Sexual Racism and Social Justice: Reckoning with White Supremacy and Desire

In the late 1970s, American sociologist Charles Stember called sexual racism "the emotional barrier to an integrated society." Defining sexual racism as "the sexual rejection of the racial minority," Stember gave name to a social phenomenon epitomized in his time by interracial marriage. Today, our digital dating world has reignited interest in sexual racism through debates over the role of race in partner selection, while studies identify blatant and subtle examples of sexual racism in everyday life and the detrimental effects on the health and wellbeing of individuals and our societies.

Bringing together a collection of research, personal reflection, and creative work, Sexual Racism and Social Justice provides a comprehensive, in-depth account of sexual racism from an international and interdisciplinary perspective. With an array of methods, disciplines, and positionalities, the volume argues that sexual racism is in the very foundations of our societies, determining the ideas, bodies, and systems positioned as desirable. Chapter authors illuminate new understandings of the relationship between sex and race, arguing that to undesire whiteness is to help undo sexual racism. Ultimately, the volume proposes tangible changes to theoretical, conceptual, and practical work to achieve two primary goals of social justice: eliminating racism in our societies and fostering truly liberated sexual plurality.

Denton Callander is a Senior Research Fellow at the Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales. Callander is a social epidemiologist who studies sex, sexualities, and sexual health. His research in Australasia, North America, Europe, and Africa seeks to unravel the sociocultural dimensions of sexuality and their impacts on health and wellbeing.

Panteá Farvid is an Associate Professor of Applied Psychology in the Schools of Public Engagement at The New School. She is the founder and director of The SexTech Lab, an interdisciplinary psychology lab that works at the intersection of gender, race, sexuality, culture, technology, AI, ethics, social justice, and intimacy. Her teaching and research focus on the critical psychology of gender and sexuality, psychology for social change/justice, and technologically mediated life.

Amir Baradaran is the Founder and Director of the augmented reality start-up, ABXRStudio. He is an artist, activist, and technologist whose work focuses on social justice and equity. He is also the Founder of the international conference and platform, Another AI in Art: Decolonizing Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Art Making.

Thomas A. Vance is the Clinical and Research Director at ClearMinds LLC, and Adjunct Professor in the Schools of Public Engagement at The New School. He is a counseling psychologist, scholar, and researcher. His work encompasses interdisciplinary psychology, having authored numerous articles addressing the mental health needs of the Black and LGBTQ+ communities.