Heterophobia: Sexual Harassment and the Politics of Purity

What does it mean to be a feminist today? Should women require special legislation to protect them from sexual harassment? Daphne Patai’s controversial look at the nation’s current epidemic of sexual harassment charges answers these questions and illuminates complex ideological struggles within contemporary feminism. By investigating the ongoing attempts to regulate sexual conduct, Heterophobia argues that women’s pursuit of a comfortable environment has created a feminist-induced hostility toward men and heterosexuality. Patai identifies the origins and evolution of the sexual harassment industry and presents cases of those men and women whose lives were ruined by false or frivolous charges of harassment. A scathing criticism of political and sexual correctness, this thought-provoking and powerfully argued book is sure to incite debate among all Americans concerned with the legacy and future of women’s rights.