Fucking failures: The future of fat sex

White, F.R. 2016. Fucking failures: The future of fat sex. Sexualities. 19 (8), pp. 962-979. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460716640733

TitleFucking failures: The future of fat sex
TypeJournal article
AuthorsWhite, F.R.
Abstract

In the context of the obesity ‘epidemic’ fat people’s sex lives are cast as sterile, sexually dysfunctional or just plain non-existent. This article analyzes medical discourses of obesity and sex in order to argue that fat sex is constructed as a type of failure. Using insights from antisocial queer theory, fat sex is further shown to be queer in its failure to adhere to the specifically heteronormative dictates of what Edelman (2004) calls ‘reproductive futurism’. The analysis finally engages with Halberstam’s (2011) notion of queer failure to demonstrate how deconstructing notions of success and failure might offer fat political projects new ways to imagine the future of fat sex.

KeywordsFat studies, heteronormativity, reproductive futurism, queer, queer failure
JournalSexualities
Journal citation19 (8), pp. 962-979
ISSN1363-4607
1461-7382
Year2016
PublisherSage
Accepted author manuscript
File Access Level
Open (open metadata and files)
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460716640733
Web address (URL)http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1363460716640733
Publication dates
Published online22 Jul 2016

Related outputs

Getting beyond peeing and pronouns: Living non-binary gender in higher education
Benato, R., Fraser, J. and White, F.R. 2024. Getting beyond peeing and pronouns: Living non-binary gender in higher education. Journal of Gender Studies. 33 (5), pp. 698-710. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2024.2334067

Masculinity and pregnancy
Pfeffer, C., White, F.R. and Riggs, D. 2024. Masculinity and pregnancy. in: Goldberg, A.E. (ed.) The SAGE Encyclopedia of LGBTQ+ Studies, 2nd Edition London Sage. pp. tbc

Non-Binary in Higher Education Survey Findings Report and Recommendations
Benato, R., Fraser, J. and White, F.R. 2023. Non-Binary in Higher Education Survey Findings Report and Recommendations. London University of Westminster. https://doi.org/10.34737/w6vz0

‘Spunkles’, Donors, and Fathers: Men, Trans/Masculine and Non-Binary People’s Accounts of Sperm Donors and their Relationships to Children
Riggs, D., Pearce, R., Hines, S., Pfeffer, C. and White, F.R. 2023. ‘Spunkles’, Donors, and Fathers: Men, Trans/Masculine and Non-Binary People’s Accounts of Sperm Donors and their Relationships to Children. in: Kelly, F., Dempsey, D and Byrt, A. (ed.) Donor-Linked Families in the Digital Age: Relatedness and Regulation Cambridge Cambridge University Press. pp. 192-208

Men, Trans/Masculine and Non-Binary People’s Views About Pregnancy
Riggs, D., Pfeffer, C., White, F.R., Hines, S. and Pearce, R. 2023. Men, Trans/Masculine and Non-Binary People’s Views About Pregnancy. in: Riggs, D., Ussher, J.M., Robinson, K.H. and Rosenberg, S. (ed.) Trans Reproductive and Sexual Health: Justice, Embodiment and Agency Abingdon, Oxon Routledge. pp. 156-174

Medical uncertainty and reproduction of the “normal”: Decision-making around testosterone therapy in transgender pregnancy
Pfeffer, C., Hines, S., Pearce, R., Riggs, D., Ruspini, E. and White, F.R. 2023. Medical uncertainty and reproduction of the “normal”: Decision-making around testosterone therapy in transgender pregnancy. SSM - Qualitative Research in Health. 4 100297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2023.100297

Whiteness in research on men, trans/masculine and non-binary people and reproduction: Two parallel stories
Riggs, D., Pearce, R., Hines, S., Pfeffer, C. and White, F.R. 2023. Whiteness in research on men, trans/masculine and non-binary people and reproduction: Two parallel stories. in: The Routledge International Handbook of New Critical Race and Whiteness Studies Abingdon, Oxon Routledge. pp. 339-349

Practices for gender-inclusive module introductions
Fraser, J. and White, F.R. 2022. Practices for gender-inclusive module introductions. in: Kitchener, M. (ed.) Handbook for Creating a Gender-Sensitive Curriculum: Teaching and Learning Strategies The Oxford Centre for Staff Learning and Development and The Centre for Diversity Policy Research and Practice. pp. 59-60

Embodied Experiences of Trans Pregnancy
Hines, S., White, F.R., Pfeffer, C.A., Pearce, R. and Riggs, D.W. Forthcoming. Embodied Experiences of Trans Pregnancy. Body and Society.

Trans Parenting
Riggs, D., Pearce, R., Hines, S., Pfeffer, C. and White, F.R. 2021. Trans Parenting. in: O'Reilly, A. (ed.) Maternal Theory: Essential Readings Ontario, Canada Demeter Press. pp. 807-815

Fat and trans: Towards a new theorization of gender in Fat Studies
White, F.R. 2021. Fat and trans: Towards a new theorization of gender in Fat Studies. in: Pausé, C. and Taylor, S.R. (ed.) The Routledge International Handbook of Fat Studies London Routledge. pp. 78-87

Men, trans/masculine, and non-binary people negotiating conception: Normative resistance and inventive pragmatism
Riggs, D., Pfeffer, C., Pearce, R., Hines, S. and White, F.R. 2021. Men, trans/masculine, and non-binary people negotiating conception: Normative resistance and inventive pragmatism. International Journal of Transgender Health. 22 (1-2), pp. 6-17 conception. https://doi.org/10.1080/15532739.2020.1808554

"Fatties Cause Global Warming": The Strange Entanglement of Obesity and Climate Change
White, F.R. 2021. "Fatties Cause Global Warming": The Strange Entanglement of Obesity and Climate Change. in: Embodying Contagion: The Viropolitics of Horror and Desire in Contemporary Discourse Cardiff, Wales University of Wales Press.

