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A slowly expanding body of literature has examined the problem of heteronormativity in management education. Scholars have begun to agree that heteronormativity is constituted in and through management education, reproducing heteronormative binaristic notions of sexuality and gender in management curricula, teaching activities, academic scholarship, and business schools. Research has demonstrated the negative outcomes for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer* (LGBTQ*) people, but questions remain about how heteronormativity is constituted as normative in management education. Addressing this, we demonstrate how heteronormativity is performatively constituted as normative through language, and what management educators can do to disrupt it. Analytically, Judith Butler's (1990) theory of performativity, which emphasizes the constitutive power of language and repetition of speech acts, is pivotal to conceptualizing heteronormativity as performative. We interrogate the performative effects of LGBTQ* injurious speech acts, which have been lamented by scholars as ubiquitous and harmful, and show how they constitute and sustain heteronormativity as normative in management education. As a remedy, we derive insight from Butler's ideas about reworking the power of injurious speech to inform management educators how they can disrupt the performativity of heteronormativity. The essay contributes novel theoretical ideas about conceptualizing and disrupting the performativity of heteronormativity in management education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPhenomenon: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) identifying individuals experience worse health outcomes compared to non-SGM identifying counterparts. Representation of SGM individuals within medical schools may improve the delivery of more equitable healthcare through reducing biases and normalizing SGM presence within healthcare spaces. Approach: Our initial aim was to explore the extent to which role models may influence personal SGM identities within medical schools in the United Kingdom, using an interpretative phenomenological approach. This methodology allowed us to develop meaning from, and give voice to participants’ relationship with their bespoke experiences, respecting differing narratives within the broad ‘SGM’ umbrella, rather than attempting to establish commonalities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five medical students and three medical school faculty within three medical schools, who identified as SGM. Due to a lack of gender minority identifying participants, we unfortunately could not adequately speak to their experiences, and therefore narrowed our eventual focus to sexual minority (SM) individuals. Findings: The developed themes followed a cyclical process of: (1) role model identification; (2) role model selection, influenced by matched wider identities including generation, hierarchy and power; (3) trait assimilation, particularly where identity deficits were perceived; and (4) identity projection, where students used role models to both emulate comfortable SM identity projection, and become advocatory role models themselves. Throughout, participants described role models as multifaceted in their direction (vertical and horizontal), influence (positive and negative) and locus of effect (as individuals, and as part of a collective). Unexpectedly, identity, power, and hierarchy-matching meant peer-to-peer role modeling was often experienced more positively than vertical faculty-to-student role modeling. However, as expected, heteronormativity exerted an inhibitory effect on this process. Insights: We built upon existing social cognitive paradigms to develop a ‘double-funnel’ model to represent how social contexts can map onto individual SM identities and vice versa, mediated by role models. The triangulation of these three aspects in relation to medical education presents novel understandings to the field. Greater explicit institutional support of student-led SM societies, and facilitation of the presence and discussion of SM symbols and personal identities within professional spaces, may go a long way in redefining ‘normativity’ in medical schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst political and educational challenges, LGBTQ+ educators in the Southern United States often conceal their identities. Through the lens of ecological systems theory, we propose that inconsistent pedagogical paradigms create a sense of liminality for these LGBTQ+ stakeholders. This study of four school personnel highlights the silencing of LGBTQ+ individuals in Southern United States schools, fear of parental backlash, and the cognitive burden of being silenced while offering suggestions for fostering an inclusive school climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the concept of Intersectional I in the early works of Argentinian transgender female writer Camila Sosa, who added a performative dimension into her autobiographical narrative. It situates Sosa's work within the traditional cis-heteronormative-centered narrative of the class transfuge. It discusses the experiences of transgender subjectivity with the intersection of social class mobility and gender/sexual mobility and Sosa's use of testimonial ethos for embodied writing.

The article explores the entangled queer and feminist relationships and the queer resistance movement within the dystopian regime in Wendy Delorme's novel "Viendra le temps du feu." It examines the collective bond and power of the feminist community to elude the constraints of a heteronormative system and heteropatriarchal dominance, as well as the utopian vision in the novel, and the importance of intertextuality to understanding queer identities and subjectivities.

The article applies queering as a process of deviation to elaborate on the concept of unbecoming in Virginie Despentes' novel "Vernon Subutex 1." It examines the failure of the character Vernon, a cisgender straight white man, to become a normative subject as a narrative process of undoing, unbecoming, or as a form of gender disidentification, displacement and disorientation within the hereronormative mode of living, as well as an antithetical representation to socialization.

An introduction is presented in which the author discusses articles within the issue on topics including motherhood, heteronormative love, deconstruction of patriarchal and capitalist order, and intimacy as a collective form of queer resistance.

