Heterosexual Norms Research Articles

A gay autoethnography: Gender, sexuality, and organizations

AbstractWould the effeminate boy be an outsider or a fruit that grew far from the tree? Understanding the trajectory of a male child with effeminate traits can unveil practices of various institutions regarding boys and men with these characteristics, bringing to light organizational practices that are not limited to homophobia but also to “effeminophobia.” This autoethnography is an exercise in reclaiming one's own history, marked by violent exclusions, domination, and subjugation, with the aim of explaining how heterosexual normativity impacts the bodies and subjectivities of effeminate individuals. This account begins in the 1990s in the city of Barra do Piraí, a locality located in the interior of Rio de Janeiro, which was governed by male domination and influenced by a colonial culture. In this context, it is important to note that I do not consider it possible to define a period for analysis in terms of years, but rather within a biological time frame, encompassing the stages of life. Therefore, this delimitation begins in childhood and extends into adulthood. This autoethnography is dedicated to discussing effeminophobia directed toward children and adults in various institutions, especially in the workplace. To do so, it utilizes the social and professional trajectory of a young gay man who managed to become an adult.

Young People’s Reasons for and Emotional Reactions to Sexting in Intimate Relationships

ABSTRACT Although sexting is a widespread phenomenon among today’s youth, little is known about their experiences of sexting with their intimate partners. This study addresses this gap by examining young people’s reasons for sexting and emotional reactions to sending and receiving sexts in their intimate relationships, as reported by 764 (48.7% girls) 15–20-year-olds in Finland. Both younger and older girls and boys reported mostly positive reactions to both sending and receiving sexts. However, girls reported more negative reactions than boys did. Girls’ reasons for sending sexts were more frequently related to their own desire to feel sexy or flirtatious, their need for validation from their partner, or the pressure that their partner put on them to sext, whereas boys’ reasons more often indicated normative ideas of sexting as a typical component in a romantic relationship and responding to sexts sent to them by their partners. The results suggest that although it is mostly consensual and reciprocal, sexting within intimate relationships may carry different meanings for boys and girls, reflecting gendered heterosexual norms.

’I would just like to be straight.’ Boys and young men’s concerns about being gay in the questions sent to a Finnish sexual counselling service

ABSTRACT This article delves into the experiences of boys and young men grappling with anxiety surrounding potential ‘homosexual’ orientation, particularly within the context of societal expectations of normative heterosexuality. Using data from queries submitted to a Finnish sexual counselling service between 2017 and 2019, we highlight a dissonance between societal equality initiatives and the lived experiences of boys and young men in Finland. Drawing on queer theory and social norms critique, we analyse the constraints that limit the exploration of sexuality and self-identification among young Finnish men. Our findings underscore the pervasive impact of enduring societal norms on young men’s ability to express their sexuality openly and authentically. We advocate for strategies to promote a more supportive environment for young persons to navigate their sexual identities and advocate for the well-being of young people, alongside considerations for professionals working in youth support roles.

Heteronormativity in Swedish schools: making a difference as an LGBT teacher

ABSTRACT In various respects, policy has been enhanced to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals in Sweden, with improvements extending to the school environment and the circumstances faced by LGBT teachers. Nonetheless, research emphasises that legislative measures and policy documents serve as an initial step, necessitating supplementary comprehensive efforts to address negative attitudes and implement proactive measures within educational institutions. Research suggests that intensified initiatives focusing on norms and anti-oppressive education could improve the situation of LGBT teachers. This article delves into the educational endeavour to promote diversity by analysing written narratives provided by LGBT educators. The aim is to elucidate their contributions, using a second order perspective, to challenge heteronormativity and advancing educational objectives across three distinct functions of education. The LGBT teachers’ contributions move education forward by facilitating their colleagues’ learning about LGBT identities and thereby enhancing their colleagues’ acquisition of knowledge. Moreover, these educators pointed to facilitating students’ autonomy regarding LGBT identity by demonstrating the possibility for students to define independently and be acknowledged accordingly. To conclude, by analysing the LGBT teachers’ accounts of the heterosexual norm in the educational setting, it has been possible to discern empowering dynamics in otherwise overlooked situations.

