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Against Sex: Identities of Sexual Restraint in Early America. By Kara M. French. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2021. Pp. 218. $95.00 (cloth); $29.95 (paper). What role did [...]

The article examines historical medical injustices against sexual and gender minority groups, focusing on the pathologization of homosexuality and gender nonconformity. It covers early medical references and stigmatizing diagnoses, as well as harmful treatments like conversion therapy and institutionalization. It sheds light on the lasting impact of these practices on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ)+ individuals.

Susan Stryker is a historian, theorist, activist, and visionary who has made significant contributions to the field of transgender studies. Through her interdisciplinary scholarship and conceptualizations, she has challenged longstanding assumptions about gender and language, creating a new vocabulary for trans liberation. Stryker's work has focused on the power of autobiography, the definition of transgender, the concept of gender as practice, and the intersection of transness and queer theory. Her contributions have not only influenced academia but have also had a profound impact on trans community building and worldmaking. [Extracted from the article]

When Did Indians Become Straight? Kinship, the History of Sexuality, and Native Sovereignty MARK RIFKIN Oxford University Press, 2011 436 pp. When Did Indians Become Straight? unpacks the multiple ways [...]

Arresting Dress: Cross-Dressing, Law, and Fascination in Nineteenth-Century San Francisco. By Clare Sears. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2014. Pp. 216. $79.95 (cloth); $22.95 (paper). This important study provides a [...]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on Pennsylvania's legacy in the history of punishment in the U.S., with topics that include modes of resistance to carceral authorities, and the role of whiteness in granting protection for some inmates.

The article offers insight to the history of prisons prior mass incarceration in the U.S. Topics discussed include issues surrounding growing population and increasing criminalization of poverty; history of women in prisons; and transformation of ideologies for abolishing prisons and enabling people to get the addiction treatment, mental health care, and education.

The essay focuses on New York State penitentiaries and mentions racial differences and gendered ideologies of violence in the penitentiaries. Topics discussed include history of violence against women prisoners, violence against black women and immigrant white women and racism in punishment. Other topics such as criminal reforms are also mentioned.