Socio-legal changes around sexualities, genders and abortion have defined the first two decades of the 21st century in the Global North. This open access book explores these changes from the perspective of those who are concerned/opposed to them.

Changes to legal rights such as the advent of same sex marriage, employment protections, gender recognition and access to abortion have all been critical to the contemporary century. Despite the apparent acceptance of these changes in political and social spheres, the last decade has also witnessed significant and organised resistances emerging across Europe and North America. The schisms around sexualities and genders now occupy a central position for example in British media and politics particularly in terms of gender recognition, in Irish referenda and courts, or through debates regarding sex education in Canada and Ireland. We can contend that in this third decade of the century, it is the divisions and schisms around gender, sexualities and abortion that play an increasingly key role in defining these places and their political landscapes.

Polarising Divisions offers new insights into the sexual and gendered landscapes of the 21st century through the everyday experiences of those who are opposed to/concerned about socio-legal changes to gender, sexualities and abortion. By undertaking research with the 'wrong people' (from the perspective of much queer and feminist research), to offer new engagements with queer and feminist work, this book questions and queries binaries such as good/bad, marginalisation/privilege. By understanding these perspectives, we are able to address the divisions and continue to work towards progressing socio and legal rights.

The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the ERC.

Kath Browne is Professor at University College Dublin, Ireland. She is the co-author of Liveable Lives (Bloomsbury Academic, 2023), After Repeal (Bloomsbury Academic, 2020) and Polarising Sexualities and Genders (Bloomsbury Academic, 2025).

Carol Ballantine is a postdoctoral researcher at University College Dublin, Ireland. She is a critical feminist sociologist who researches everyday reproductions of gender normativities, with a focus on violence against women, refugees and gender and sexual minorities.

Katie Young is Assistant Professor at Concordia University, Canada. Her research examines experiences of music, sound, and listening practices in everyday spaces, including as they relate to gender and sexuality in diverse regional contexts.