Black roses: The womanist partnership of Frances Reynolds Keyser and Mary McLeod Bethune

Through recovered biographies and unpublished archival papers, I examine the connection of two Black clubwomen, Frances Reynolds Keyser and Mary McLeod Bethune, who shared a modest ceremony that bonded them for life. I argue that their private relationship was deeper than they could credibly portray through their public image at the time, bound as they were by the strictures of respectability politics. Their cultivation of respectability was an irreplaceable asset in, and indeed a necessity of their work, but it also demanded the presentation of normative heterosexuality. In addition, I conducted a creative investigation of the archives to draw attention to their everyday lives and experiences in Daytona. Many Black women activists’ experiences do not conform to the white male-centric narrative ethos present and the assumption of heterosexuality is a dominant yet wholly inaccurate narrative on Black club women’s legacies and activism. Biographical recoveries can change, complicate, and enhance our understanding of these women’s relationships regarding their well-curated public personas as clubwomen. This study aims to provide an intellectual history of Black women through the club movement by putting biographical data front and center, especially by examining their own words.

Silencing the Rainbow: The Territorial Effects of Pride Cancellation

The pause in Pride parades, particularly highlighted during the pandemic, reminds us of the importance of actively including and celebrating nonheteronormative communities. It emphasizes the need to cultivate understanding and acceptance of diverse sexual orientations. This study navigates through the landscape of Madrid Pride, focusing on understanding how its unforeseen cancellation in 2020 due to the pandemic has influenced the LGBTQIA+ communities’ sense of space, openness, safety, visibility, acceptance, and equality. The research is centered on examining the connection between Pride parades and the appropriation of spaces that are typically seen as conforming to heterosexual norms. It takes into account the viewpoints of the LGBTQIA+ community (including activists, organizations, and potential attendees) as well as the perspectives of event stakeholders (such as organizations, local community members, and tourism professionals). A social representation theory‐based inductive approach was utilized, drawing from queer and feminist perspectives. The cancellation of Pride events in recent times has caused significant disruption to the de‐ and reterritorialization of space. This has had far-reaching implications in both the political and social realms for the LGBTQIA+ community and its public profile.

Flouting norms, forging identities: Queering of hypermasculinity in Marvel Cinematic Universe’s posthuman superhero pantheon

This research explores the convergence and intersection of posthumanism and the queering of hypermasculinity as represented in the superhero bodies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It examines how the super-bodies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, specifically Ironman, Captain America, Hulk, and Vision, can be read in light of the intersection between posthumanism and queer theory. By drawing upon posthumanist theory and queer theory, it challenges normative notions regarding hypermasculinity by queering the corporeal forms of superheroes who have experienced technological (like Ironman and Vision) or biological (Captain America and Hulk) enhancement. These posthuman super-bodies stand at the juncture of the ongoing tension between historically evolving heterosexual norms and queer interpretations and can exist as a highly significant site for the representation of heightened masculinity in superhero movies. Thus, this study will attempt to show how posthumanism queers hypermasculine bodies, upending norms by rejecting uniformity and universal definitions. The bodies of these superheroes, which have originated from the human form, move beyond what makes them so and are characterized by constant movement, fluidity, and renewal, which is reminiscent of queer ambiguity.

A study on female Korean university students’ perception of male’s role

This study investigates the perceptions of men held by female students in a Korean university, a place where the most liberal and exploratory discussions unfold. The study aims to examine how women perceive male’s role in Korea, and thus, employs Q-methodology to understand the different types of perception of male’s role. According to the results, there are a total of four types of perception: type I “dualistic norm perception,” type II “superiority perception,” type III “subjective perception,” and type IV “gender-balanced perception.” When comparing the aforementioned outcomes to feminist phase theory, type I overlaps with phase 3 of duality, and type II manifests characteristics of both the male-defined phase 1 of male dominance and phase 2 of contribution. In reality, however, the gender-balanced phase can be seen as extremely rare in the Korean society that embraces heterosexual norms. Nevertheless, the fact that type IV balanced gender is apparent in some female university students can be interpreted as an indication of change of perception toward the other sex role in Korean society.

