In recent history, discussions on gender and sexuality are a bit more accessible, but the atmosphere around them isn’t perfect. Even with today’s culture being more accepting, there's still a prevalent bias that affects millions of LGBTQIA+ people. With more and more anti-LGBTQIA+ laws and bills in America today, it’s easy to see why people are hesitant to address more specific issues within the community. However, having discussions about theories like compulsory heterosexuality and heteronormativity can help explain many struggles LGBTQIA+ individuals face.
Compulsory heterosexuality and heteronormativity are very important topics that should be widely discussed with a general audience. These theories are important because they can explain why many individuals hesitate to discuss sexuality and gender.
Compulsory heterosexuality, also known as “comphet,” was a term created by Adrienne Rich in her 1980 essay, “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence.” The theory says because we live in a male-dominated society, heterosexuality is enforced on women. In summary, Rich believed women are socialized into heterosexual relationships with men because that is seen as the standard. Rich viewed heterosexuality as a mode of oppression in a patriarchal society. She explained women may not realize they are lesbian because heterosexuality has been pushed on them their whole lives, furthering the problem of lesbian erasure.
It’s important to note this theory originally stemmed from a lesbian feminist point of view, so its origins are focused on women. The original theory also implied some problematic things such as a binary gender system and that all women have a natural attraction to each other. The theory isn’t flawless, but it’s a great starting point to explain feelings a lot of individuals struggle with. Overall, though, the original essay is very eye-opening, and I recommend everyone reads it on their own to fully understand the implications.
The theory of heteronormativity is similar to comphet, but it expands more broadly. The theory implies being heterosexual is the standard until explicitly stated otherwise. Most people are familiar with “coming out,” and this theory explains why so many LGBTQIA+ people are pressured into giving a formal announcement of their sexuality. A heterosexual person is not expected to do the same because their sexuality is seen as the societal default.
These terms are similar but have key differences. Comphet implies direct coercion of heterosexuality onto women. Heteronormativity implies that heterosexuality is the norm, therefore people struggle when straying from the norm but are not necessarily coerced—it’s more about societal pressure.
Both of these theories serve a purpose: to provide an explanation of why LGBTQIA+ individuals struggle to grapple with their identity and feel fully free. Comphet is a theory that focuses on the experiences of lesbian women, which is significant because lesbian representation is often lacking and a lot of the time lesbians get left out of the narrative. The theory of heteronormativity is also great because it is broad and can apply to all members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Discussing theories like these is important, and being aware of them is a great step in realizing your own identity. Sexuality and gender identity are always going to be a difficult subject to grapple with. I know so many people who struggle to find their identity because of the societal norms and pressures that have been pushed on them their entire lives. I hope in talking about these theories I could help at least one person who has struggled. Of course, there is so much more to say about both of these theories, so I encourage everyone—LGBTQIA+ or not—to explore and educate themselves further.
Haylee Leasure is a sophomore studying journalism. Please note that the opinions expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk about the column? Email Haylee at hl125421@ohio.edu.
