Book Review: Queer (In)Justice: Mapping New Gay (Scholarly) Agendas

24 Pages Posted: 29 Apr 2012

See all articles by Kelly Strader

Kelly Strader

Southwestern Law School

Giovanna Shay

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Date Written: April, 28 2012

Abstract

The book Queer (In)Justice: The Criminalization of LGBT People in the United States, by Joey L. Mogul, Andrea J. Ritchie, & Kay Whitlock (Beacon Press 2011), surveys involvement of sexual minorities in all phases of the what the authors term the “criminal legal system.” It examines the treatment of LGBTQ people as criminal defendants, victims, and prisoners. Queer (In)Justice moves beyond the typical focus of gay rights activists and scholars in the criminal law area to address the everyday treatment of LGBTQ people by police, prosecutors, courts, and corrections authorities. Relying heavily on prison abolitionist movement thinking, the book calls into question reliance on criminal punishment as a means of combating violence against LGBTQ people. Although largely anecdotal, and sometimes over-heated in its rhetoric, Queer (In)Justice succeeds in constructing a compelling narrative and mapping out largely uncharted territory. This Review provides an overview and critique of Queer (In)Justice, situating the book within current legal scholarship. The Review then suggests topics for further research in this developing area, taking account of recent developments in the LGBTQ rights movement.

Keywords: Criminal Law, Sexual Orientation and the Law, Prisons, Gender and the Law

Suggested Citation

Strader, Kelly and Shay, Giovanna E., Book Review: Queer (In)Justice: Mapping New Gay (Scholarly) Agendas (April, 28 2012). Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Vol. 102, 2012, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2047467

Kelly Strader

Southwestern Law School ( email )

3050 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90010
United States
213-738-6753 (Phone)
213-738-6698 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.swlaw.edu

Giovanna E. Shay (Contact Author)

affiliation not provided to SSRN

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