Queer Performance of Gay and Cis Men Accountants from the Perspective of Tokenism

ABSTRACT This paper captures critical incidents under the three phenomena of tokenism – visibility, polarity, and adequacy – of gay and cis men (token figures) compared to straight and cis men (the dominant group) in the accounting environment, perceived as predominantly male. Such an environment can lead to the silencing of sexual subjectivities that do not meet heteronormative performance standards. The main concern is to observe how accountants who are both gay and cis – a minority – may feel themselves to be token figures in an area where the dominant group is men who are straight and cisgendered. Thus, this study falls within the scope of queer studies and highlights how social relations and representation between the two groups are processed in a predominantly masculine professional area. To this end, interviews were conducted with accounting professionals and members of the Accounting Collective for Inclusion and Diversity in Brazil. Using the critical incidents technique, it was possible to observe that men who were gay and cis had, throughout their professional careers – under the observable phenomena of tokenism – been confronted with potential scrutiny in the face of the dominant group. The study also points out that accountants who are gay and cisgendered are constantly confronted with behaviour similar to that of straight and cis accountants to protect their image. As a response to remaining a minority in organisations, men who are gay and cis feel forced to get as close as possible to the stereotype of heteronormativity so that their behaviour, clothes, and even tone of voice are consistent with the social norm of heterosexuality. A lack of organisational policies was also observed to mediate the tension between the groups (dominants and tokens) and the interviewees’ pessimism regarding likely changes in the future professional scenario.

Wooing Werewolves: Girls’ Genius, Feminine, and Initiation in Angela Carter’s and Märta Tikkanen’s Versions of “Little Red Riding Hood”

Girls’ initiation contributes to cultural representations in Western folk fairy tales. This study examines girls’ initiation in three contemporary versions of “Little Red Riding Hood”, Angela Carter’s “The Company of Wolves” and “Wolf-Alice” (1979), and Märta Tikkanen’s Rödluvan (Little Red Riding Hood, 1986), in relation to “The Story of Grandmother”, popularized by Paul Delarue (1956). Combining fairy-tale research with Kristevan theories on subjectivity, the feminine, and the genius, it examines how initiation assigns to the girl in Delarue’s tale a social identity and role as a woman and how the contemporary tales negotiate this through the heroines’ wooing of werewolves. The findings, presented in both written and visual forms, show the reach of the heroines’ feminine psychosexual maturity, here called the girl genius, in Carter’s and Tikkanen’s versions, representing an alternative to traditional assumptions of girls’ psychosexuality within normative heterosexuality.

"You only have one mother!": institutional violence in experiences of double motherhood in healthcare.

The objective was to understand experiences of double motherhood during antenatal, childbirth and postpartum healthcare, using a qualitative method involving individual online interviews and asynchronous, online focus groups of cisgender women, mostly in same-sex relationships. The results revealed how these women's experiences of parenting were marginalised, highlighting institutional violence in Brazilian healthcare services, which are presented here in two thematic dimensions: 1) Cisheteronormativity and its impact on experiences of double motherhood; and 2) Institutional violence in healthcare services: from curiosity to LGBTQIA+phobia. It was concluded that cisheteronormativity hinders healthcare for these experiences, especially by rendering the non-gestational mother invisible. This underscores the urgent need to train healthcare personnel, rethink and challenge cisgender and heterosexual norms and promote inclusive policies to ensure equitable care and combat institutional violence.

Deconstructing the Clinging Myth of ‘Straight-Passing privilege’ for bi+ People

This article is premised on critiquing the idea that bi+ people – that is, those with multiple gendered attractions - have ‘straight-passing privilege.’ This assumed straight-passing privilege suggests that bi+ people are not equally affected by homophobia and heteronormativity when compared with lesbian and gay people. This article aims to demonstrate that this notion of straight-passing privilege is harmful in understanding bi+ people. To explore these arguments, this article uses literature relating to passing and identity management to understand how bi+ specific identities relate to these theoretical concepts. Through a sociological lens, this article argues that the idea of straight-passing privilege neglects the real circumstances of bi+ people, who experience safety and wellbeing concerns and presumed privileges because of these assumptions. It is correct that bi+ people may be able to pass as straight in certain circumstances, as may many lesbian and gay people, but the understanding of this as a privilege fails to account for the difficulties that anyone living outside of a heterosexual norm experiences. Rather, bi+ people are subject to biphobia and bisexual invisibility/erasure that impacts their ability to be ‘out’ at all—leaving them ontologically incom­prehensible.

