Fourteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Heteronormativity is the belief that people fall into distinct and complementary genders with natural roles in life and society. It assumes that heterosexuality is the norm and that sexual and marital relations are only fitting between people of opposite sexes. At the root of this heteronormative society, misogyny is manifested through social exclusion, discrimination, hostility, male privilege, the belittling and sexual objectification of women, and violence against women and the LGBTQ community. These victims are singled out because they threaten the androcentric norms that benefit heterosexual men. As a society, we must understand sexuality as a concept that is not comprehensible in purely biological terms, but rather as a continually changing and growing construction. By drawing from Michel Foucault’s constructivist alternative to sexual essentialism, we can address the injustice and discrimination faced by the LGBTQ community and the assumption that a woman’s sexuality cannot exist separately from her child bearing capacity and/or function in regards to the male ego. In the English language, the word “sex” means gender and gender identity, but also refers to sexual activity. This semantic merging reflects a cultural assumption that sexuality is reducible to sexual intercourse and that it is a function of the relationship between women and men. This cultural fusion of gender with sexuality discriminates against anyone who does not fall into the strict confines of heteronormativity. In order to address this social injustice, we must invest in creating positive language that is inclusive and accepting of different sexualities and genders.