A heterosexual couple, a man and woman in an
intimate relationship, form the core of a
nuclear family. Many societies throughout history have insisted that a
marriage take place before the couple settle down, but enforcement of this rule or compliance with it has varied considerably.
Symbolism Heterosexual symbolism dates back to the earliest artifacts of humanity, with
gender symbols, ritual fertility carvings, and primitive art. This was later expressed in the symbolism of
fertility rites and
polytheistic worship, which often included images of human
reproductive organs, such as
lingam in
Hinduism. Modern symbols of heterosexuality in societies derived from European traditions still reference symbols used in these ancient beliefs. One such image is a combination of the symbol for
Mars, the Roman god of war, as the definitive
male symbol of masculinity, and
Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, as the definitive
female symbol of femininity. The
unicode character for this combined symbol is ⚤ (U+26A4).
Historical views There was no need to coin a term such as
heterosexual until terms emerged with which it could be compared and contrasted. Jonathan Ned Katz dates the definition of heterosexuality, as it is used today, to the late 19th century. According to Katz, in the
Victorian era, sex was seen as a means to achieve reproduction, and relations between the sexes were not believed to be overtly sexual. The body was thought of as a tool for procreation – "Human energy, thought of as a closed and severely limited system, was to be used in producing children and in work, not wasted in libidinous pleasures." and that "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" For the most part, religious traditions in the world reserve
marriage to heterosexual unions, but there are exceptions including certain
Buddhist and
Hindu traditions,
Unitarian Universalists,
Metropolitan Community Church, some
Anglican dioceses, and some
Quaker,
United Church of Canada, and
Reform and
Conservative Jewish congregations. Almost all religions believe that sex between a man and a woman within marriage is allowed, but there are a few that believe that it is a sin, such as The
Shakers, The
Harmony Society, and The
Ephrata Cloister. These religions tend to view all sexual relations as
sinful, and promote
celibacy. Some religions require celibacy for certain roles, such as
Catholic priests; however, the
Catholic Church also views heterosexual marriage as sacred and necessary.
Heteronormativity and heterosexism Heteronormativity denotes or relates to a world view that promotes heterosexuality as the normal or preferred sexual orientation for people to have. It can assign strict gender roles to males and females. The term was popularized by
Michael Warner in 1991. Feminist
Adrienne Rich argues that
compulsory heterosexuality, a continual and repeating reassertion of heterosexual norms, is a facet of heterosexism. Compulsory heterosexuality is the idea that female heterosexuality is both assumed and enforced by a patriarchal society. Heterosexuality is then viewed as the natural inclination or obligation by both sexes. Consequently, anyone who differs from the normalcy of heterosexuality is deemed deviant or abhorrent.
Heterosexism is a form of
bias or
discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships. It may include an assumption that everyone is heterosexual and may involve various kinds of discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, asexuals,
heteroflexible people, or transgender or
non-binary individuals.
Straight pride is a slogan that arose in the late 1980s and early 1990s and has been used primarily by
social conservative groups as a political stance and strategy. The term is described as a response to
gay pride adopted by various
LGBTQ groups in the early 1970s or to the accommodations provided to gay pride initiatives. == See also ==