a short essay & video about how we see gender & trans people

Some of you may recall that last August I published an essay entitled Why Does “Transvestigation” Happen? On Gendering, Ungendering, and (Mis)Perceiving Trans People. It uses so-called “transvestigators” and the JK Rowling/Imane Khelif Olympics ordeal as a jumping-off point to ask more general questions about how we see gender, how trans and gender-nonconforming people “short-circuit” this unconscious process, how our perception changes as we become more cognizant of gender & sexual minorities, and why some people seem to get “stuck” in stage where they compulsively misperceive gender and sexual diversity in cis people as “transness.” 

It is one of my favorite essays that I wrote in the last few years. And now it has been turned into a video essay! You can watch it here (or via this link: https://youtu.be/kC6lsvUKEQ0):

The YouTube show notes contain the following "chapters" of the video – you can use the time stamps there to skip ahead to particular sections if you wish: 

0:00 Introduction
2:18 The Two Filing Cabinets Mindset
8:00 Ungendering and “The Look”
17:15 Delusions of “Gaydar” and “Transdar”
23:00 Dismantling the Two Filing Cabinets Mindset (for better or worse)
32:50 Believing Is Seeing
39:40 Other Perceptual Biases (or why trans women, gender non-conforming women, and women of color are especially fucked)
43:53 Conclusion

I also wrote a short companion essay for the video called How Do We See Gender and Trans People? You can read it on Substack at that link or else on Medium – both are no paywall. I thought I'd end this post with the last few paragraphs from the companion essay:

In addition to being intellectually interesting, I believe this issue is one of the most underappreciated obstacles that trans people face. The fact that most cis people naively presume that they see the world “normally” or “correctly” directly leads to them imagining us as “outliers” at best and “abominations” at worse. We can explain gender and sexual diversity to them until we’re blue in the face, but the real problem is they cannot see that diversity even though it’s all around them!

Encouraging the cis majority to dismantle their Two Filing Cabinets mindset in a “good way” (as I put it in the video) has the potential to help them see that there is no such thing as a “normal” or “correct” gender—we are all simply collections of sex characteristics that vary in all sorts of ways.

Dismantling the Two Filing Cabinets mindset can also help trans people, especially those still in the “questioning” phase. I spent years believing that I’d never be able to transition because there appeared to be an immense chasm separating male from female that seemed nearly impossible to transverse. But it turned out that chasm was entirely in my mind. As I explain in the video, as my gender perception shifted—as I began seeing gender and sexual diversity in all its varied forms—I gradually realized that it was possible for me. I had been stuck on the false notion that I could never be a “real” or “normal” girl, until I was finally able to see that there is no such thing as a “normal girl.”

Anyway, whatever your current state of gender perception is, I hope you appreciate the video—and if you do, please “like” it (which will help boost it in YouTube’s algorithm) and share widely!

If you appreciate that I make videos & essays like this freely available online, please consider supporting me on Patreon (for as little as $1/month)!

why do straight people sexualize LGBTQ+ people? (a video & essay)

Last month was the 3rd year anniversary of the release of Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back. And since this is Pride month, I figured I'd share this video of me reading from the “queer chapter” of Sexed Up! The video is called Why Do Straight People Sexualize Queer People? LGBTQ+ Stereotypes, Sexualization & (imagined) “Contagiousness” – please watch & like & subscribe & share widely!

The YouTube show notes contain the following "chapters" of the video – you can use the time stamps there to skip ahead to particular sections if you wish: 

• 0:00 Introduction (defining sexualization & the Predator/Prey mindset)
• 3:07 Queer people are “marked by sex” and stereotyped as “fakes”
• 6:30 Sexualized stereotypes of gay men
• 7:00 Sexualized stereotypes of lesbians
• 8:45 Sexualized stereotypes of asexuals
• 10:10 Sexualized stereotypes of bisexuals
• 13:30 Trans people and the “worst of both worlds” & “sexual deceiver” tropes 
• 16:40 Anti-queer stigma is viewed “contagious”
• 19:15 Recurring claims that LGBTQIA+ & people of color “prey on women & children”
• 23:50 Critiques of “respectability politics” and “contagiousness politics”
• 29:00 Sexualization-centric approaches to queer activism

As if that wasn't enough, I wrote a companion essay entitled The Worst of Both Worlds: How Straight People Sexualize Queer and Trans People that places my Stigma-Contamination model of sexualization (discussed in the book and video) in the context of other feminist perspectives on sexualization. It also shares a different excerpt from the chapter (on how trans & intersex people face "The Worst of Both Worlds") that is not covered in the video. You can read it on Substack (no paywall) at the above link, or via this friend link to Medium.