AbstractResearch has highlighted the constraints imposed on bi + people as they navigate sexual and romantic encounters within a society which privileges exclusive attraction to one gender. For bi + men, these expectations are complicated by hegemonic masculine norms which dictate the boundaries of gender expression. This qualitative study explores how bi + men navigate the boundaries of normative gender and sexual expression in constructing a bisexual-masculine identity. Twenty-two cisgender bi + men participated in semi-structured interviews, where they were invited to discuss their beliefs about bisexuality and masculinity. The findings explore the ways that bi + men navigate the borders of hetero- and queer masculinities in constructing a bisexual-masculine identity, identifying traits and characteristics which affirm a sense of masculinity. The findings also identify the barriers bi + men experience in aligning their masculine and bisexual identities, which often led to a feeling of liminality and erasure of their bisexual identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STEM in higher education has been framed as a central site to boost the knowledge-based economy. Within this context, gender equality and mental health have been of primary concern. However, the affective inequalities experienced by STEM students with marginalised “sexual orientations and gender identities” – SOGI – remain underexplored. In this article, we drew on Butler’s work on the heterosexual matrix and Ahmed’s gendered notion of affective economy to analyse students’ impostor phenomenon experience in relation to wellbeing and belonging. Based on a sample of STEM students from Indian and UK universities and articulating statistical analyses with feminist affective politics of interpretation, we identified affective inequalities that were significantly intense in marginalised SOGI students. These inequalities were indexed in higher levels of impostor feelings associated with fear, disappointment, self-doubt and unworthiness; lower levels of wellbeing; and precarious sense of belonging. Importantly, when we intersected gender and sexual orientations, these experiences of affective inequalities became more visible. We highlight the relevance of both taking heteronormativity from an affective lens and going beyond assumed heterosexualities in the study of inequalities in STEM fields in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this essay, I recover queer Indigenous P'urhépecha histories in Michoacán, México, by claiming queer P'urhépecha research methods. To do so, I introduce the Indigenous methodology of talking-while-walking, which refers to how I learned to connect with P'urhépecha knowledge and traditions through the voice of my P'urhépecha grandfather. Since the colonial system eradicated queer histories from my land, I seek historical narratives about queer people in Michoacán from any source available to me, including oral histories, archives, information in the media, and interviews. I argue that queer P'urhépecha histories are unstable and non-linear, and that P'urhépecha bodies have been hunted and their histories distorted, provoking fear and false speculations about queerness among the collective. I also examine the attachment of P'urhépecha people to gender binary traditions and heteronormativity and how the narratives behind these practices relate to colonial violence and the persecution of queer P'urhépechas. Thus, I demonstrate how P'urhépecha queerness has been marginalized and simultaneously displaced from the archival records while I claim queer P'urhépecha histories and build queer P'urhépecha archives. Finally, I propose a sensitive and personal approach to queer histories guided by the voices of my queer P'urhépecha interlocutors and the histories that my P'urhépecha abuelo passed to me. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Picture books are a central part of early childhood and contribute to the picture children form of the world. While most picture books are oriented toward the concept of heteronormativity, more picture books featuring same-sex parents have been published in recent years. This article addresses the question of how same-sex parents are portrayed with regard to gender roles. Data stems from 23 German-language picture books, 17 with two mothers, six with two fathers. A quantitative coding approach was used to capture the portrayal of gender roles. The analyses showed that parents (especially fathers) are depicted as engaging in emotional or caring activities. Although in a large number of picture books both parents provide care and household-related activities, there is a statistically significant difference in terms of one parent performing these activities more frequently. In this respect, it can be seen that the portrayal of same-sex parents is partially oriented toward homonormativity, as these activities are usually depicted as female. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses an early twentieth-century Afrikaans ghost story, "Die bouval op Wilgerdal" by CJ Langenhoven (1972, originally published in 1924) by means of a queer reading and it places specific focus on the affective role of space in the story. It is a story within a story that is presented as a first-person retelling of a tale about the haunted, ruined farm of the Van Graan family. Affect theory and Gordonian hauntology are used as tools to underpin the queer reading of the story that, it is argued, contribute to its queering. The article approaches queerness as a radical politics that disrupts social norms and reaches beyond queerness as an umbrella term for the LGBTQIAP+ community. The article illustrates how queer reading is an approach to text analysis that focuses on hegemonic literary history to queer the literary canon and undermine the hegemony of (hetero)normativity. Queer reading specifically pays attention to the tension between the visible and the invisible in texts in order to bring out hidden meanings that run counter to normative readings of the text. Productive links between queer reading, Gordonian hauntology and the uncanny are illuminated by illustrating how the relationship between the visible and the invisible is explored. For Gordon, ghosts and haunting inform how systemic structures that are invisible or seemingly no longer