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Trigger Warning: My Lesbian Feminist Life
Trigger My Lesbian Feminist Life is both an engaging autobiography and a fascinating account of feminist history, from the heady days of the Women’s Liberation Movement through to the backlash against radical feminism as neoliberal laissez-faire attitudes took hold. Fast forward to the current re-examination of feminism in light of the #MeToo movement and an emerging new wave of radical feminism—Sheila Jeffreys' bold account makes it clear that the feminism and lesbianism she has championed for decades is needed more than ever. With honesty and frankness, she tells of victories and setbacks in her unrelenting commitment to women’s freedom from men’s violence, especially the violence inherent in pornography and prostitution. We also learn what her steadfastness has cost her in terms of personal and professional rewards. Trigger Warning places radical feminism within a cultural, social, and intellectual context while also taking us on a personal journey. Sheila Jeffreys has tirelessly crossed the globe to advance radical feminist theory and practice and we are invited to share in the intellectual and political crossroads she has encountered during her life. Accessible yet detailed and rigorous, this landmark volume is essential reading for everyone who has ever wondered what radical feminism really is.
240 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2020
15 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
Sheila Jeffreys
23Ìýbooks257ÌýfollowersSheila Jeffreys writes and teaches in the areas of sexual politics, international gender politics, and lesbian and gay politics. She has written six books on the history and politics of sexuality. Originally from the UK, Sheila moved to Melbourne in 1991 to take up a position at the University of Melbourne. She has been actively involved in feminist and lesbian feminist politics, particularly around the issue of sexual violence, since 1973. She is involved with the international non-government organization, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, in international organising.
She is the author of The Spinster and Her Enemies: Feminism and Sexuality, 1880-1930 (1985/1997) Anticlimax: A Feminist Perspective on the Sexual Revolution (1990), The Lesbian Heresy: A Feminist Perspective on the Lesbian Sexual Revolution (1993), The Idea of Prostitution (1997), Unpacking Queer Politics: a lesbian feminist perspective (2003) and Beauty and Misogyny: Harmful Cultural Practices in the West (2005).
She is the author of The Spinster and Her Enemies: Feminism and Sexuality, 1880-1930 (1985/1997) Anticlimax: A Feminist Perspective on the Sexual Revolution (1990), The Lesbian Heresy: A Feminist Perspective on the Lesbian Sexual Revolution (1993), The Idea of Prostitution (1997), Unpacking Queer Politics: a lesbian feminist perspective (2003) and Beauty and Misogyny: Harmful Cultural Practices in the West (2005).
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 4, 2020
This book is compelling on many counts. An account of Sheila Jeffreys' life and work tells the story of an engaging, committed radical feminist and her dedication to working against patriarchy and all its harms, at a cost both personally and professionally. It is also an important work documenting the work of the Women's Liberation movement from the 1970's to today, highlighting the development of radical feminist theory as well as the feminist activist work that has taken place - a vital historical work which will inspire future feminist. It also documents the backlashes and barriers that patriarchal capitalism continues to place in the fight against female oppression. Sheila also highlights the important role that lesbians played and continue to play in the liberation of women. Highly recommended.
October 8, 2020
Women of today forget what battles were fought in years gone by and the cost of those battles. We take things for granted but we aren't unified in terms of women's liberation today. Even describing what a women is - and is not - can get you no platformed in today's hypersensitive world. It's become ridiculous. Reading about Sheila's life and career gave me perspective. I'm not an academic, I'm not an activist (well, in the conventional way) and I may not agree 100% with everything in the radfem world (but that percentage is rising daily) but this book, like many published by the press, has opened my eyes to the cost of feminist work and putting biological women first, always. The book covers Sheila's personal life, her activist work - prostitution and the trafficking of women, pornography, rape and sexual assault etc - and her university career. And reading it makes me want to fight for women over and over again. Every woman should read this and remind themselves where we've come from and take stock at where we are at now. Some perspective would do everyone some good. Maybe then we might find a bit more balance. Trigger Warning indeed!
October 12, 2020
I am half way through Trigger Warning: My Lesbian Feminist Life by Sheila Jeffreys and could not resist the chance to be the first reviewer on here. Oh well, male privilege and ego strike again, but please bear with me.
I hugely admire SJ - though part of this, it has to be said, is due to my mixing her up for years with Sheila Rowbotham, one-time student of Eric Hobsbawn, and writer of the excellent A Century of Women. I read SJ’s Gender Hurts a year or so ago and it clarified so much about the gender rights vs gender criticals debate of today.
