This book investigates how legal frameworks and social regulations actively shape, constrain, and define the boundaries of human sexuality. Rosie Harding, a scholar in law and socio-legal studies, utilizes a critical lens to examine the intersection of state power and private intimate lives. By analyzing various legislative mechanisms and judicial decisions, the author argues that law is not merely a neutral arbiter of sexual conduct but a proactive force that constructs normative sexual identities while marginalizing those that fall outside established legal definitions.

Scholars in the field of socio-legal studies recognize this work as a significant contribution to the understanding of how intimacy is governed by institutional power. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is well-suited for researchers and students examining the intersection of law and social identity.