ABSTRACT
Straight allies occupy an important and contentious role in contemporary sexual politics and social justice movements. In this essay, the author suggests that thinking about straight allies as a social problem (in the sociological sense) helps to consider the various tensions inherent to straight allyship in the twenty-first century: Who gets to be an ally? Who defines good and bad allyship? Can allies actually be helpful, or are they doomed to fail? By unpacking what he terms the ally paradox, Grzanka suggests that perhaps the trouble with straight allies is contained in the ally framework itself, which is always dependent upon the ally’s perceived social privilege. By addressing the political potential of intersectionality and coalitional politics, Grzanka compels us to consider what forms of sexual liberation might exist beyond allyship.
