Combating Heteronormative Language The Oxford Dictionary
definition for “heteronormative” is: “Denoting or relating to a
world view that promotes heterosexuality as the normal or
preferred sexual orientation.” While in the LGBT community the
term “heteronormativity” is spoken often, we must remember that
it is not a commonly used term in the workplace or classroom
(unless you’re studying women’s studies or queer studies). It is
also not uncommon for you to hear aunts, cousins, or elderly
people talking to young girls and teasingly asking “so, have you
got a boyfriend yet?” and it’s often difficult in the workplace
or classroom to speak up when someone says something about
advertising to “women looking for a man” or things like that. So
what can we do in times these situations? Do we speak up and out
ourselves in a potentially non-queer friendly environment, or do
we stay quiet and allow the teacher to keep speaking about
“traditional” heterosexual sex and relations? It’s important to
also remember that just b