Heterosexist Bias in Research

Heterosexist bias systematically limits what we know and imagine about the world as a result of conceptualizing human experience in strictly heterosexual terms. The term bias describes a prejudice against or an inclination toward some ideas or people over others, and as a result, bias creates prejudices within social structures, policies, and conventions. Heterosexism is a foundational system that oppresses nonheterosexually identified individuals. Heterosexism stems from the assumption that heterosexuality is natural, universal, and therefore inevitable. In turn, sexualities and identities such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) are assumed to not be natural, universal, or inevitable. As a result, heterosexism ignores, rejects, and stigmatizes nonheterosexual identities, behaviors, and relationships.

It is important to note that heterosexist bias does not rely on whether an ...