there, make their impact felt. The analysis of haunting can therefore lead to a more complex understanding of the moving parts and generative structures of historically embedded social formations. A key part of Gordon's theory is how the uncanny is a haunting experience where the familiar, which has been suppressed, returns in the form of a disturbing phantom. Importantly, this article highlights the parallels between queerness and the uncanny. Because of the links between queer reading and affect as well as Gordon's emphasis on the affective, a discussion on affect theory is presented to direct attention to how emotions circulate between bodies, objects, and spaces in the text. The discussion of the text sheds light on the affective role of the farm in the Afrikaans literary tradition. The argument is made that the space of the farm does notfigure as a mere backdrop against which Afrikaans stories play out, but that it can be considered a palimpsest through which the various layers of history, identity and affect can be read. To illustrate this, a brief overview of the context from which the farm novel emerged is given to highlight how it responded to widespread urbanisation by glorifying the rural values of the past. The article describes how ownership of the land, and the farmer's ties to the land through his labour and bloodline were regarded as key parts of Afrikaner identity by the Afrikaner nuclear family depicted in early twentieth-century Afrikaans farm narratives. It is suggested that one of the ways in which CJ Langenhoven's "Die bouval op Wilgerdal" queers the characteristic features of the farm in Afrikaans literature is by making the space of the story, the farm, an uncanny space. In this way, the story undermines and criticises the values that are often associated with the farm and questions its centrality in the formation of an Afrikaner identity. To elucidate this subversion and questioning the affective landscape of the narrator in "Die bouval op Wilgerdal" is analysed to show how CJ Langenhoven uses the setting to evoke an uncanny affective environment by drawing the narrator affectively into the anticipation of threat through the sights and sounds of the farm. The haunting of the farm is located in its setting, rather than from the outside suggesting that the story regards the threat that haunts the farm as internal and supernatural. This is particularly evident from how Langenhoven represents the haunting of the Wilgerdal farm in the ruined Afrikaner home and reveals that the true haunting is located in the ruin of the Van Graan family lineage and the subsequent loss of their bloodline's ties to the land. This is especially evident from how Langenhoven makes the Afrikaner house a haunted house and thus reveals that the ghostliness of Wilgerdal originates in the heart of the Afrikaner family. This disruption occurs due to Frans Rysselaar's occupation of Petrus's body, leaving Petrus disembodied and searching for justice on the farm. The conventional patterns of Afrikaans literature about the farm, where the benevolent patriarch rules over the farm and ensures the succession of his bloodline, are therefore queered. Following from this, the article suggests that by depicting the threat to the farm as a supernatural threat linked closely to the setting of the story, the farm and the Afrikaner family home, Langenhoven's text may have been attempting to queer the familial values of Afrikaner society that were valorised in Afrikaans literature about farms at the time. Finally, it is argued that through this queering the text uncovers and/or reflects the uncanny nature of the farm and the Afrikaner's tenuous relationship with it. A queer reading of "Die bouval op Wilgerdal" implores the Afrikaner to live with and provide a hospitable memory for the ghosts that populate Afrikaner homes. The article concludes by suggesting that this story may have been speaking to that which haunted Langenhoven and Afrikaner society at the time and that these same fears around the survival of the Afrikaner family and the Afrikaner's ownership of the land still persist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The school, like many other social institutions, is not immune from the far reaches of heteronormativity. To further understand and challenge such an oppressive regime, our study paid closer attention to how selected gay men wield their agency in the context of higher educational institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines. Our analysis is anchored on the assumptions of the theory of the Chordal Triad of Agency (CTA). This theory sees agency as constructed temporally (past, present, and future) through social engagements or relational contexts of action. Data were drawn from in-depth interviews with 30 self-identified gay faculty. This empirical study reveals that the critical forms of social engagement in exercising gay agency are academic, interpersonal, and public in nature. Informed by the dimensions of the CTA, the specific ways of wielding gay agency are distancing strategically and displaying masculinity (iterative dimension); dissenting intellectually (practical-evaluative dimension); and segueing lessons, transforming time stereotypes, and queering tasks (projective dimension). This article not only reveals the power of dissent, as evident in the multiple and creative ways gay agencies are wielded, but also examines the conducive role of academic freedom offered by HEIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to the mounting stresses associated with teaching in the UK resulting from decades of neoliberal reform (Ball, 2021), lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) teachers experience a range of challenges to their professional identity from institutions that perpetuate the gender binary and hegemonic heteronormativity. Consequently, there is an urgent need for a deeper understanding of how these teachers can be better supported to thrive in education settings. To begin to address this, this pilot study employs the Power, Threat, Meaning Framework (PTMF) with five LGBTQ+ teachers. The main findings from this study are that teachers experience power as a form of self‐surveillance and policing but also positively, as a tool to reclaim space for positive representation. Threats came principally from media and parents