like having to *dissect* sentence after sentence in order to follow your argument, especially when your points would have been clever and interesting if written succinctly. I would not have lost respect for you in the morning, baby.
  
  Still, the majority of essays I enjoyed and learned from, and, of those, they were sensitive, diverse, unique, and accessible. Worth picking up, just don't be afraid to rummage through the toy box.
  
  I recommend these ones:
  
  A Sexual Culture for Disabled People
  Bridging Theory and Experience: A Critical-Interpretive Ethnography of Sexuality and Disability
  The Sexualized Body of the Child: Parents and the Politics of "Voluntary" Sterilization...
  Sex as "Spock": Autism, Sexuality, and Autobiographical Narrative
  Fingered
  Desire and Disgust: My Ambivalent Adventures in Devoteeism
  Hearing Aid Lovers, Pretenders, and Deaf Wannabees
  
  3.5 stars
• 
  Asher McCool

  I have VERY mixed feelings on this book.
  
  Chapters 1-3 were the proverbial cream of the crop. Most of the best content is stored in the first section, Access.
  
  Chapter 6, Pregnant Men, was not one I'd recommend reading. It doesn't say anything particularly heinous, but it has basically nothing to do with disability, and seems an uncomfortable and unnecessary focus to add to this book.
  
  Chapters 10 - 13 were very enjoyable reads, with some unique and interesting perspectives.
  
  Chapter 14 (Is Sex Disability?) was baffling, to say the least.
  
  Chapters 16 & 17 were a very real and nuanced look into specific communities who fetishize disability in several different ways.
• 
  Orhan

  Thought provoking. Though as ever, with much of disability studies I'd like to see more of a political economy of sex, queerness and disability. I also find the field quite limited in terms of marginality, and diaspora experiences of disability. Though these caveats shouldn't be taken as a complaint of this volume.
• 
  Jim

  A heady, scholarly and personal collection of perspectives. This served a great study guide for my research in writing my two disability-inclusive novels, 'Every Time I Think of You' and its sequel 'Message of Love.' In particular, the LGBT aspects were appreciated, and often missing from other nonfiction books about disability.
• 
  Kate

  This was a wonderful read. I suffer from chronic pain and this book personally helped me so much.
• 
  Duke Press

  “[S]timulating, thought-provoking, and fascinating. Many of the entries left me with food for thought, including some intriguing reframing of social issues that will inform my own work in the future.”-S. E. Smith, Global Comment
• 
  Sarah

  Too academic, too dry.