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Assignment 6

Adrienne Rich argues that heterosexuality is institutionalized as a concept, meaning that a monotheistic-like belief in heterosexuality is a product of society and established through its culture. Rich begins with Kathleen Gough’s work by explaining the eight characteristics of Male power and how the construct of male domination is intent on consciously curbing women, varying from physical abuse to limiting the way women think. These characteristics reveal themselves in present day society through sexual discrimination; Rich debating that these constructs serve in part to force heterosexuality onto women and thus limit lesbian freedom from all fronts through making homosexuality an obligatory taboo. The next example Rich draws pieces of her argument from concentrates on the sexualization of women already at a disadvantage in the workforce. There is a double standard against lesbians, it being that American society’s women are expected to look and behave as heterosexual females. The example of a lesbian being forced to express her sexual orientation in secret is an indictment of society’s desire to shun and suffocate homosexuality between women in order to make them fit in line with the characteristics of male power.

Male domination as an institution has a profound impact on feminist thought; the pressure on women as a group to fight gender discrimination often undermines female homosexuality. Rich uses the term ‘lesbian continuum’ to describe the various connections between women (not necessarily sexual) that allow them to form stronger bonds as a group and boost individual confidence. By ignoring the issue that is female homosexual freedom, lesbian continuum is put in jeopardy and hence women as a whole. This being a consequence of institutionalizing heterosexuality makes it difficult for women and feminism to consider homosexuality as a response to Male power, since the secret lesbian faces the possibility of loosing her place in society.