As always, please share widely and give it lots of claps and likes and such!

what media coverage of online "transvestigators" & the Imane Khelif ordeal get wrong

Hi everyone, I just published a brand new essay: Why Does "Transvestigation" Happen? On Gendering, Ungendering, and (Mis)Perceiving Trans People! 

I have read and viewed numerous solid articles and videos about both the online "Transvestigator" communities that focus on ungendering celebrities, and the recent JK Rowling/Elon Musk/Fox News ungendering and harassment of Olympian Imane Khelif. But I worry that they set up a false dichotomy, where these groups are imagined to view gender “abnormally” or “incorrectly,” while the rest of us who are not in these groups (including the majority of cis people) supposedly perceive gender and trans people “normally” or “correctly.” 

And frankly, nothing could be further from the truth! 

So this essay is a deep-dive into how we (mis)perceive & (mis)interpret trans people and gender more generally. It draws from research I carried out and insights I forwarded in my books Whipping Girl and Sexed Up. It is a "long-read", but I believe it communicates many aspects and nuances of this story that most people are currently overlooking. You can read it at:

Medium (friend link): https://juliaserano.medium.com/why-does-transvestigation-happen-d2c19847afb9?sk=dfabc9bd0962eaab89b54d03097cee28

or Substack (no paywall): https://juliaserano.substack.com/p/why-does-transvestigation-happen

As always, please share widely and give it lots of claps and likes and such! 

my latest email update

My latest email update is out – you can read it here. Highlights include: 

• Signed Books for Sale! (for the holidays or otherwise)
• Two new essays: Penises, Privilege, and Feminist & LGBTQ+ Purity Politics and Anti-Trans “Grooming” and “Social Contagion” Claims Explained (both no-paywall links)
• More news about my latest book Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back, including a September book interview on the podcast Vox Conversations (now called The Gray Area)
• A podcast interview about Whipping Girl for This Queer Book Saved My Life
• New social media platforms I'm on (including Mastodon, Post.News, Tumblr, and TikTok).

If you want to receive my email updates directly into your inbox (never more than once every few months), you can sign up here: http://eepurl.com/CxWWf 

Signed Books for Sale! (for the holidays or otherwise)

photo of Julia with her two most
recent books: 99 Erics & Sexed Up

It's that time of the year again, when you may be considering presents to get your friends and family (and perhaps for yourself as well). Which means it's time for me to shamelessly peddle my wares!

If you know someone who appreciates my past books, I bet they'll like my latest (and IMHO best) book Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back. It is currently available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook — those links will take you to the Seal Press website, which offers a variety of outlets to choose from. Alternatively, you can (and should!) pick up a copy at your local independent bookstore — if they don't have it in stock, just ask them to order a copy for you!

While I'm not able to sell signed copies of Sexed Up at this time, it is possible to get signed copies of any of my other books — here's how:

I have two self-published books – 99 Erics & Outspoken – which you can purchase signed copies of directly from the "stuff to buy" page of my website for $25 (PayPal or credit card), shipping included (instructions via that link). The shipping will be through USPS Media Mail, which they say takes 2 to 8 business day to deliver – this means your mailing address must be in the U.S. to do this (if not, see alternatives below). Here's more about each of those books:

new book readings, talks, interviews & debunking pseudoscience

I just published my latest email update, chock-full of new news. you can read it online here: https://mailchi.mp/64d1973d6b99/new-book-readings-talks-interviews-debunking-pseudoscience

and if you want to receive my email updates directly to your inbox, you can sign up here.

It is a fairly long update, so I won't reiterate it all here. But highlights include:

1) links to several recent interviews (in print, podcast, and YouTube forms) with me about my new book Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back – this includes two of the book events I did back in July. These interviews, as well as all the book excerpts, reviews, etc., can also be found on the Sexed Up webpage I just linked to.

2) On September 22nd, in honor of, Bisexual Visibility Day, I will be reading a few bi+ specific passages from Sexed Up at Fabulosa Books (489 Castro St, San Francisco, CA). The event begins at 7pm; masks are recommended but not required. Here is the Facebook invite for the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1091569688453976 – please come out if you can!