and impacted participants' sense of inclusion/exclusion in practice. Finally, participants made meaning of their experience through channelling their LGBTQ+ activism into EDI leadership roles, reclaiming space as a role model and using visual tokens to prompt 'micro‐moments' of connection. The results of this study demonstrate the potential of the PTMF for future research to support LGBTQ+ teachers in practice and that the rigid nature of the framework may benefit from a more holistic approach to data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the concept of sexual fluidity and its applicability to men's sexual experiences by approaching the surveillance and control of hegemonic masculinity. We carried out semi-structured interviews with 15 participants aged between 20 and 53 who state having experienced sexual fluidity. The analysis conveys how sexuality is a work in progress while highlighting the intersections of masculinities and sexualities in a heteronormative, mononormative, sexually rigid, and hegemonically masculine social context. The results indicate the potential flexibility, malleability, and changeability of all sexual identities, orientations, and experiences when disengaging from a heteronormative approach in sexual relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose the concept of algorithmic heteronormativity to describe the ways in which dating apps' digital architectures are informed by and perpetuate normative sexual ideologies. Situating our intervention within digital affordance theories and grounding our analysis in walkthroughs of several popular dating apps' (e.g., Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge) interfaces, promotional materials, and ancillary media, we identify four normative sexual ideologies—gendered desire, hetero and homonormativity, mononormativity, and shame—that manifest in specific features, including gender choice, compatibility surveys, and private chat. This work builds on earlier digital culture theorizing by explicitly articulating the reciprocal and gradational linkages between existing moral codes, digital infrastructures, and individual behaviors, which in the contemporary context work jointly to narrow the horizon of intimate possibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LGBTQ+ media representations that uphold heteronormativity, negativity, and homophobia can lead to perceptions of media as threatening. Drawing on intergroup threat theory, this study measured perceived media threats (in-person/group, realistic/symbolic) among English-speaking LGBTQ+ Filipinos (N = 817). The Perceived Media Threat Scale, developed for this study, showed a unidimensional structure with sound psychometric properties. LGBTQ+ identity challenges were found to be associated with an increased perception of threat from the media. However, perceived media threat was not associated with psychological well-being. The Perceived Media Threat Scale appears to be a sound measure of LGBTQ+ perceptions of media in the Philippines. Results suggest that perceived media threat may impact identity processes such as coming out but does not appear to be related to well-being in the LGBTQ + community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My essay troubles the "true fact" of the New Woman's default whiteness, heteronormativity, and imperialism by returning to her roots in Irish literature and bringing Black women's writing into this canon. Through an analysis of Sarah Grand's The Heavenly Twins and Frances E. W. Harper's Iola Leroy , I argue for a retooling of the canon grounded in queer theory, Irish discourse, and Black feminism. Using Hortense Spillers's concept of the counter-myth, I explore how Grand and Harper play with familiar narrative conventions—the mistaken identity plot and the tragic mulatta trope—to imagine queer, anti-imperial, and Black New Woman figures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article challenges the assumption of contact improvisation (CI) as a gender-neutral dance form, as it has been claimed since the emergence of the dance form in the 1970s and pertained until recent times. Drawing on ethnographic research in Montreal (2019), the investigation combines autoethnography and participant observation to examine the influence of gender roles and power dynamics on the dance floor. To understand the claim of egalitarianism in CI, the study first exposes a discourse analysis of CI's initial gender egalitarian ideology (1970s) and its reaction against dominant dance forms like ballet. The article discusses the role of the body in ethnographic work, suggesting that the researcher's sensorial and affective experiences can challenge scholarly assumptions and fieldwork's discourses. By highlighting how knowledge is embodied, the article emphasizes anthropology's contribution to dance theory through the disclosure of knowledge via somatic experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the dynamics of gender and power distribution, focusing on societal expectations and responsibilities for those identifying as men, women, and transgender. This analysis examines the influence of gendered biological characteristics on power systems, emphasizing the significant role of myths in determining the fundamental aspects of culture. Conversely, the study examines the role of epics as pedagogical instruments, safeguarding cultural ideologies throughout successive eras. The focus is on examining how gender-queer individuals are portrayed in epic literature, which provides evidence of nonbinary identities in historical periods. This analysis helps us better understand cultural stories and the roles assigned to different genders. This research investigates mythological, symbolic, folkloric, and religious tales to assess gender ideology. This study examines two liminal characters in epics and folklore: Shikhandi, who is a transgender representative in Devdutt Pattanaik's Shikhandi and Other Queer Tales They Don't Tell You, and Teeja and Beeja, in New Life who challenged ancient heterosexual power patterns. The study characters challenged mythological gender boundaries and heteronormative power structures. Oral queer narratives in folklore and mythologies will be studied to show how folklore and mythology share plot structure and meaning. This study examines gender-queer