Heterosexism

Heterosexist Language

Just as feminists have developed a critique of spoken and written language that excludes or denigrates individuals on the basis of gender, proponents of LGBTQ rights also assert the need for inclusive language. Heterosexist language is characterized by bias in that it naturalizes heterosexuality, erasing the legitimacy or even the possibility of nonheterosexual practice and identity. For example, asking one's teenage niece whether she has a boyfriend may sound like an innocent question. However, the gendered nature of the question excludes the possibility that she may in fact have (or desire to have) a romantic attachment to another girl. Many lesbian and bisexual women report that such automatic presumptions of heterosexuality make it more difficult for them to disclose their true sexual identity to friends, family members, and other people. Those who wish to adopt more inclusive language, devoid of heterosexism, should consider using gender-neutral language rather than simply assuming heterosexuality as a default. For example, a person might ask her niece whether she has a partner (or partners), or whether she is seeing someone special, because such gender-neutral language does not simply assume the heterosexuality of the other party, and thus leaves open other possibilities concerning sexual identity and practice.

Heterosexist language can be particularly problematic in contexts where women's health and/or safety are at risk. For example, conceptualizing partner abuse as “wife battering,” a term typically associated with male-perpetrated violence within heterosexual marriages, obscures the reality that domestic violence occurs at approximately the same rate in same-sex relationships as it does in opposite sex unions. Some lesbian and bisexual women report that the rhetoric of mainstream organizations addressing forms of physical and sexual violence against women is so infused with heterosexism that they feel that such organizations are ill-equipped to meet their needs. [Page 684]Medical and social service professionals, as well as policy makers and others, can better serve all women by using inclusive, gender neutral language which doesn't privilege heterosexuality over other forms of experience and identity.

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