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Assignment 07 – Marlena Esposito

Heterosexism outlines our relationship to the concepts of femininity and masculinity. Gender roles are increasingly defined through heterosexual relationships, which are idealized and considered a norm through the institution of heterosexism. In a traditional heterosexual marriage, both genders are placed into distinct roles. Women are considered the homemakers, in which they stay at home and take care of any children and their husband while cooking and cleaning. This calls for women to rely on their husband, who is considered the breadwinner of the family. Women’s labor is devalued, which is a concept often discussed by Karl Marx. This placement of the genders into distinct roles increases the construction of genders. Gender is not something that exists biologically; men and women do not have distinct roles that they are placed into because of their biology. There is an important difference between gender and sex that is often not noted because of heterosexism. Heterosexism leads us to believe that if men and women are not placed into definitive roles that they are not truly heterosexual or that they are not valuable. The specific gender roles that people are placed into in our society prevent women from truly having equal rights. Until the principle of gender roles that is placed by heterosexism institutions no longer exists, there cannot be true gender equality.

There is a distinction between the marxist view of heterosexism and the freudian view. Freudians focus on instinctual, sexual desires such as sexual orientation and Marxists focus on the structural hegemony of society, which includes class struggles and the distinct difference between the genders. Both views contribute to the inequality of the genders and of those in the LGBTQ+ community, as both are equally effected by the institution of heterosexism. The class struggles between men and women can be shown in the workplace, as women are placed into lower paying jobs that are considered “traditionally” feminine or are told to stay at home, and men have a higher ability to progress in their field and be at the top. The Freudian view and Marxist views overlap as those of a sexual orientation that is not heterosexual are often not given a job or can be fired from their job because of their sexual orientation. Heterosexism in the workplace is extremely prominent.