I’m about ten years younger than SJ so having her describe so many of the decades that I lived through, and their political upheavals, is fascinating. I’m straight and while I had some gay and lesbian friends, lots of the subtleties in the LG, then LGB, then LGBT-alphabet soup, communities passed me by at the time. Just as with Gender Hurts, so much of what SJ describes in Trigger Warning sheds a clear, believable historical light on these decades.
SJ is really great at describing what is problematic about things like Drag, p89, Jenny lives with Eric and Martin, p90, SM lesbians, p118, etc. She writes a devastating critique of antisemitism in the Left, p113-5, which is about the only bit I disagree with.
There is a good account of Love Your Enemy? The Debate Between Heterosexual Feminism and Political Lesbianism (LYE) � and I wonder what feminist writer Bea Campbell makes of this and the book in general.
There is a Book Launch Sat 5th Sept, 10am London, 7pm Melbourne, including discussion about Trigger Warning with Sheila Jeffreys, Linda Bellos OBE and Renate Klein. Plus Q&A. Register at
There is a helpful review at - Trigger Warning: My Lesbian Feminist Life is both an engaging autobiography and a fascinating account of feminist history, from the heady days of the Women's Liberation Movement through to the backlash against radical feminism as neoliberal laissez-faire attitudes took hold. Fast forward to the current re-examination of feminism in light of the #MeToo movement and an emerging new wave of radical feminism--Sheila Jeffreys' bold account makes it clear that the feminism and lesbianism she has championed for decades is needed more than ever. With honesty and frankness, she tells of victories and setbacks in her unrelenting commitment to women's freedom from men's violence, especially the violence inherent in pornography and prostitution. We also learn what her steadfastness has cost her in terms of personal and professional rewards. Trigger Warning places radical feminism within a cultural, social, and intellectual context while also taking us on a personal journey. Sheila Jeffreys has tirelessly crossed the globe to advance radical feminist theory and practice and we are invited to share in the intellectual and political crossroads she has encountered during her life. Accessible yet detailed and rigorous, this landmark volume is essential reading for everyone who has ever wondered what radical feminism really is.
I hugely admire SJ - though part of this, it has to be said, is due to my mixing her up for years with Sheila Rowbotham, one-time student of Eric Hobsbawn, and writer of the excellent A Century of Women. I read SJ’s Gender Hurts a year or so ago and it clarified so much about the gender rights vs gender criticals debate of today.
I’m about ten years younger than SJ so having her describe so many of the decades that I lived through, and their political upheavals, is fascinating. I’m straight and while I had some gay and lesbian friends, lots of the subtleties in the LG, then LGB, then LGBT-alphabet soup, communities passed me by at the time. Just as with Gender Hurts, so much of what SJ describes in Trigger Warning sheds a clear, believable historical light on these decades.
SJ is really great at describing what is problematic about things like Drag, p89, Jenny lives with Eric and Martin, p90, SM lesbians, p118, etc. She writes a devastating critique of antisemitism in the Left, p113-5, which is about the only bit I disagree with.
There is a good account of Love Your Enemy? The Debate Between Heterosexual Feminism and Political Lesbianism (LYE) � and I wonder what feminist writer Bea Campbell makes of this and the book in general.
There is a Book Launch Sat 5th Sept, 10am London, 7pm Melbourne, including discussion about Trigger Warning with Sheila Jeffreys, Linda Bellos OBE and Renate Klein. Plus Q&A. Register at
There is a helpful review at - Trigger Warning: My Lesbian Feminist Life is both an engaging autobiography and a fascinating account of feminist history, from the heady days of the Women's Liberation Movement through to the backlash against radical feminism as neoliberal laissez-faire attitudes took hold. Fast forward to the current re-examination of feminism in light of the #MeToo movement and an emerging new wave of radical feminism--Sheila Jeffreys' bold account makes it clear that the feminism and lesbianism she has championed for decades is needed more than ever. With honesty and frankness, she tells of victories and setbacks in her unrelenting commitment to women's freedom from men's violence, especially the violence inherent in pornography and prostitution. We also learn what her steadfastness has cost her in terms of personal and professional rewards. Trigger Warning places radical feminism within a cultural, social, and intellectual context while also taking us on a personal journey. Sheila Jeffreys has tirelessly crossed the globe to advance radical feminist theory and practice and we are invited to share in the intellectual and political crossroads she has encountered during her life. Accessible yet detailed and rigorous, this landmark volume is essential reading for everyone who has ever wondered what radical feminism really is.
