Heterosexuality is generally taken for granted, seldom explicitly addressed. Rarely has it been the focus of sustained theory. This Reader is a forum for the analysis of heterosexuality as it relates to feminism and psychology.

Leading feminists, psychologists and activists explore the personal and political implications of heterosexuality and of heterosexuality as an institution. They consider the extent to which feminism and heterosexuality are compatible and the complex interrelationships between sexual behaviour, categories and identities. Acknowledging the interactions between heterosexism and other oppressions, they point to the contradictions between heterosexual desire and heterosexual coercion, between heterosexual privilege and women′s traditional role within the family.

This Reader is based on articles published in the first three volumes of Feminism & Psychology, particularly the Special Issue on Heterosexuality (Volume 2 Number 3, October 1992) and also includes eight specially-commissioned pieces.