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Agenda
1. Unpacking the centre: A comparison
of heterosexuality and whiteness
2. Social accomplishment vs. genes
3. The Trouble With Normal
4. Why is heterosexuality so
important?
Unpacking the centre: A comparison of
heterosexuality and whiteness
Sexual Orientation
Refers to whom one is affectionately and
sexually attracted, usually based on
gender and sex characteristics.


Heterosexuality: Sexual attraction to
someone of the opposite sex/gender.
Homosexuality: Sexual attraction to
someone of the same sex/gender.
Unpacking the centre: A comparison of
heterosexuality and whiteness
More Definitions:
 Queer
 Bisexual
 Gay
 Lesbian
 Trans
 Two-Spirited
 Questioning
Unpacking the centre: A comparison of
heterosexuality and whiteness
Gender
Gender is expressed in terms of masculinity and
femininity.
Socially determined
Gender Roles
arbitrary rules assigned by society that define
what clothing, behaviors, thoughts, feelings,
relationships, etc. are considered appropriate and
inappropriate for members of each sex.
varies according to locations, class, occasion,
time in history, and numerous other factors.
Sex
Biological: chromosomes and hormones
Unpacking the centre: A comparison of
heterosexuality and whiteness
Two parallels between whiteness and
heterosexuality:
1. The invisible knapsack of privilege
2. Reliance on genetic explanations to
explain behaviour
Social accomplishment vs. genes
A social construction approach
asserts that:
- we understand our sexuality
according to the social meanings
which are attributed to it
- our ideas sexuality are historically
and culturally specific
- sexuality is socially made, rather
than simply biologically determined.

Social accomplishment vs. genes
Heterosexism
The societal assumption that everyone is heterosexual, and
that heterosexuality is somehow superior to homosexuality;
the systematic and/or institutional oppression of lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender persons.
Homophobia
-An unrealistic or irrational fear of glbt people and their
culture, the fear of being or being perceived as GLBT
-perpetuated by the negative stereotypes and
misconceptions that surround the subject of homosexuality.
The extreme behaviour of homophobia can lead to hatred,
discrimination, and violence against GLBT people or people
perceived as such.
Heterosexual hegemony - ?
Social accomplishment vs. genes

Q: What do you think some of the
problems with the search for the gay
gene are?
Social accomplishment vs. genes



continues to identify homosexuality as the
exception, the problem.
The search for a gay gene may be looking
for a way to ‘cure’ homosexuality or
prevent the birth of gay people.
There is no political power in saying ‘I
can’t help the way that I am.’ – does not
challenge heterosexual hegemony
Social accomplishment vs. genes
Thinking genes vs. thinking queer
 The hetero -homo binary supports a belief
that our sexuality is determined by our
genetic makeup/our biology. That
sexualities are fixed.
 Queer theory:
Sexualities are not fixed,
but fluid. If there were not so much effort
put in to convincing people to be proper
heterosexuals, we would see far more
fluidity in people’s sexual desires and
practices. Fixed sexual identities would be
meaningless.