The Straight Mind

Heteronormativity is something pervasive and evident in every aspect of our daily lives. The piece titled "The Straight Mind" by Monique Witting explains how heteronormativity can be oppressive to is embedded to our lives ever since we are children and how people who do not subscribe to said ideals can feel threatened by them. This piece has been personally one of the most helpful to read because the language was very clear and persuasive about how we should not subscribe to ideals that have been placed in society from centuries ago. In the twenty-first century, it is clear that gender is a social construct and this should be more clear in our society. Of course, this is easier said then done, but it is becoming more apparent, especially with more academic and scientific research. There are so many examples that I can think of that encourage heteronormativity from a very young age and this can potentially dominate other ways of thinking for the future. For instance, every movie I have ever watched since I was a young child authoritatively insisted that each character need to have a heterosexual relationship.

This is especially evident in Disney movies - something that most people in the Western world has seen at some point in their lives. I mention this because as we analyze societal norms, we should recognize how it has become this way. For instance, I took a class about Disney films and I saw how a majority of these movies perpetuated heteronormativity. Movies are clearly not the only sources of these troubling ideals but because they reach so many people around the world, they should be scrutinized because of what they claim to be normal.

Witting's article reminded me of past articles I have read and I came across one titled "Team of Researches blame children films for perpetuating 'Heteronormativity'" by Kathleen Gilbert.  This article showed how researches claim that movies, especially Disney films, show heteronormative ideals. I completely agree with this article because time and time again, these films explicitly equate happiness and 'normal' to heteronormativity. This way of thinking is destructive because it excludes people who do not subscribe to such ideals or those who are fluid in their sexuality. The article claims "The results, say the researchers, illustrate two ways that the children's films "construct heterosexuality": through "depictions of hetero-romantic love as exceptional, powerful, transformative, and magical," and "depictions of interactions between gendered bodies in which the sexiness of feminine characters is subjected to the gaze of masculine characters."