Straight Expectations

From picket line to picket fence - what does it mean to be gay in the era of same-sex marriage and equal rights? More than four decades after the start of the gay liberation movement, lesbians and gay men can legally marry, adopt children, and enjoy the same rights and respect as heterosexuals...or can they? In Straight Expectations, Julie Bindel, an out lesbian since 1977, tracks the changes in the gay community in the last forty years and asks whether fighting for the right to marry has achieved genuine progress, or whether the new legal rights have neutered a once-radical social movement. Drawing on extensive original research into changing attitudes towards sexuality, as well as interviews with scientists examining the 'gay gene', gay liberation pioneers, religious figures and key players of all political persuasions, Straight Expectations asks: Is sexual orientation learned or latent?; Do lesbians and gay men have anything in common?; and Have we now reached a stage where the 'only gay in the village' mentality no longer has any place in society? In this stimulating, thought-provoking book, Julie Bindel gets to the heart of the values, politics, hopes and dreams of a minority group that still inspires fear, loathing and fascination for many.