Introduction

This anthology explores the ways in which sexuality has moved into politics and hence into the realm of political science. Political activity and activism around sexual politics have reset the political agenda. There is a wide variety of issues, events and movements to be studied as they work through and around traditional electoral and governmental structures at all levels. Indeed there have been significant changes in electoral and government structures to accommodate these developments. Sex, gender and sexualities can no longer be presumed to be nonpolitical, pre-political or even marginal, because electoral politics, public policy, local government and international and EU relations are all arenas in which the politics of sexuality arises. This has affected not just what is researched in political science, but the ways in which this research is constructed and carried out.