opposition to subjectivity's normative order. The study highlights marginal identity crises and resistance using cultural discourse and queer ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I identify key tropes in the television franchise The Bachelor/ette (2002–), mapping the reality TV dating narrative onto Barbie Land and examining the ways in which Barbie (2023) parallels and/or subverts these constructs. Ryan Gosling's remarks that The Bachelorette informed his portrayal of Beach Ken provide a starting point for analysing the ways in which a lack of heteronormative temporality in Barbie Land renders the Barbies free from the burden of patriarchal domesticity. I also consider Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) as reflective of a traditional Bachelorette series lead, and the shortcomings of the TV franchise in terms of platforming people of colour and casting racially diverse leads in the series. I juxtapose these two texts to highlight the ways in which Barbie offers an antithetical microcosm that challenges the heteronormative reality TV dating format and conservative conceits perpetuated by the Bachelor/ette franchise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I read the references to the Regency Romance in Barbie (2023) as key moments in the film's challenge to heteronormative structures of romance and marriage. Diplomat Barbie (Nicola Coughlan) and the Depression Barbie advertisement set up the premise of the film in terms of women's voice, women's self-actualisation and – with its claiming of selfhood – a rejection of heteronormative structures of romance as being one of the primary modes of defining women's role and function. The film's fundamental joyful unwillingness to detach from the unserious – while at the same time foregrounding and then rejecting the heteronormative marriage plot that is indispensable for the Regency Romance – brings us back to the unserious and to laughter as a mode of resistance to capitalism and the patriarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs a queer theoretical framework to explore three student teachers’ interpretations and perceptions of two LGBT+ picture books, including their considerations on integrating these texts into classroom pedagogy. The participants are nearing completion of their initial teacher training at a university in the northern part of England. The picture books that are the focus of the study were purposefully selected owing to their exploration of varied queer themes. Discussion is anchored in metaphor of picture books functioning as either “window” or “mirror,” depending on children’s individual experiences or identities, therefore necessitating acknowledgment of children’s potential future queerness. Through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, the study uncovers multifaceted perspectives. Participants respond positively to both texts and express interest in incorporating these into their teaching practices. However, they additionally demonstrate awareness of potential limitations and complexities, including negative reactions from stakeholders and promoting heteronormativity. Uncertainty is expressed around navigating these issues within existing curriculum and policy frameworks. The study concludes by advocating for enhanced exploration of these difficulties in initial teacher training and early career stages, if aiming to adequately support these emerging educators in effectively promoting LGBT+ inclusivity in their future classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have recently emphasized the importance of siblings in the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. However, most of this literature assumed that these siblings are heterosexual and cisgender. This study considers how LGBTQ siblings may impact the experiences of LGBTQ youth, particularly as the youth navigates cisnormativity and heteronormativity within the family. We analyzed interviews with 26 LGBTQ youth who have LGBTQ siblings from the Family, Housing, and Me (FHAM) project. We find that LGBTQ siblings offer positive social support to LGBTQ youth, particularly for transgender and nonbinary youth who have transgender or nonbinary siblings. For most of the youth, having mutual disclosure of their gender/sexual identity with the siblings strengthened their relationship and built sibling solidarity. LGBTQ siblings were a consistent source of LGBTQ identity support and often shared the burden of confronting cisnormativity in family life. This work has implications for understanding the social support available for LGBTQ youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the judicial treatment of pubescent, female victims of sexual assault in Buenos Aires, Argentina, between 1853 and 1878, dates that span the decades between the national constitution and the adoption by Buenos Aires Province of new penal legislation. Centering the case of 13-year-old Irene Mestosini, it analyzes the prosecution of estupro cases through the paradigm of rape culture and victim blaming. It exposes how, by casting pubescent girls as malicious because of their physical and mental development, authorities blamed them for their assault while dismissing men's aggressive sexuality. By illustrating the ways in which physiological development worked alongside legal cultures, class expectations, and heteronormative gender norms to create a culture of impunity around sexual assault, this article suggests that modern notions of acceptable and unacceptable sexuality emerged in Buenos Aires earlier than in other parts of Latin America, where honor remained a central concern well into the twentieth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers can unintentionally reinforce societal prejudice against minoritized populations through the false assumption that psychological measurements are generalizable across identities. Recently, researchers have posited that gender and sexually diverse (GSD) people could feel excluded or confused by the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) due to its overtly heteronormative statements like "A man is incomplete without the love of a woman." Yet, the ASI is used for indexing the endorsement of sexism in GSD samples and across diverse populations. An ideal test of these experiences is to directly consult GSD participants for their