The Social Construction Of Heterosexuality Summary

In Pepper Schwartz’s article, “The Social Construction of Heterosexuality,” the author details the eight distinct pillars of heterosexuality. These pillars include: heterosexuality is related to gender, heterosexuality is socially accepted by others, one’s body type must display their heterosexuality, one must only be excited by the opposite sex, one’s arousal toward the opposite sex must be unfaltering and definite, one must attract the opposite sex, one’s sexuality cannot be subject to change, and sex as the holy grail of heterosexuality. For the purposes of this paper, I will discuss the idea the heterosexuality is based on the final idea that sex is the utmost important thing to a heterosexual life and relationship.
People with debilitating, chronic diseases find it near impossible to do many things a normal person could, including sex. For example: Lara Parker, a writer and producer for BuzzFeed, has been dealing with a chronic disease called Endometriosis for most of her life.

She was no longer able to fulfill one of the main hallmarks that, as society has determined, contributes to her identity and felt social pressure to somehow change. Changing and conforming to social norms of heterosexuality for Lara, however, resulted in unbearable pain. Lara’s feelings of exclusion brings up questions of what should constitute heterosexuality. Once one’s sexual identity is put into question a person may, and especially in Lara’s case, question their human identity and lose grip of their purpose in life. The social construction of heterosexuality, including the requirement to be able to perform sexually, harms the psyche of people who may not physically, as well as mentally, be able to perform. Therefore, acknowledgement of disabilities of this population is deeply important in order to understand a greater view of heterosexual