Sexual/LiberationaddressestheparadoxesofsexualfreedomincontemporaryneoliberalIreland.Itinvitesreaderstoimaginearevolutionaryformofsexualliberationbeyondthepresentobjectiveofachievingequalitywithinagrosslyunequalsocialorder.Sexual/LiberationaddressestheparadoxesofsexualfreedomincontemporaryneoliberalIreland.Itinvitesreaderstoimaginearevolutionaryformofsexualliberationbeyondthepresentobjectiveofachievingequalitywithinagrosslyunequalsocialorder.Centrally,thebookoffersacriticalmeditationonimagesofgaymencirculatinginpost-marriageequalityIrishculture.Suchimagestelluslittleabouttheactuallivesofgaymenbutofferusconsiderableinsightintothepoliticalimaginary-thevalues,norms,anxietiesandcontradictions-ofthesocietyinwhichthoseimagescirculate.Theimagesofgaymen,malebodiesandmaleintimacydiscussedaredrawnfromvariedsources:LeoVaradkar’smediaprofile;digitalportraitscuratedbymenengagedinsexwork;IrishQueerArchives;media,scholarlyandartisticcommemorationsofDeclanFlynnandRogerCasement;JoeCaslin’smurals.TakinginspirationfromtheideasofWendyBrown,JudithButlerandHerbertMarcuse,Sexual/Liberationencouragesustore-thinkthepoliticalassexual-toreflectonhowourpoliticalperspectivesareshapedbydesires,needs,vulnerabilitiesandhopes.Aboveall,thisbookchallengesustomovebeyondapoliticsofidentitiesandinjuriesandstriveinsteadforapoliticsuniversalandradicallyhumanistinitsimaginativescope,anti-capitalistandrevolutionaryinitsobjectives.