Men, trans/masculine, and non-binary people's experiences of pregnancy loss: an international qualitative study.
Riggs, Damien W., Pearce, Ruth, Pfeffer, Carla A., Hines, Sally, White, Francis Ray and Ruspini, Elisabetta 2020. Men, trans/masculine, and non-binary people's experiences of pregnancy loss: an international qualitative study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 20 (1), p. 482. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-020-03166-6

Fleshing Out Non-Binary
White, F.R. 2020. Fleshing Out Non-Binary. in: Twist, J., Vincent, B., Barker, M-J. and Gupta, K. (ed.) Non-Binary Lives: An Anthology of Intersecting Identities London Jessica Kingsley Publishers. pp. 223-228

Non-Binary Genders in Higher Education Survey, 2019
Fraser, J. and White, F.R. 2019. Non-Binary Genders in Higher Education Survey, 2019. University of Westminster. https://doi.org/10.34737/w62xz

Transnormativity in the psy disciplines: Constructing pathology in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and Standards of Care
Riggs, D.W., Pearce, R., Pfeffer, C.A., Hines, S., White, F.R. and Ruspini, E. 2019. Transnormativity in the psy disciplines: Constructing pathology in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and Standards of Care. American Psychologist. 74 (8), pp. 912-924. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000545

Embodying the Fat/Trans Intersection
White, F.R. 2019. Embodying the Fat/Trans Intersection. in: Friedman, M., Rice, C. and Rinaldi, J. (ed.) Thickening Fat: Fat Bodies, Intersectionality, and Social Justice London Routledge. pp. 110-121

Beyond the pregnant man: representing trans pregnancy in A Deal With The Universe
Pearce, R. and White, F.R. 2019. Beyond the pregnant man: representing trans pregnancy in A Deal With The Universe. Feminist Media Studies. 19 (5), pp. 764-767. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2019.1630925

Queering Fat Embodiment [Book Review]
White, F.R. 2016. Queering Fat Embodiment [Book Review]. Sexualities. 19 (5-6), pp. 615-616. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460715624457

Media and the Rhetoric of Body Perfection: Cosmetic Surgery, Weight Loss and Beauty in Popular Culture [Book Review]
White, F.R. 2015. Media and the Rhetoric of Body Perfection: Cosmetic Surgery, Weight Loss and Beauty in Popular Culture [Book Review]. Women's Studies International Forum. 52 (Sept-Oct), pp. 46-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2015.07.005

Fat Gay Men: Girth, Mirth and the Politics of Stigma [Book Review]
White, F.R. 2015. Fat Gay Men: Girth, Mirth and the Politics of Stigma [Book Review]. Journal of Gender Studies. 24 (2), pp. 248-250. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2015.1005972

Towards true equality: engaging with LGBTI students at Westminster
Cranfield, S., White, F.R., Wareham, J. and Follows, M. 2014. Towards true equality: engaging with LGBTI students at Westminster. University of Westminster Learning and Teaching Symposium 2014. University of Westminster, London 9 June 2014

"We're kind of devolving": visual tropes of evolution in obesity discourse
White, F.R. 2014. "We're kind of devolving": visual tropes of evolution in obesity discourse. in: Monaghan, L., Colls, R. and Evans, B. (ed.) Obesity discourse and fat politics: research, critique and interventions London Routledge.

Fat/Trans: Queering the Activist Body
White, F.R. 2014. Fat/Trans: Queering the Activist Body. Fat Studies: an interdisciplinary journal of body weight and society. 3 (2), pp. 86-100. https://doi.org/10.1080/21604851.2014.889489

‘We’re kind of devolving’: visual tropes of evolution in obesity discourse
White, F.R. 2013. ‘We’re kind of devolving’: visual tropes of evolution in obesity discourse. Critical Public Health. 23 (3), pp. 320-330. https://doi.org/10.1080/09581596.2013.777693

No Fat Future? The Uses of Anti-Social Queer Theory for Fat Activism
White, F.R. 2013. No Fat Future? The Uses of Anti-Social Queer Theory for Fat Activism. in: Michaelis, B., Haschemi Yekani, E. and Kilian, E. (ed.) Queer futures: reconsidering normativity, activism and the political Aldershot Ashgate. pp. 21-36

Fat, Queer, Dead: ‘Obesity’ and the Death Drive
White, F.R. 2012. Fat, Queer, Dead: ‘Obesity’ and the Death Drive. Somatechnics. 2 (1), pp. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.3366/soma.2012.0035

Undesirable consequences? Resignifying discursive constructions of fatness in the 'obesity epidemic'
White, F.R. 2009. Undesirable consequences? Resignifying discursive constructions of fatness in the 'obesity epidemic'. in: Tomrley, C. and Kaloski-Naylor, A. (ed.) Fat studies in the UK York Raw Nerve Books.

Permalink - https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/9xxq1/fucking-failures-the-future-of-fat-sex


Share this

Usage statistics

1508 total views
547 total downloads
These values cover views and downloads from WestminsterResearch and are for the period from September 2nd 2018, when this repository was created.