February 28, 2021
I found Sheila Jeffreys' book 'Trigger Warning' quite unputdownable, grabbing it whenever I sat down to eat, or had to put my feet up, devouring the chapters with much enthusiasm and a real hunger. On the final page I felt quite emotional, experiencing a deep urge to cry my heart out. I am very grateful for such a fascinating journey through the life of an active, passionate, intelligent and revolutionary feminist woman. Aside from my interest in Jeffreys' work and the story of feminism over the past forty years, from the moment I read that Jeffreys was an 'army brat,' as I was, I was hooked. It fascinated me that while I was growing up, feminist consciousness, lesbian feminism, and feminist activism with all its attendant struggles was raging on all around me. Emerging from a very conservative family, I didn't actually hear about feminism until around 1990 when I "accidentally" viewed a Channel 4 programme aired on Australian SBS TV channel, 'Through the Devil's Gateway,' which interestingly was similar to a proposed name for one of Sheila Jeffreys' books. But that TV show changed the course of my life, as did my two years living in Melbourne.
Around the time when Jeffreys arrived in Melbourne, where I had been living, married, unhappy, and pining for an intellectually stimulating life at Melbourne University instead of wasting away on the 29th floor of the BHP building typing up shipping documents for a Japanese trading company and growing more and more depressed at the ripe old age of 23, I was finally leaving to return to Adelaide and then travel to the UK. When I read she had lived in Brunswick Street, I remembered staying in an appartment in North Fitzroy and walking down that very same street feeling isolated, intimidated, desperately confused with my life but completely powerless to do anything about it. Easy for me to look back now and feel lucky that I never did get to attend Melbourne University, especially in light of what Jeffreys reveals about its eventual corporatisation. But at the time it represented an escape from, or a solution to my anxieties.
Throughout 'Trigger Warning,' I was able to map my own experiences against this background of one woman's incredibly devoted work for women's liberation from patriarchal constraints in mind, body, sexuality, society, culture, law, economics, and even in spirit, i.e., patriarchal religion. The hopefulness expressed at the end of the book felt like a lighted beacon held high, especially after the isolations most of us have experienced throughout 2020. Feminism had suffered serious attack, distortion, and demonisation, and it is always a joy to read bold, honest, and clear speaking feminist critique, and advocacy for women devoid of the obfuscating ideology and language of the postmodern queer era.
I thoroughly enjoyed this informative, easy to read, and compelling autobiography, and I'll be catching up with my reading of the rest of her books of which, to date, I've only read one other, 'The Idea of Prostitution,' although I've been browsing through a PDF of 'Unpacking Queer Politics.' Thank you Sheila Jeffreys for sharing your story.
Around the time when Jeffreys arrived in Melbourne, where I had been living, married, unhappy, and pining for an intellectually stimulating life at Melbourne University instead of wasting away on the 29th floor of the BHP building typing up shipping documents for a Japanese trading company and growing more and more depressed at the ripe old age of 23, I was finally leaving to return to Adelaide and then travel to the UK. When I read she had lived in Brunswick Street, I remembered staying in an appartment in North Fitzroy and walking down that very same street feeling isolated, intimidated, desperately confused with my life but completely powerless to do anything about it. Easy for me to look back now and feel lucky that I never did get to attend Melbourne University, especially in light of what Jeffreys reveals about its eventual corporatisation. But at the time it represented an escape from, or a solution to my anxieties.
Throughout 'Trigger Warning,' I was able to map my own experiences against this background of one woman's incredibly devoted work for women's liberation from patriarchal constraints in mind, body, sexuality, society, culture, law, economics, and even in spirit, i.e., patriarchal religion. The hopefulness expressed at the end of the book felt like a lighted beacon held high, especially after the isolations most of us have experienced throughout 2020. Feminism had suffered serious attack, distortion, and demonisation, and it is always a joy to read bold, honest, and clear speaking feminist critique, and advocacy for women devoid of the obfuscating ideology and language of the postmodern queer era.
I thoroughly enjoyed this informative, easy to read, and compelling autobiography, and I'll be catching up with my reading of the rest of her books of which, to date, I've only read one other, 'The Idea of Prostitution,' although I've been browsing through a PDF of 'Unpacking Queer Politics.' Thank you Sheila Jeffreys for sharing your story.
December 26, 2020
Sheila Jeffrey's autobiography. Is actually a political biography by one of the most popular and influential lesbian feminist, her book "The Lesbian Heresy" was translated to spanish in 1996, as "La herejÃa lesbiana" and it has remained as one of the most influential books on the subject in Latin-America.
