A major new publication in lesbian and gay studies, this accessible textbook comprises newly-commissioned essays from a rich cross-section of international scholars.The book's twenty-five chapters are organized according to the key debates in the field and are envisaged both as introductory overviews and critical reflections of each field. The chapters published here will raise debates concerning how lesbian and gay studies has contributed to and changed the identity of traditional disciplines, and shaped new areas of study such as the body, performativity and sexual politics. The contributors are experts in their field, and their essays in this essential new textbook comprise incisive and critical accounts that both summarize existing debates and point the way forward to future developments.This is a classroom text which makes ideal seminar material, and contains extensive references for further reading. Directly relevant to, and intersecting with, contemporary debates in sexuality, gender and culture, this book is highly accessible and impressively comprehensive.Sally Munt and Andy Medhurst have been teaching lesbian and gay studies for over a decade. They bring to this volume an extraordinary wealth of knowledge of their subject, and a particular capacity for producing readable and authoritative text.