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discussion"Heterosexism" as an alternative to "homophobia"
I'm attempting to learn a little more about gay, lesbian, and bisexual history and research. One author of a paper in the 2000s published an interesting argument. That "homophobia" is an inaccurate word for most contexts in how it is used, and he or she advocates for an alternative, with "heterosexism" being one.
I've heard heterosexism being used sparingly before without ever really understanding what it meant. It "refers to an underlying belief that heterosexuality is the more natural, acceptable, or superior form of sexual orientation". My interpretation is that this seems to convey that the perception and treatment of same-sex attracted people being deviant, odd, inferior - whatever - is rooted in or otherwise a type sex discrimination. I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for saying this. I’ve had mixed reactions to Nina and Corinna in the past, and I admire Stella. I think the response to these disagreements, while important, has become absolutist and out-of-proportion. [Edit: Not the ridicule, however. Corinna’s tweet is worthy of at least two threads of chortling disdain.]
Disagreements about coalition-building, boundaries, and compromise are necessary. They belong. I don’t like Corinna’s tweet and agree that it is both sexist and silly, but the fact is…occasionally I read something I consider sexist and silly here, too. That doesn’t absolve Corinna’s bad judgement or mean we shouldn’t bring it up, but while the frustration and weariness make sense to me, these feel like in-fights and not capital offenses.
I am not trying to scold women who vent their frustration about the recycling of sexist tropes by so-called allies. Speak up. But a number of comments have emphasized that this is why we cannot or should not include TIMs in our coalition, and that is not my personal reaction. There is diversity of opinion around a more radfem ethos here in general - and I think that’s a good thing as long as we can make space for each other. That space should include room for all the principled indignation we are hearing now.
But - and I say this no-doubt as a brainwashed libfem handmaiden TIM-apologist - I think we sometimes lean pretty hard into the temptation to categorize anyone south of our personal hardline as a handmaiden.
I consider Nina a handmaiden for other reasons, too. She is a self proclaimed libertarian which is a political ideology that stands squarely in opposition to the stated goals of radical feminism, IMO.
Her podcast makes me chuckle now & then but she has a lot - a LOT- of seriously bad, misogynistic takes.