Queer breaches and normative devices: language learners queering gender, sexuality, and the L2 classroom

ABSTRACT Cisgender and heterosexual norms permeate every level of language classrooms, from textbooks to classroom discourse to teachers’ actions, constraining queer/trans learners’ ability to be themselves. Yet queer/trans and non-queer/trans learners alike may challenge cisheteronormativity within the language classroom and create new possibilities. We investigate the possibilities of queer/trans learners’ agency within these normative structures by bringing together three cases from larger separate projects, examining the context and actions of learners in each setting as they attempt to queer their classrooms to make them habitable. Drawing from Ahmed’s queer phenomenology, we analyze the devices that orient students to classroom cisheteronormativity, actions that students and their accomplices may take to breach these norms, and the reactions to and potential of such breaches within the L2 classroom context. We find that orienting devices, including curricular representation, language use, and grading practices, convey implicit and explicit messaging that can limit expressions of gender and sexuality. Yet queer breaches, when not subject to straightening, can lead to new classroom possibilities for expression, playfulness, and identity validation. We conclude by considering the implications of this analysis for practice.

“Mãe é só uma!”: violência institucional nas experiências de dupla maternidade na atenção à saúde

Abstract The objective was to understand experiences of double motherhood during antenatal, childbirth and postpartum healthcare, using a qualitative method involving individual online interviews and asynchronous, online focus groups of cisgender women, mostly in same-sex relationships. The results revealed how these women’s experiences of parenting were marginalised, highlighting institutional violence in Brazilian healthcare services, which are presented here in two thematic dimensions: 1) Cisheteronormativity and its impact on experiences of double motherhood; and 2) Institutional violence in healthcare services: from curiosity to LGBTQIA+phobia. It was concluded that cisheteronormativity hinders healthcare for these experiences, especially by rendering the non-gestational mother invisible. This underscores the urgent need to train healthcare personnel, rethink and challenge cisgender and heterosexual norms and promote inclusive policies to ensure equitable care and combat institutional violence.

The Narrative of Abjection and Dissidence: Reading The Voice of Bhumika

The paper explores the narrative of abjection and analyzes the voices of dissent portrayed in Bhumika Shrestha’s autobiography Bhumika: Autobiography of a Transgender (2018). Shrestha is a trans-woman, who suffers due to the established gender concept, normative heterosexuality and encounters consistent criticism, hatred and rejection from the society. Nonetheless, she dares to challenge the established social values and gender austerity. She rejects and resists against the patriarchal gender coding and struggles hard for her identity claim. She has been raising her voice for the rights of sexual and gender minorities since she got associated with Blue Diamond Society. To explore the established idea of gender and abjection, I have analyzed the life experience of Bhumika employing theoretical concept of Judith Butler that sheds light on the discriminatory concept of ‘liveable’ and ‘unliveable’ bodies in terms to sexual orientations.

A male idol becoming a girl? Nisu fans' sexual fantasy about male stars

The emergent movement of reverse Sue (Nisu) in China refers to the practice of (especially female) fans imagining themselves as having a strong male role to their idols' weak female role. In this process, female fans take on a powerful, active role to protect and look after their male idols in female form. Examining how Nisu fans interact with other types of fans and negotiate a mainstream gender discourse dominated by traditional heterosexual norms reveals how, as a burgeoning subcultural group, female Nisu fans express their subversive potential by seeking the power of an imaginary phallus to defy male hegemony. However, their internal divergence and self-contradiction might weaken this defiance.

Neuroqueering sexuality: Learning from the life‐writings of queer neurodivergent women

AbstractThe mainstream notions of gender and sexuality among neurodivergent individuals lack wisdom and input from those who have the lived experience of the same. Queer phenomenology (2008) proposed by Sarah Ahmed, offers an interpretative framework to understand neurodivergent life by moving beyond the definitions of sexuality as a set of constructed identity formations aligned to normative gender and reproductive practices. Queer phenomenology along with a feminist phenomenological lens can be employed to analyze the narratives of queer neurodivergent women to see how they access and experience their sexualities. In this way, the present paper argues that queer neurodivergent women “neuroqueer” (a term developed by Yergeau) sexuality by actively subverting and disrupting compulsory heterosexual norms.