This biography mostly cover her life as a lesbian feminist activist and scholar, the herstory of her upcoming as a radical feminist, a political lesbian and a leader scholar in the study of male sexual politics. The first chapter cover her childhood, adolescence and early years as a student in a history department in the university; the second chapter is on her involvent in the UK's socialist feminist movement and her transformation (and protegonic role) in the development of revolutionary feminist (we can describe it as a particular English branch of radical feminism).
Chapters 3 to 8 deals with her choice to become a lesbian and her participation in radical feminist and lesbian activism and culture.
This book has been very expected by those (like me) who has been very influenced by her work and courage, of course, this is a must read, and is a obligated reference work in the herstory of UK and Australian radical and lesbian feminism by one of her protagonist.
This biography mostly cover her life as a lesbian feminist activist and scholar, the herstory of her upcoming as a radical feminist, a political lesbian and a leader scholar in the study of male sexual politics. The first chapter cover her childhood, adolescence and early years as a student in a history department in the university; the second chapter is on her involvent in the UK's socialist feminist movement and her transformation (and protegonic role) in the development of revolutionary feminist (we can describe it as a particular English branch of radical feminism).
Chapters 3 to 8 deals with her choice to become a lesbian and her participation in radical feminist and lesbian activism and culture.
This book has been very expected by those (like me) who has been very influenced by her work and courage, of course, this is a must read, and is a obligated reference work in the herstory of UK and Australian radical and lesbian feminism by one of her protagonist.
September 14, 2024
I was honestly expecting more, but this book was largely dry and somewhat repetitive.
To start, the book often refers to other books the author has wrote very often. I understand the author to have written many books, but when the current book references the others so much, it ends up feeling more like a catalogue than its own standalone biography.
Another thing that was frustrating was the author’s assertion about being a lesbian as a ‘choice�. For her to ‘choose� to be a lesbian and to then turn her nose up at any form of lesbian culture that she has no personal interest in made me cringe. The equation of wearing dog collars to nazi uniforms or female masculinity to upholding patriarchy is just downright absurd. The author recalling breaking down into tears from viewing lesbian erotica (made by and for lesbians) was…something!
I wish that the author had made a larger distinction between ‘political lesbians� and ‘lesbians�, because throughout the book I got a larger sense that the author’s choice of lesbianism is that of simply political convenience rather than actual attraction to women. She spends more time talking about transgender people than she does talking about lesbian relationships. Speaking of-
The text referring to trans people is infantilizing at best and dehumanizing at worst. Calling trans men ‘unhappy lesbians� is a massive misnomer to many trans men’s experiences and backgrounds. Considering trans men as such reduces the autonomy and expression that they have, and falsely assumes that trans men have no perception of the patriarchy or misogyny.
On the flip side, The author degrades trans women, and has clear disgust when anyone perceived as a man expresses femininity. The author recalls gawking at someone wearing a skirt and knitting while attending a conference, and another time when someone was playing piano.
It seems that there is no proper way to express oneself regardless of your body or comfort- Express masculinity, and you’re perpetuating the patriarchy, but if you express femininity, you’re a sheep or a pervert.
Still on the topic of trans people, the author considers trans activism and feminism as opposing forces, when in actuality there are many joined intersections. Many feminists of all backgrounds have considered trans people as equal fighters for self-determination, accessibility and education of medical care, and more. Of course, the author doesn’t consider trans-inclusive feminists as ‘real� feminists, and considers them traitors to women as well.
A smaller note- The book is called ‘Trigger Warning�, but aside from the introduction, there’s really nothing in the book to tie-in the title. The introduction lambasts students of today for asking for trigger warnings, yet strangely applauds women’s groups later in the book for ‘sensitivity� in warning female audiences of the contents they’ll show. Hm!
That all said, this book is both frustrating and boring. I didn’t even get into some other notes I’ve highlighted, including that of Israel (criticizing a military state is anti-semitic, apparently), religion (the author doesn’t seem to engage with feminists who have them), class (feminist think about class too much for the author’s tastes), trans people in xxx (trans people aren’t exploited or dehumanized by it the way women are, I guess), and LGBT orgs (all of them are bad for acknowledging trans people, meanwhile orgs that shoulder right-wing groups are okay), to name a few.
This was the first book I read from this author, though if her other books are just repeating what I already read here beat-for-beat, I might not bother finishing let alone reviewing. We’ll see.
