The Gray Area with Sean Illing

How society sexualizes us

Sep 22, 2022

Julia Serano, a writer and trans activist known for her insightful work on gender identity, joins the conversation to dissect the widespread issue of sexualization in society. She discusses the impact of enforced ignorance on children and the biases that maintain harmful stereotypes. Serano highlights the predator-prey dynamic in sexual relationships and its detrimental effects on agency. The dialogue emphasizes the need for a healthier sexual ethic to protect marginalized voices and challenges oversimplified views of gender identity.

56:56

Episode guests

Julia Serano

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

4min

Beyond Sexualization: Experiences of Identity

4min

Dissecting the Predator-Prey Dynamic in Sexual Relationships

4min

Markedness and Societal Scrutiny

9min

Navigating Human Complexity and Societal Labels

2min

Challenging Gender Binaries in Queer Identity

15min

Unmasking Sexualization in Society

2min

Navigating Sexuality and Identity in Society

16min

Vox’s Emily St. James talks with the celebrated author and trans activist Julia Serano about her new book, Sexed Up. They talk about what "sexualization" really means, and why sexualizing behaviors are so pervasive and widespread throughout society. They also discuss why we're so prone to classify and categorize people, how patterns of what Julia calls "enforced ignorance" are communicated to children, and how we might build a society with a healthier sexual ethic — one that better protects marginalized people.

Host: Emily St. James (@emilyvdw), Senior Correspondent, Vox

Guest: Julia Serano (@JuliaSerano), writer, musician, activist

References:

Sexed Up: How Society Sexualizes Us, and How We Can Fight Back by Julia Serano (Seal Press; 2022)

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This episode was made by:

Producer: Erikk Geannikis
Editor: Amy Drozdowska
Engineer: Patrick Boyd
Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall

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