3) Just in time for the 2022-23 academic year, I've updated my booking webpage to include a bunch of new presentations, some Sexed Up-themed, others covering trans, bisexual, LGBTQIA+, and feminist issues I often write about. If you are part of a conference or college organization that's looking for speakers, definitely check it out!

4) Debunking anti-trans pseudoscience, in two parts:

First, J. Michael Bailey and his protégé Kevin Hsu recently published a study in Archives of Sexual Behavior that attempts to refute the existence of “autogynephilia in women.” Jaimie Veale and I wrote a response that the journal just published: Autogynephilia Is a Flawed Framework for Understanding Female Embodiment Fantasies: A Response to Bailey and Hsu (2022) [PDF link]. In it, we point out numerous methodological and interpretive flaws with their study—including how their results are incompatible with Blanchard's original taxonomy—and make the case that “autogynephilia” is a flawed framework for considering both trans and cis women's sexual fantasies and desires.

Second, some of you may recall my 2019 Origins of "Social Contagion" and "Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria" post, which is essentially a timeline of all the major events regarding the invention and dissemination of these ideas within anti-trans activism. I just updated the timeline with a newer entries, many of which are recent studies that undermine or outright disprove the basic tenets of these theories. All those new entries can be found in the Post-Publication Note toward the beginning of that post.

So that's what's in the update – please check it out!

newly added Sexed Up book event and interview!

Hello everyone! I've already mentioned that tomorrow (Thursday July 21st), California Institute of Integral Studies is hosting an online conversation between me and Abeni Jones entitled On Sexualization and Society. We will be talking about my latest book Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back. It will take place at 7pm PDT (10pm EDT), suggested price of $10 but pay what you can. Info about registering for the event and accessibility accommodations can be found via the link. Please come out!

But if you can't make it, I'm happy to announce that one more Sexed Up book event has just been added: On Thursday, July 28th, I will be doing a Conversation with Carol Queen in which we will talk about Sexed Up. The event is FREE and will take place at the Berkeley Good Vibrations store (2504 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94702) from 5:30 - 6:30pm PDT—there is very limited seating, so you must pre-register via the link if you wish to attend in person (masking required). But you can also watch it online (and for FREE) on Good Vibes’ Instagram Live.

Whether you can make it to these events or not, you should definitely check out the latest Sexed Up interview (by Marcie Bianco) that just came out in The Advocate: Author Julia Serano Separates Sex From Stigma in Sexed Up. It discusses how the book came to be, some of the topics it covers, how me being a biologist influenced my writing, and more! 

virtual book events! plus a new book excerpt!

Hi folks, lots of news to share!

First, I just published a new excerpt from my latest book Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back – it's from a section of the last chapter entitled Sexual Dystopias and Utopias. While not explicitly discussed in the piece, it grew out of my concerns with “no kink at Pride” discourses, but it’s also pertinent to recent “don’t say gay” bills and claims that LGBTQIA+ people “groom”/“sexualize” children by merely existing. Here is the no paywall link. And if you like it, please give it lots of "claps" (up to 50, I think) so that other Medium users will see it!

For even more Sexed Up-related excerpts and writings, please check out my just-released July 2022 email update.

Second, I have two Sexed Up virtual book events coming up in the next couple weeks. Both will have ASL interpretation and require pre-registration – here are the details:

On Thursday July 14th, I'll be reading from Sexed Up and engaging in conversation about the book with Jude Doyle at a virtual event hosted by the NYC bookstore Bluestockings. The event is from 7 - 8:30pm EDT (4 - 5:30pm PDT), tickets are $0 - $15, and you can register for the event here.

Then on Thursday July 21st is On Sexualization and Society, a live online conversation about Sexed Up between me and Abeni Jones, hosted by California Institute of Integral Studies. It will take place at 7pm PDT (10pm EDT), suggested price of $10 but pay what you can. Info about registering for the event and accessibility accommodations can be found via the link.

As always, you can learn more about the book – including praise, reviews, excerpts, interviews, plus links to purchase it – at the Sexed Up webpage.

Pre-order my new book: “Sexed Up”!

My latest book, Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back, will be published by Seal Press on May 17, 2022 – three weeks from today! I believe that it is my best and most important book (fwiw, I have not claimed this about any of my other post-Whipping Girl books).  

