Hanne Blank

Straight takes on the – in the words of the author – surprisingly short history of heterosexuality from the 19th century to the present. While one might think that the history extends further back, Blank notes that the term was first coined in the late 19th century, was popularized by Krafft-Ebing and Freud, encompassed a number of cultural ideas and finally became part of the doxa, the generally known information. Blank starts her discussion of the limiting idea of heterosexuality by show more talking about her own relationship with her partner. Because of a variety of intersex conditions, it is hard to say that “male” and “female” are static, easily defined conditions. Are sexes determined by genes? Hormones? Socially defined gender? Then there’s the difference between sexual attractions and behavior. Heterosexuality is generally defined as “normal” sexuality, but what “abnormal” sexuality is has always differed from time and place. The idea that heterosexuality is a construct rather than a scientific fact, and that it is often quite limiting and discriminatory, is an idea that recurs frequently.

There’s less specific scientific information compared to the other Blank book I read, Virgin, but I was more familiar with the period and topics covered in this book and thought Blank’s analysis of social trends was informative. She covers the period where the term heterosexual first appeared – when the West was moving away from Catholic concepts of sin and sexual acts - not separate identities - to ideas of normal vs. deviant. The rise of the city, the popularization of scientific concepts and jargon and fears of degeneration contributed to the rise of heterosexuality. Freud had a lasting effect and Blank is obviously critical of him as seen in the way she relates his ideas. The concept of sexual identities was given more fuel by the work of Kinsey and Masters and Johnson and the push for equality by various groups in the mid-20th century.

The development of the trappings of heterosexuality is described in the next chapters. Marriage moved from an economic partnership centered around children to an (theoretically) equal partnership based on true love and personal and sexual fulfillment with children optional and planned. There was a lot of interesting information presented in this section – the development of dating culture, the rash of sexual help manuals for married couples and the gradual elevation of the orgasm as the defining measurement of sex. In the end, Blank concludes that the concept of heterosexuality cannot include all the advances in technology, biology, psychology and the overall complexity of human behavior. As examples she points to the rise of gay culture, homophobic politicians who are outed, and court cases involving transgender individuals. Blank’s ideas about the uselessness of heterosexuality might seem extreme but she nicely and succinctly covers all the limitations of the concept. I didn’t agree with her conclusion that studies on homosexuality didn’t have much use and really shouldn’t be done – even if only because prohibitions on studying something are worrisome. While I found this book to be more generalized and big-picture compared to Virgin, it was a worthwhile read. Since I’d read some books and taken classes on the subject before, much of the information wasn’t new but the analysis and examination of multiple trends and influences was helpful. The book was short and very readable as well as humorous. show less

I love Hanne Blank, and I loved this book. For those afraid of exercise this really takes the sting out of the gym. It also rarely uses the "E" word instead encouraging you to think about it in terms of moving instead.
Perhaps not as helpful is you already have an exercise regime, but a great read nonetheless

I picked this book up because it seemed like an interesting subject, from a female perspective. The book was indeed very interesting. It explores the concept and perception of virginity from sociological, biological and historical perspectives. What struck me over and over again is how the concept of virginity is used to control women, in one way or another. I found the parts of the book focused on modern times to be the most interesting, and I would have liked the author to explore other show more concepts, such as purity balls (the concept of which creeps me out). Very enjoyable for women or readers looking for quirky non-fiction. show less

I ordered this book online, which meant I never had a chance to thumb through it before buying it. If I had, I wouldn't have bought it since it wasn't what I expected (and was trying to obtain). The book gives a cursory treatment to a broad variety of sex and relationship topics as they apply to "people of size". Throughout, it kind of hammers on body acceptance and fat-positivity.

Unfortunately, what I was looking for was more of an in-depth practical guide to sex for large people. A how-to show more on surmounting the geometric obstacles for lovemaking if you're large: what positions work best if you've got a 50-inch waist, how to arrange yourselves so that a 350-pound man doesn't crush his lover or squeeze the air out of her lungs, etc. The "Supersize Kama Sutra" if you will. While a section does address these physical issues, it doesn't go into the detail I wanted and expected when I bought the book. show less