To start, the book often refers to other books the author has wrote very often. I understand the author to have written many books, but when the current book references the others so much, it ends up feeling more like a catalogue than its own standalone biography.
Another thing that was frustrating was the author’s assertion about being a lesbian as a ‘choice�. For her to ‘choose� to be a lesbian and to then turn her nose up at any form of lesbian culture that she has no personal interest in made me cringe. The equation of wearing dog collars to nazi uniforms or female masculinity to upholding patriarchy is just downright absurd. The author recalling breaking down into tears from viewing lesbian erotica (made by and for lesbians) was…something!
I wish that the author had made a larger distinction between ‘political lesbians� and ‘lesbians�, because throughout the book I got a larger sense that the author’s choice of lesbianism is that of simply political convenience rather than actual attraction to women. She spends more time talking about transgender people than she does talking about lesbian relationships. Speaking of-
The text referring to trans people is infantilizing at best and dehumanizing at worst. Calling trans men ‘unhappy lesbians� is a massive misnomer to many trans men’s experiences and backgrounds. Considering trans men as such reduces the autonomy and expression that they have, and falsely assumes that trans men have no perception of the patriarchy or misogyny.
On the flip side, The author degrades trans women, and has clear disgust when anyone perceived as a man expresses femininity. The author recalls gawking at someone wearing a skirt and knitting while attending a conference, and another time when someone was playing piano.
It seems that there is no proper way to express oneself regardless of your body or comfort- Express masculinity, and you’re perpetuating the patriarchy, but if you express femininity, you’re a sheep or a pervert.
Still on the topic of trans people, the author considers trans activism and feminism as opposing forces, when in actuality there are many joined intersections. Many feminists of all backgrounds have considered trans people as equal fighters for self-determination, accessibility and education of medical care, and more. Of course, the author doesn’t consider trans-inclusive feminists as ‘real� feminists, and considers them traitors to women as well.
A smaller note- The book is called ‘Trigger Warning�, but aside from the introduction, there’s really nothing in the book to tie-in the title. The introduction lambasts students of today for asking for trigger warnings, yet strangely applauds women’s groups later in the book for ‘sensitivity� in warning female audiences of the contents they’ll show. Hm!
That all said, this book is both frustrating and boring. I didn’t even get into some other notes I’ve highlighted, including that of Israel (criticizing a military state is anti-semitic, apparently), religion (the author doesn’t seem to engage with feminists who have them), class (feminist think about class too much for the author’s tastes), trans people in xxx (trans people aren’t exploited or dehumanized by it the way women are, I guess), and LGBT orgs (all of them are bad for acknowledging trans people, meanwhile orgs that shoulder right-wing groups are okay), to name a few.
This was the first book I read from this author, though if her other books are just repeating what I already read here beat-for-beat, I might not bother finishing let alone reviewing. We’ll see.
November 23, 2021
One of Sheila's Jeffreys's best. An engrossing account of her own life, lesbian herstory & of the women's liberation movement.
August 4, 2021
I read this book and was challenged to re=evaluate my conceptions of queer, lesbianism, transgender, and feminism. This woman is a warrior for stating her beliefs clearly, consistently and intelligently. Although the book was published in 2020, by the end I had the sense that the way homosexuals and lesbians are viewed in today's society is much more accepting than her own views-perhaps because at the time when her views were formed she had been on the negative receiving end of pushback when society was less tolerant about speaing bluntly about sexuality. Beyond the frontiers of the Bible Belt in the USA and Canada and probably in many European countries being a lesbian is sort of like being old or being this or that race-part of mainstream society, which is not to say, that women as a category still have to fight to gain equality
December 22, 2024
This is my favorite autobiography/biography that I’ve read this year. It’s uplifting to think that there are women in this world who share same beliefs and have never stopped resisting. Sheila Jeffreys is both a warrior and a fighter. At every stage of her life, she has worked to break through and chosen a difficult but groundbreaking path, rather than a simple and obedient one under male dominance. By the way, every woman who identifies as “heterosexual� should learn about the theory of Political Lesbianism. How many women on this planet are truly “straight,� and how many have been brainwashed into “straightness� by the centuries-old system of compulsory heterosexuality?
March 7, 2025
The book reads as though the author was forced to write a biography because she had to not cause she was interested in sharing her life experience with the audience. The book isn't linear in terms of time so i often got lost in terms of when something happened. I read this book hoping it would give me a glance into the mind of a political lesbian & how one gets to that decision but it did not. I managed to finish the book so i guess that's a positive.
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