I highly encourage you to pre-order it now if you can, as this really helps to convince bookstores to carry it. It’s available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook – those links will take you to the Seal Press website, which offers a variety of outlets to choose from. You can also go to your local bookstore or library and ask them to order a copy for you. 

While Sexed Up covers a lot of ground (see description below), it is especially timely given the recent conservative/GOP onslaught of accusations claiming that everything they oppose (e.g., LGTBQIA+ people, critical race theory) is tantamount to “grooming” or “pornography.” Sexed Up explains why these sorts of sexualizing charges resonate with so many people, and how we can effectively challenge them.

Praise for Sexed Up:

“Julia Serano continues to be one of the most remarkable feminists writing today. Sexed Up is a must-read for anyone who cares about feminism, misogyny, and how we talk about sex.”
—Jessica Valenti, New York Times-bestselling author of Sex Object

“A brilliant tour de force on an under-theorized topic – sexualization – and the havoc it wreaks on so many lives, especially the most marginalized. I can't wait to discuss this book: it's essential reading.”
—Kate Manne, author of Down Girl

“Julia Serano brings us the incisive, clear-eyed analysis of today’s culture wars that we so desperately need. Thoughtful and deeply researched, Sexed Up provides a more compassionate way of dealing with our cultural programming around sexuality.”
—Annalee Newitz, Lambda Award-winning author of Four Lost Cities

“How lucky we are to have Julia Serano – a writer who brings razor-sharp analysis to the most challenging issues we face today. Sexed Up is another worthy addition to the canon, brimming with the unique patience, care, and clarity Serano brings to untangling our sexual preconceptions.”
—Jude Ellison S. Doyle, author of Trainwreck

Book description:

Feminists have long challenged the ways in which men tend to sexualize women. But pioneering activist, biologist, and trans woman Julia Serano argues that sexualization is a far more pervasive problem: it’s something that we all do to other people, often without being aware of it.

Why do we perceive men as sexual predators and women as sexual objects? Why are LGBTQ+ people stereotyped as being sexually indiscriminate and deceptive? Why are people of color still being hypersexualized? Serano confronts these presumptions head-on, showing us how they arise from unconscious biases rather than reflecting reality. While many view sexualization as a mere component of sexism, racism, or queerphobia, Serano persuasively argues that liberation from sexual violence comes through collectively confronting sexualization itself. She then reveals powerful new ways to resist, providing numerous strategies designed to foster sexual equity without sacrificing sexual diversity in the process.

Lively and provocative, Sexed Up provides a breath of fresh air for seasoned activists and newcomers alike. Once again, Julia Serano proves that she is an unmatched voice leading us toward necessary change.

More praise, plus early book reviews:

“Fascinating, comprehensive, and clearly explained, Sexed Up leads the reader through a radically sensible analysis of what sexualization is and how it happens. (Hint: You're soaking in it!) As we work to create a sex-positive culture, we'll reference this vitally important book again and again.”
—Carol Queen, PhD, Author of Exhibitionism for the Shy and co-founder of the Center for Sex & Culture

“Julia Serano acutely speaks to many nuances in gender and sexuality that unjustly dictate the safety, value, and autonomy of marginalized genders. Immersive and precise, she traces enduring stigmas to their illogical roots.”
—Koa Beck, author of White Feminism

“Julia Serano has done it again, taking an idea you thought you understood and unfolding depths to it you never knew were there. Sexed Up is the sexualization rethink you didn't know you needed.”
—Jaclyn Friedman, author of What You Really Really Want

“Julia Serano is a razor-sharp observer and a generous, compassionate, and liberatory thinker. Sexed Up is a wise, nuanced, and unapologetic guide to understanding what goes on under the hood of sexualization in American culture.”
—Dr. Hanne Blank Boyd, historian and author of Straight

“Serano succeeds in explicating a wide range of complex ideas about gender, sexuality, and identity, and offers incisive new frameworks for reckoning with some of the most discussed issues in contemporary feminism and queer culture. The result is a nuanced and approachable guide to ‘making sex more equitable’.”
—Publishers Weekly (full review via link)

“An engaging and thoughtful addition for any library’ s popular human sexuality collection.”
—Library Journal (full review via link)

More information about the book (including the Table of Contents) can be found at my Sexed Up webpage. And once again, here are the links to pre-order it in either hardcover, ebook, or audiobook formats.