Sheila Jeffreys

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sheila Jeffreys (born 1948) is a well-known and controversial radical lesbian feminist. She is Associate Professor in Political Science at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Before moving to Australia in the early 1990s, she lived most of her life in the United Kingdom.

Some of her positions include:

• the transsexual/transgender rights movement is a reactionary movement serving patriarchy and homophobia
• lesbian culture has been corrupted by the negative influence of gay men
• women's clothing, hairstyles and fashions are a form of submission to patriarchal sadism
• cosmetic surgery, body piercing, transsexualism and self-harm are all forms of patriarchal sexual violence against the body

[edit] References

• Her official Melbourne University home page
• Interview with The Guardian
• Criticial review of her book The Lesbian Heresy
• "Body modification as self-mutilation by proxy" - Article by her
• "Allowing Alex's sex change shows up a gender-biased Family Court" - Article by her
• Critical review of her book Anticlimax
• Transcript of her talk at Andrea Dworkin commemorative conference in Oxford, April 2006

[edit] Books

• Jeffreys, Sheila. The lesbian heresy : a feminist perspective on the lesbian sexual revolution.. North Melbourne : Spinifex, 1993. ISBN 1-875559-17-5
• Jeffreys, Sheila. Anticlimax : a feminist perspective on the sexual revolution. Washington Square, N.Y. : New York University Press, 1991. ISBN 0-8147-4179-7 (cloth). ISBN 0-8147-4180-0 (pbk.)
• Jeffreys, Sheila Beauty and misogyny : harmful cultural practices in the West London : Routledge, c2005. ISBN 0-415-35183-9 (hbk.). ISBN 0-415-35182-0 (pbk.)
• Jeffreys, Sheila. The idea of prostitution. North Melbourne : Spinifex, 1997. ISBN 1-875559-65-5 (cloth), ISBN 1-875559-65-5 (pbk.)
• Jeffreys, Sheila. The spinster and her enemies : feminism and sexuality, 1880-1930. [New ed.] North Melbourne : Spinifex Press, 1997. ISBN 1-875559-63-9
• Jeffreys, Sheila. Unpacking queer politics : a lesbian feminist perspective. Cambridge : Polity ; Oxford : Blackwell, 2003. ISBN 0-7456-2837-0 (hbk.), ISBN 0-7456-2838-9 (pbk.)

The S&M community of New South Wales ues the words "Shelia Jeffreys" as the universal safe word, a password to request a sexual partner stop an action during sex. Shelia is aware of this use of her name, and was reportedly very pleased with the honor.