Heterosexuality has been largely untheorised within both sociology, feminism and gay and lesbian studies, which have traditionally been focusing on hierarchical dichotomies between men and women, heterosexuality and homo- sexuality. As the most prominent tales of heterosexuality today, post-structuralism and queer theory have contributed fruitfully to the denaturalisation of heterosexuality, but have also gained a monopoly of telling stories which are neither necessarily productive in terms of the scientific integrity nor no longer helpful for people in general. The article puts forward a critique of these scientific tales, among others the work of Judith Butler, as contributing to a rather monolithic concep- tualisation focusing on heterosexuality as on- ly a ‘discourse’, an ‘institution’, an ‘identity’ or a ‘norm’. Moreover, by constructing a new binary between ‘queer’ and ‘normal’, queer theory fails to transgress the logics and con- cepts of dichotomies and identity. The article argues that people in late modern Denmark in fact no longer strictly conforms to a hete- rosexual norm and therefore, it alternatively suggests a tale of heterosexuality as ‘a tribe or community of taste’ inspired by the sociolo- gists Michel Maffesoli and Henning Bech, addressing perspectives and categories such as lust, taste, aesthetics, sociality, sensation and emotions. This new tale is not intended to re- place post-structuralism or queer theory, but as both an adequate and a very productive qualified tale, it should be supplementary in respect of the fact that heterosexuality is a multifarious phenomenon which must be studied from various angles in different con- texts.

I dette essay præsenterer vi afdøde sociologiprofessor Henning Bechs værk og betydning med tre nedslag på hans samtidsdiagnostiske bidrag, hans særlige sociologisk-fænomenologiske analysemetode, samt hans positivt, kritiske tilgang som forsker. Det er en tilgang, der bidrager til samfundets kritiske selvrefleksion ved at udlægge mulighederne for, hvordan vi kan agere som oplyste borgere, som kan foretage informerede valg udi livsførelsens svære kunst i en senmoderne og værdipluralistisk tid præget af opbrud, digitalisering og nye sociale strømninger. Vores ærinde er ikke blot at mindes og hylde Bech, som vi begge har kendt som underviser, vejleder, kollega og ven. Vi ønsker også at fremlægge og drøfte, hvordan hans værk kan inspirere sociologers aktuelle og fremtidige arbejde.

The article presents and discusses a critical textual analysis of opinions and attitudes towards various sexual phenomena articulated in the Danish print media during 2004-2006 compared with 1997. The study proves that sexual pleasures and practices such as anal sex, group sex, pornography, sexualisation and prostitution have given rise to increasing moral anxieties and fears, condemnatory attitudes and moralistic standpoints during the last few years. These moralistic and normative standpoints on sexual morality put forward clear specifications as to how people should live their lives and what sexual and bodily pleasures and practices they should be allowed to enjoy. Drawing inspiration from the writings of French philosopher Michel Foucault on ‘ethics’ and ‘aesthetics of existence’, the article suggests an ethical approach and sensibility when dealing morally with people’s sexual and bodily pleasures and practices as well as when doing research on sexual phenomena such as anal sex, pornography and commercial sex.