reactions. In the current study, we report a reflexive thematic analysis of lesbian women and gay men's (N = 744) feedback immediately after completing the ASI. Four themes characterized participants' reactions to the ASI: Exclusion: Heteronormative items erase diverse genders and sexualities, Confusion: Inability to meaningfully respond due to heteronormativity, Hope: Exclusion understood as a necessary sacrifice toward progress, and Distress: Exclusion inflicts distress by reflecting societal prejudice. The themes captured the experience that many participants found heteronormative assumptions salient in the ASI and had varied reactions to the heteronormativity. Our results extend prior research that questions the generalizability of results drawn from the ASI, especially studies including GSD participants. We discuss the implications of the continued use of the ASI and encourage researchers to critically evaluate underlying theories and assumptions to ensure participants can engage with measures as intended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundPurposeMethodsFindingsConclusionsPrevious studies have shown unequal treatment of female and male students during PE. However, few studies have focused on gendered communication between teachers and students. Particularly, students’ perceptions of communication have often remained unexplored. Understanding this process appears to be highly significant for ensuring gender equality in schools. In this study, we applied Foucault’s theory of normalization and Butler’s theory of gender performativity and heteronormativity to present data obtained during PE lessons in Polish upper secondary school.In Poland PE teachers still do not formally acquire knowledge of the significance of gender equality in the education process. No policies are formulated on teaching gender equality in schools. Hence, analyzing gendered communication during PE classes in Poland, where no specific gender equity legislation has been introduced, complements the ongoing discussion regarding prevailing gender structures in PE.The purpose of the study was to explore gendered communication between PE teachers and students in Polish upper secondary school, and perceptions about this communication specifically among male PE teachers and girls.Data were gathered through three qualitative methods: observation of 60 PE lesson units, 17 focus group interviews with male (n = 27) and female students (n = 33), and 5 semi-structured in-depth interviews with PE teachers whose lessons were observed. Discourse analysis, informed by content analysis, was conducted to uncover fundamental communication patterns between teachers and students in the context of gender performativity and heteronormativity.Communication between PE teachers and students demonstrated gender bias, indicating deeply rooted practices of heteronormativity. The male teachers communicated more frequently with female students than with male students and a significant portion of the communication took the form of jokes, teasing, and comments related to the physical appearance of the girls, romantic relationships and dating, and traditional gender roles assumed by women.Students’ statements obtained in the interviews indicate a significant degree of downplaying the impact of teachers’ way of communicating and ‘defending teachers’. They encountered a strong normalization process that restricted their ability to resist teacher communication.Although the PE teachers emphasized the importance of being ‘sensitive’ when communicating with students, PE the teachers’ understanding of gender issues appeared to be fragmented and unrefined, with insufficient recognition of the importance of proper communication with students.The implications of this study emphasize the necessity for Polish PE teachers to acquire a deeper understanding of how gender operates within school environments and PE classes, recognizing its impact on students. This awareness is pivotal in recognizing and addressing heteronormative structures during lessons. In connection with that, a thorough discussion on the impact of political and cultural factors shaping the knowledge acquired by teachers and the curriculum in schools is required. Additionally, the research highlights a need for appropriate student education because they are currently subject to strong normalization processes. The normalization processes they undergo hinder their recognition of dominant gender relations in the school environment, and, consequently, their resistance to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this qualitative case study is to examine the phenomenon of female students' disproportionate representation in senior level Physical Health Education (PHE) classes. The subject for this teacher's Masters level project arose from the first author's personal observations while teaching across several schools in British Columbia, Canada. Through semi-structured interviews with self-identified female participants, we explore female subject choice and if, along with possible reasons why, females may avoid participation in senior level (grade 11-12) mixed gender PHE activity courses. This discussion asserts that females mostly make conscious choices to avoid mixed gender courses at the senior level for several key reasons; females feel silenced by their male peers, PHE is not an inclusive environment, and females perceive their male counterparts assert dominance over them in PHE class. This paper continues with a discussion regarding reinforced gendered norms and their effect on perceived barriers to female participation in schools, and concludes with suggestions for how schools and educators might support female students' participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the public sphere of South Asian countries, prominent movements to formally recognise gender diversity and decriminalise same-sex relations have had effects in Nepal and India, but same-sex relations remain a criminal offence in Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries. Against this background, the article analyses an early novel by the Sri Lankan Canadian writer Shyam Selvadurai, showing how prohibition and tolerance go rather uneasily hand in hand within the public and private spheres of Sri Lanka, creating anxious precarities in the everyday lives of individuals, their families and supporters within a heteronormative framework. Since formal legal recognition per se can never fully guarantee the freedom to live one's life as one desires, the article discusses, in light of Selvadurai's work, to what extent private individual strategies of navigation and self-management remain crucial for non-heteronormative individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While recent data from the Entertainment Software Association indicates there is close to a 50/50 split in gender identification of gamers between men and women, the environment created by stereotypical depictions of women in games as well as negative community interactions continue creating a hostile environment for women who identify as gamers. Since the 2010s, the presence of female playable characters in major studio games began to appear with polarized reception. Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) and Horizon Forbidden West (2022) require players to assume the role of Aloy, a female machine hunter and outcast without a male playable character option. Using Glick and Fiske's concept of benevolent sexism and the three frames outlined in Schröter and Thon's video game narrative analysis framework (narrative, ludic, and social), Aloy's narrative was analyzed to highlight how it disrupts amatonormative benevolent sexism in female-led games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using survey comments from organisations across various sectors in Aotearoa New Zealand, this qualitative study examines the workplace climate for Rainbow employees. It employs the theoretical frameworks of heteronormativity and cisnormativity to challenge established gender and sexual norms within organisations. The study explores how cis-heteronormativity manifests at both organisational and interpersonal levels. Highlighting the limitations of current inclusion practices, it deepens the understanding of power dynamics within organisations in a region conventionally regarded as Rainbow-friendly. Although many employers demonstrate a commitment to Rainbow inclusion, as evidenced by organisational initiatives and the pursuit of Rainbow Tick accreditation, organisations can still function as spaces that are both Rainbow-supportive and cis-heteronormative, positioning Rainbow employees as valued yet non-normative. The study argues that despite the growing visibility of Rainbow identities within organisations, further efforts are needed to confront entrenched cis-heteronormativity that impedes the full inclusion of queer employees. Additionally, it proposes rethinking organisational approaches to Rainbow inclusion, shifting the focus from the margins to the norms.

Family members often cite broader societal discourses and norms when forcing Chinese queer people to engage in heterosexual marriage (referred to as HMQ; heterosexual marriage undertaken by Chinese queer people). It is unclear what these social norms entail and how the norms are maintained. This paper examines 89 Chinese newspaper articles to uncover the societal discourses driving families to pressure queer people into heterosexual marriage. We identified three framings: (1) Highlighting problems of formality marriage (the marriage between two queer people) and gay's wife marriage (the marriage between a queer man and a heterosexual woman); (2) portraying people involved in formality marriage and gay's wife marriage as suffering from heteronormative pressure to engage in marriage; and (3) presenting formality marriage in a collaboration frame and gay's wife marriage in a deception frame. These framings suggest heteronormativity in marriage is upheld in societal discourses about HMQ and sustained by two hierarchies created in Chinese newspaper articles: one degrading queer marriage practices, which made heterosexual marriage undertaken by queer people inferior to ideal heterosexual marriage; another stratifying queer marriage practices, which made the marriage between a queer man and a heterosexual woman less acceptable than the marriage between two queer people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we explore the strategies and experiences of young queers of colour in Sweden. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with four young queers of colour, we discuss their experience in relation to belongingness, space and place. At the centre of our analysis is the notion of being 'out of place', that is, of not embodying the somatic norm of a specific position or space. The participants articulated how queer people of colour lack representation, both in mainstream society and in the queer community. According to the young participants, finding a community with other queers of colour was imperative for them to share experiences and feel belongingness. They strategically navigated and resisted heteronormative and racialized stereotypes in their everyday life. By claiming and creating their own spaces, these young people become social and political actors who are involved in renegotiating the meaning of a space and place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explains the establishment of the concept of masculinity in the discipline of geography and how hegemonic masculinity is formed in places and places. Since masculinity is an interdisciplinary subject, the works of sociologists and feminist social and cultural geographers were used. It consists of sections on geography and hegemonic masculinity, organizing hegemonic masculinity, radical feminism and masculinity, place, patriarchy and heteronormativity, Spaces have become central to the production of gendered and sexualized bodies. The closet in spaces has become a place where gender and sexuality performances take place. In closet spaces that are connected to each other, masculinity is constructed relationally, thus patriarchy and heteronormativity are reproduced. This situation caused the oppression of homosexual men and women in the closet and the subordination of women. For social change, homosexual rights must be guaranteed and the discipline of geography, which is often heterosexist, must change. The aim of this study is to contribute to the discussion of these issues in geography studies in Turkey, to compile the literature and to create an environment for these concepts to be established, especially in Turkish.

