Deviations: A Gayle Rubin Reader

by Gayle S. Rubin

Deviations is the definitive collection of writing by Gayle S. Rubin, a pioneering theorist and activist in feminist, lesbian and gay, queer, and sexuality studies since the 1970s. Rubin first rose to prominence in 1975 with the publication of “The Traffic in Women,” an essay that had a galvanizing effect on feminist thinking and theory. In another landmark piece, “Thinking Sex,” she examined how certain sexual behaviors are constructed as moral or natural, and others as unnatural. That essay became one of queer theory’s foundational texts. Along with such canonical work, Deviations features less well-known but equally insightful writing on subjects such as lesbian history, the feminist sex wars, the politics of sadomasochism, crusades against prostitution and pornography, and the historical development of sexual knowledge. In the introduction, Rubin traces her intellectual trajectory and discusses the development and reception of some of her most influential essays. Like the book it opens, the introduction highlights the major lines of inquiry pursued for nearly forty years by a singularly important theorist of sex, gender, and culture.

Genres: Feminism, Queer, Nonfiction, Sexuality, Theory, Gender, LGBT

504 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

About the author

Gayle S. Rubin (born 1949) is a cultural anthropologist best known as an activist and influential theorist of sex and gender politics. She has written on a range of subjects including feminism, sadomasochism, prostitution, pedophilia, pornography and lesbian literature, as well as anthropological studies and histories of sexual subcultures, especially focused in urban contexts.

Gayle S. Rubin is Associate Professor of Anthropology, Women’s Studies, and Comparative Literature at the University of Michigan.

Reviews

[Morgan M. Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely canonical tome of leatherdyke theory that manages to still make people deeply uncomfortable all these decades later. While much of Rubin's thinking has become central to how queers think and talk about sexuality, there remains parts that make even me clutch my pearls (in much the same way and for many of the same reasons as Patrick Califia's equally excellent and difficult Public Sex). I think Rubin's work is particularly useful for thinking through the resurgence of TERF/SWERF anti-sex feminism in the UK and the US, as she was the centre of much of the original Feminist Sex Wars that tore through the 1980s. This collection offers both her contemporary and historical insights on that period, its actors, and its outcomes.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

the three most famous from this collection, "the traffic in women," "the leather menace," and "thinking sex," all explore their respective issues (the "sex/gender system," bdsm, and a "radical theory" of sexuality) in a thorough and well-argued way. she has a lot of valuable things to say. the interview with judith butler is especially interesting for me as someone interested in the relationships between feminist theory and studies, queer theory, gay and lesbian studies, marxism, and post-structuralism. however, i cannot give this collection a positive rating because of (trigger warning) rubin's repeated arguments against "discrimination" against "cross-generational" relationships. this is really upsetting as a survivor. the remarks she makes in "blood under the bridge," a reflection on "thinking sex" from 25 years later, don't address my concerns either. her arguments about that subject are just irresponsible, liberal, and frankly wrong. it is a shame that those parts mire her other arguments.

[Vishal Misra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply exceptional. Anyone interested in gender from any discipline should read it. I read this as part of my Masters course in criminal law, and it was both invaluable and truly changed my life.

[anarcho-lesbian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t read every essay in this but enjoyed my time anyway. Gayle Rubin is an incredible thinker and I’m grateful for this collection.

[Jeannie Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for anyone interesting in feminism, queer studies, or the politics of sexuality.

[Pazuzu · Rating 5 out of 5]

pretty epic

[Duke Press]

“This book brings together a canonical collection of her writing, but it is more than a reader: she rewrites the genealogy of sexuality studies, giving us a precise intellectual history of sexuality studies that recognises the pivotal role played by academic homosexuals other than the now-feted and individuated Michel Foucault. . . . [I]t is clarifying to read Rubin's analyses, still germane, direct and sharp after all these years. She is alert to nuances in the social field, keen to represent the intersectionality of issues around sex, and judiciously observant of any nexus of inequality.”--Sally R. Munt, Times Higher Education Supplement


“As someone who is, like Rubin, committed to understanding the world through both a feminist and queer lens, I really appreciate her determination to remain engaged in feminist thinking and activism even as she was reviled by certain segments of the feminist movement for her 'deviations' in sexual practice, and her openness to thinking about sexual subcultures that -- for many in our culture, even many self-identified feminists -- elicit feelings of disgust and generate sex panics. . . . Overall, I highly recommend Deviations to anyone interested in the development of feminist and sexual political theory and practice over the last forty years. . . . .”--Anna J. Cook, The Feminist Librarian

“This reader is an exemplary introduction, for younger queers, to an influential and accessible intellect.”--Richard Labonte, South Florida Gay News

“Gayle S. Rubin has had an incalculable impact on the study of gender and sexuality over the past 35 years. Rubin’s work changed the very language and vocabulary with which we discuss sexuality and gender. . . . It is fitting that a scholar of Gayle S. Rubin’s stature has finally been rewarded with a comprehensive collection of her most influential essays. While Deviations: A Gayle Rubin Reader will please seasoned scholars of queer theory and gay and lesbian studies with its first ever assemblage of Rubin’s most significant work, I believe that the collection will most benefit those who are just making their first steps into the study of queer culture.”--Chase Dimock, Lambda Literary Review

“A collection of academic essays on sex, gender and politics from pioneering queer theory and activist Rubin, covering a range of topics including pornography as a focus of feminist rage, punitive US sex laws and the seemingly inexhaustible topic of gender boundaries.”--Diva Magazine

“Finally: a collection of Gayle Rubin’s writings. It is long overdue and sorely needed. . . . For decades, her works appeared in scholarly journals and small-press publications. This collection includes a dozen of her already published pieces, some updated with thoughtful afterwords. She truly has something to say, not only about women and lesbian culture, but (from her unique and insightful perspective) about the sexual crisis America now faces.”--David Rosen, The Brooklyn Rail

[Squirrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish that I could be even a fifth as well read as Gayle Rubin. Extremely erudite, with a monster bibliography, this is but one link in the chain of queer studies. An incredibly important link to be sure, in part because the arguments made by anti-sex work and anti-kink feminists as documented in this book are the exact same ones that are currently being used by anti-trans feminists today. Queer history is circular. But it's so fragile, so easily lost.
Rubin's training as an anthropologist is also extremely valuable, allowing her to clearly see the ways in which social mores around sexuality are constructed.

[R. M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting history of queer studies and the struggles in finding theory and literature when faced with persecution.
However, some of the comparisons between white homosexuals and non-white cultures practicing homosexuality seem quite cherry-picked.
I was also put off by the reference to 'cross-generational love' and 'boy-girl lovers'. Rubin claims that these phrases are taken out of context and are not pro child abuse, but fails to explain what would be meant by these phrases in context.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I found it very accessible and easy to read (unlike some queer theorists). I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning a bit about the history of feminist/queer theories.

[Mills College Library]

306.76601 R8962 2011

[Isham Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, incisive essays on sex politics in the US in the last quarter of the 20th century by a lesbian firebrand who lived through it.

[Yonina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for historical awareness and for entering the mind of a likeminded queer person.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deviations: A Gayle Rubin Reader (Paperback)
by Gayle S. Rubin

[yarrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth getting just for "the Traffic in Women"