Sexuality and criminal justice

This chapter is a cross-cultural overview of the ways in which sex and sexualities have been governed by criminal justice systems in recent history. While acts of homosexuality, for example, have been decriminalized in most Western nations over the past several decades, they are still classed as criminal acts in many parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Indeed, Russia has also recently reinforced legislation and policies preventing public displays of LGBT pride and associated acts. This chapter will trace the governance of sex and sexualities across time, and explore the various political, moral, and religious milieus underlying current sanctions against "sex crimes" such as child sexual abuse, sex work, sex trafficking, the criminalization of homosexuality, and pornography. It will also explore intersectional understandings of the impact of criminal justice on sex and sexualities.