According to Dictionary.com, heterosexism is "a prejudiced attitude or discriminatory practices against homosexuals by heterosexuals." An example of heterosexism is if a homosexual man applies for a job, but is not given the job solely on the basis of his sexual orientation.
Though perhaps it is a less credible source, I actually agree more with an Urban Dictionary definition of heterosexism: "The false assumption that everyone is or should be heterosexual because it is assumed to be the only acceptable and viable life option; this assumption often leads to discrimination based on sexual orientation; a form of homophobia." Though this definition is not bias-free and is somewhat less concise than that of Dictionary.com, I prefer it because it does not assume that only heterosexuals can participate in heterosexism. In fact, I agree with Wikipedia's discussion of the term which states, "people of any sexual orientation can hold such attitudes [of heterosexism] and bias."
Currently, there is a pending act in congress, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would forbid any discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the workplace. If this act is passed it would help to fight against heterosexism, but the fact that it is still pending shows that heterosexism is still a huge problem in the United States.
I think this is a great definition of heterosexism, which is a facet of oppression. The mention of ENDA hints at the institutional nature of heterosexism, because it operates on both the personal and societal level. I think in addition to legislation such as ENDA, which will help fight heterosexism at the institutional level, education will be key in fighting it at the personal level.
ReplyDeleteI also think that this is a good definition. I like the Urban Dictionary definition for the same reason as Hannah. Much of society follows heterosexism, which can lead some people who are not heterosexual to feel bad or think that they are doing something wrong. I think that it needs to be dealt with first on a societal level, to stop discrimination and prejudice. Then it can be handled on a personal level and people should be more accepting.
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