Heterosexism Pros And Cons

2. In the essay “Gender Treachery: Homophobia, Masculinity, and Threatened Identities” the terms ‘homophobia’ and ‘heterosexism’ are discussed. Hopkins contends that there is no distinct boundary between the two terms, but he outlines ways in which to distinguish the two terms. First,

A heterosexist is someone that discriminates in favour of heterosexual and against homosexual people. An example of people showing heterosexist beliefs in the public services is how people associate men in The Royal Navy as being gay when in fact according to The Navy Times in 2010 there are around 66,000 homosexuals serving in military which make up just 2.2%.

Historically, societies have divided the sexes into male and female and assigned specific gender roles for each group to ‘perform’. Alternative sexual practices outside of the norm were considered unacceptable and abnormal. These ideologies of heteronormativity have been reinforced throughout various social institutions including media where heteronormative portrayals have been considered standards. Furthermore, as Rogers mentioned, “Commonly intertwined with such heterocentrism are values celebrating heterosexuality as normal and natural while condemning or at least rejecting lesbigay sexualities.” (Rogers 72). Heteronormativity is largely depicted in the media and reinforce dominant norms of society, which portray heterosexual romantic relationships

A culture that views heterosexuality as natural and superior reproduces inequality by prioritizing the rights and voices of heterosexual individuals. Ingraham views this as a product of heteronormativity, where ideas of heterosexuality are deeply embedded in all aspects of society, thus becoming the norm and the standard to which all individuals and sexualities are measured (2994:204). In a heteronormative society, gender and sexuality are understood as biologically acquired—men are naturally attracted to women and vice versa. Heteronormativity is embedded in institutions such as religion, family, government and the workplace (Bakehorn, 9/13/16). Because of an investment in heterosexuality, inequality is reproduced when homosexual

Heterosexism, is a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships. The United States

Homophobia is defined as negative attitudes and feelings that people feel towards individuals who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered. These negative thoughts and feelings often lead to acts of bullying, harassment, victimization and even violence.

These behaviors may include the use of labeling stigmatizing, prejudice and discrimination towards people. The homophobia can create problems for individual because it creates the fear to form close bonds with those of the same sex. However, this feeling can lead to discrimination towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. For example, there are several religions on which homophobia are considered a sin or a crime.

Americans live in a society that seems constantly plagued by various types of discrimination. For instance, ableism, classism, and sizeism are a few examples of the sorts of systematic discriminations that Americans face every day. However, as of late, one of the most prevalent forms that targets homosexual minorities is Heterosexist discrimination. Heterosexism is defined as the discrimination or prejudice against homosexuals (“Heterosexism”). In addition to being prejudiced and discriminatory, Heterosexism is more often than not paired with the idea that heterosexuality is the normal sexual orientation, and therefore superior.

As time has changed, a new wave of discrimination has taken shape in the United States. This new discrimination comes in the form of homophobia and heterosexism. Walls (2008), suggested that heterosexism, racism, sexism, and class privilege are systems of advantage that provide those with the “right” sexual orientation, race, gender, and class with opportunities and rewards that are unavailable to other individuals and groups in society. Homophobia and heterosexism come in various forms that include both overt and subtle forms of discrimination. Choi, et al. (2011) has suggested that the effects of homophobia and heterosexism are more pronounced in African American communities. Those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT),

Heterosexism is a term used to describe people who discriminate against gays and lesbians. Throughout history, an intimate relationship between members of the opposite sex was considered the norm, and breaking this norm would make a person deviant. From birth, children are taught certain characteristics on how boys and girls are suppose to behave. Children learn these things from their parents, the schools they attend, and society that they live in. The characteristics that they learn shapes them into what they become when they’re adults. According to Barrie Thorne, “the sociological significance of children’s play is that boys and girls are helping to socialize one another into primary adult gender roles, girls being more concerned with

According to Eve Sedgwick,the definition of heterosexism is a series of assumptions that lead to the conclusion that all aspects of a person’s sexuality can be deduced by their biological sex alone. These assumptions relate to what sexualities are considered “normal”. In the text “Making Gay Meaning” Sedgwick lists several of these assumptions including that a person’s gender presentation and identities are “supposed” to match their biological sex, a person’s sexual partner’s perception as gay or straight is supposed to match their own, and that a person’s perception as gay or straight is supposed to correspond with the biological sex of that person and their sexual partner(s).

Sexual orientationism is best described as discrimination or prejudice against homosexuals on the assumption that heterosexuality is the dominant, or normal, sexual orientation. Within society there are many barriers, assumptions, and stigmas placed upon the queer community, numerous of which steam from this heterosexist stance that has become the dominant ideology. This stance has historical significance in trauma, and oppression of those within the sexual minority, and how this can play on representation.

Homosextual people (someone who is attracted to the same gender as their own eg. gay or lesbian) have constantly faced discrimination by both the state and society. Through the movement to equality, more recent generations have strived to create an environment where homosexual people have more rights than they have had previously. Although globally homosexuality has become relatively accepted, there are still many ways in which discrimination and intolerance negatively impact gay and lesbian lives.

Adrienne Rich also speak compulsory heterosexuality in her work, Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence. Compulsory heterosexuality as discussed by Rich is how we view heterosexuality as a part of institution of capitalism that maintains power through the ideas of heterosexuality being acceptable to society and how we do not allow for differences in the binary system. As Rich states, “the failure to examine heterosexuality as an institution is like failing to admit that the economic system called capitalism or the caste system of racism is maintained by a variety of forces, including both physical violence and false consciousness” (Rich, 135). Meaning that we understand how heterosexuality is maintained by our capitalism system just as we understand oppression of classism, racism, and gender differences. Heterosexuality becomes institutionalized by maintaining through the normalization of forcing us to believe in the capitalism

Queer theory questions creations of normal and divergent, insider, and outsider.2 Queer theorists analyse a situation or a text to determine the relationship between sexuality, power and gender. Queer theory challenges basic tropes used to organize our society and our language: even words are gendered, and through that gendering an elliptical view of the hierarchy of society, and presumption of what is male and what is female, shines through. Queer theory rejects such binary distinctions as arbitrarily determined and defined by those with social power. It works to deconstruct these binaries, particularly the homosexual/heterosexual binary.4