Queering Gender Boundaries and Redoing Heteroamorous Desire: Youth Scenes As a Social Field for (Re-)Negotiating Gender Arrangements and Sexuality

In Second Modernity, traditional affiliations, ideals and norms continuously are becoming less important. Among the things affected by that are gender norms and sexualities, so that the reflexive self now has the task of relating to these transformations. Based on scene ethnographies (interviews, group discussions, participant observations), this article examines how the (youth) scenes Visual Kei and K-pop serve as social fields to challenge traditional societal norms of gender and heterosexuality. Gender-neutral ideals and gender-differentiating norms coexist in Visual Kei; heteroamorous fantasies coexist with various sexual realities in K-pop. In both scenes, the scene-specific gender displays also significantly influence the sexual displays. Scene members embrace a great diversity of sexual orientations, thereby applying cultural globalization and socially constructing post-traditional forms of gender arrangements and sexualities that intertwine ‘Western’ as well as ‘Asian’ practices and aesthetics.

Lesbianism: Deconstructing the Christian church and social hierarchies in South Africa

Christianity places a high value on one’s faith in Jesus Christ, and from this belief, one fosters a perception of LGBTQI people. The general patriarchal idea that the only true, biblical sexual orientation is heterosexuality is one of the elements contributing to the religious obstacle the LGBTQI face. Lesbian[1] spouses and their children are frequently subjected to animosity and rejection from members of the local community, where they choose to participate in religious activities. This is because lesbians and/or lesbian families depart from the so-called heterosexual norm. To analyse how the Christian church refers to homosexuality. I will use Michel Foucault’s philosophy on discourse and power as a theoretical underpinning to examine the preconceived concept of a fixed social hierarchy within the Christian church and society. The paper focuses on the biblical discourses that underlie lesbian identity. By highlighting how colonial impressions resulted in a homophobic reception of the bible, I argue for a positive reimagining between churches and the LGBTQI community and provide evidence that the Christian church and social hierarchies impact lesbian identity negatively through the implementation of the Biblical text and patriarchal ontology. [1] The term lesbian will be used to describe lesbian individuals with or without partners and children. Christianity’s emphasis on faith in Jesus Christ can shape perceptions of LGBTQI individuals. The notion that heterosexuality is the only biblically sanctioned sexual orientation, rooted in patriarchal ideals, presents a religiouschallenge for the LGBTQI1 community. Lesbian couples and their children often face hostility and exclusion from local religious communities, due to their departure from heterosexual norms. This article employs Michel Foucault’sdiscourse and power theory to examine how the Christian church and society maintain a fixed social hierarchy. Itfocuses on biblical discourses shaping lesbian identity and highlights how colonial influences have fuelled ahomophobic interpretation of the Bible. The argument advocates for a more positive relationship between churches and the LGBTQI community, asserting that the Christian church and social hierarchies negatively impact on lesbian identity through the use of biblical text and patriarchal views.

Repercussions of Laughter in the Claudine Novels: Butler, Bergson, and Colette/Willy

Abstract This article examines the role of humour in the first two Claudine novels, drawing primarily on Henri Bergson’s theory of the comic and Judith Butler’s reflections on parodic performance. Bergson emphasizes the nature of laughter as a travelling sound, whose echoes fleetingly define the borders of a social group. This helps us articulate why laughter is associated with experiences of both exclusion and inclusion, especially for non-heterosexual individuals. However, Bergson’s work also opens the fraught question of who is laughing with whom in the case of Colette and Willy’s popular co-authored novels. I argue that both authors have a role in offering — and seeking to retract — parodic subversions of normative heterosexuality, which nevertheless remain available for new and unexpected groupings of readers. I also emphasize the importance of laughter in Claudine’s experience of sexuality, suggesting that it may reveal more than her often-cited desiring gaze.