compulsory heterosexuality

English

Alternative forms

Noun

compulsory heterosexuality (uncountable)

  1. (LGBT, feminism) The idea that heterosexuality is often assumed and forced upon individuals regardless of their own sexual orientation by a patriarchal and heteronormative society.
    • 1980 Summer, Adrienne Rich, “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence”, in Signs, volume 5, number 4, →DOI, page 633:
      In none of these books, which concern themselves with mothering, sex roles, relationships, and societal prescriptions for women, is compulsory heterosexuality ever examined as an institution powerfully affecting all these; or the idea of "preference" or "innate orientation" even indirectly questioned.
    • 2019 April 26, Asha French, “A ‘Daddy-Daughter Date,’ Queer Single Mom-Style”, in The New York Times:
      How could I have missed this milestone of compulsory heterosexuality? Who would teach my daughter whatever girls with fathers learned on these dates and dances, like how to wait for doors to be opened or hold a fork like an unmistakable catch?
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