The Language and Sexuality Reader is the first of its kind to bring together material from the fields of anthropology communication studies linguistics medicine and psychology in an examination of the role of sexuality in written and spoken language. Organized into thematic sections the Reader addresses: early documentation of vocabulary used by male homosexuals and later work on the existence of a discourse style signifying gay identity the use of language by individuals to present themselves as sexual and gendered subjects the way language reflects reinforces or challenges cultural norms defining what is natural and desirable in the sphere of sex the verbal communication of sexual desire in different settings genres and media. The Language and Sexuality Reader includes extracts from: Hideko Abe Laura M. Ahearn Rusty Barrett Deborah Cameron Kathryn Campbell-Kibler Donald W. Cory Justine Coupland Louie Crew James Darsey Penelope Eckert Susan Ehrlich Joseph J. Hayes Scott F. Kiesling Celia Kitzinger Don Kulick William L. Leap Gershon Legman Momoko Nakamura Sally McConnell-Ginet Julia Penelope Robert J. Podesva June Machover Reinisch Sarah J. Roberts Stephanie A. Sanders David Sonenschein and David Valentine.