Women and Gender Studies

Women and Gender Studies

Answer No. 2

Introduction

Compulsory heterosexuality refers it as a default sexual orientation and it can be adopted by the people of society despite of their personal sexual preferences. It is the assumption that women and men are innately attracted to each other both emotionally and sexually and it is considered as universal. Heteronormativity is based on lifestyle norms that people fall into complementary and distinct genders with natural roles in life. It assumes that heterosexuality is the only sexual orientation or norm and marital relations fits only between a man and a woman.

There is a historical coincidence that men were given higher status in society and their behaviour had a profound impact on the system of society. The male sexuality was regulated and lesbian were not normally recognized and did not come under legal control. Compulsory heterosexuality and heteronormativity closely linked to patriarchy involves discrimination of lesbian women by the heterosexual persons and all aspects of women lives are controlled by men.

Discussion

Compulsory Heterosexuality and Heteronormativity Affecting Lesbian Women

Compulsory heterosexuality and heteronormativity is affecting women who are not identified as exclusively heterosexual in a sense that heterosexuality is considered as natural expression of sexuality and the other sexuality forms such as lesbian women are not acceptable and considered as deviant. The existence of lesbian women is considered both the violation of taboo and rejecting the natural way of life. Compulsory heterosexuality is affecting the lesbian women in sense that the lesbian women are considered to be direct and indirect attack on male right of access to women.

It is further affecting the lesbian women in a way as compulsory heterosexuality view women as inherently weak and men are viewed as powerful to control the women's sexuality, physical movement, childbirth and childrearing. Lesbian women are also facing backlash from heteronormative hierarchy at workplace in terms of discrimination due to anti-homosexual hiring policies (Smith, 2006).

Marginalization of Lesbian Women by Compulsory Heterosexuality

Lesbian women are marginalized by compulsory heterosexuality because of their sexual identity and gender. The issues and relationships of homosexual women are viewed as threatening to the interests of patriarchal society. Lesbian women are marginalized because homosexuality is not seen as a part of traditional heterosexual society and is considered as a deviant from traditional wisdom.

Lesbians had a prior assurance to liberation of women's but in the beginning periods of women movement, lesbians are considered to be marginalized in goodwill ...