Few of the parables found in the gospels have received more attention than the parable of the man with two sons, commonly known as the parable of the Prodigal Son. In this paper, I argue that discourses of queer futurity can help make new sense of the parable, highlighting its use of family structures and its assumptions about time, and attending to the story’s reflections on the conditions of flourishing. Understood this way, the parable of the man with two sons reads as a debate over bodies, kinship, and possession of the future, and it provokes reflection on the limits that heteronorming structures place on thriving. Read alongside theorists of queer futurity, the parable of the man with two sons affords at least two possible interpretations. It can be understood as a gesture toward a new horizon, embracing a queer future free of the constraints of heteronormative reproductivity. But the parable can also be understood as a conservative cautionary tale that insists on temporal reproductive norms and pathologises deviance from full alignment toward a heteroreproductive future.

This article delves into the experiences of boys and young men grappling with anxiety surrounding potential ‘homosexual’ orientation, particularly within the context of societal expectations of normative heterosexuality. Using data from queries submitted to a Finnish sexual counselling service between 2017 and 2019, we highlight a dissonance between societal equality initiatives and the lived experiences of boys and young men in Finland. Drawing on queer theory and social norms critique, we analyse the constraints that limit the exploration of sexuality and self-identification among young Finnish men. Our findings underscore the pervasive impact of enduring societal norms on young men’s ability to express their sexuality openly and authentically. We advocate for strategies to promote a more supportive environment for young persons to navigate their sexual identities and advocate for the well-being of young people, alongside considerations for professionals working in youth support roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Israeli masculinity has been researched by diverse disciplines such as sociology, army studies, gender studies, and more. The dominant theme of such research has been to identify Israeli masculinity as heteronormative and aggressive, and usually discusses it via a nationalistic or religious lens, basing its interpretation on macho, militaristic, and heterosexual values. The current study suggests another perspective for exploring Israeli masculinity by examining two dance productions created by male choreographers and performed by male dancers: Beasts by Ido Tadmor (2000) and But the Virgin Was More Available by Javier de Protos (2002). Both performances expose a homosexual dynamic, reclaims feminine symbols, and exposes silenced public issues such as rape perpetuated against men. These pioneer performances thereby challenge the heteronormative constructions of gender identities and sexualities and present a performance of masculinity which opposes hegemonic perceptions, which are based on heterosexual and machoistic values. I conclude that these modern choreographic productions can be considered political cultural acts in the Israeli public sphere that give a voice to gendered discourse otherwise silenced by Israeli society at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male and female partners in heterosexual peer networks in Calabar metropolis, Cross River State, south-eastern Nigeria, use reciprocal label metaphors to characterize each other in negative (or positive) ways. This article explores how sexual metaphors, banters, and teasing are used to satirize young people's heterosexual behaviors and practices to develop consensual sexual morality. The study is anchored on Charteris-Black's (2004) critical metaphor analysis (CMA) which highlights the social influence of ideology and asymmetry power relations which are communicated by metaphors from semantic, pragmatic, and cognitive dimensions. Drawing on ethnographic qualitative data sourced through focus group and semi-structured interviews with 30 participants who were purposively sampled, I argue that categories of metaphors used in labeling the significant other provide platforms where sexuality and intimate bonds and relations are (re)imagined and (re)constructed in the context of the lived experiences of young sexual actors. The study concludes that reciprocal labeling of sexual partners among the sampled population in this study facilitates the enthronement of hegemonic ideologies and heterosexual capital such as the reproduction of male power, as well as the subversion of such power and control through female agency. In this way, label metaphors provide prominent social instruments of regulation of peer sexual behavior and in bridging the gender divide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into the complex ways in which children and adolescents subvert heteronormativity in/through comics. Situated at the intersection of Comics Studies and Gender and Sexuality Studies, this research engages with queer theoretical contemplations by locating it within the impetus of queer theory's inquiry into the figure of the child, more specifically, the crisis of identity as experienced by queer children. It focuses on select contemporary Indian comics by platforms like Gaysi Family and Pratham Books, published both digitally and in print between 2018 and 2022, and employs a theoretical framework drawing from Butler's conception of the heterosexual matrix and interpellation, as well as Munoz's theory of disidentification. The article comprises three sections offering four different perspectives on the mechanism of subversion: the first section explores disidentification in characters and their subversion of heteronormative norms, the second delves into disidentification at the intersection of romantic/sexual desire and gender, and the final section examines the role of these comics in reshaping the heteronormative boundaries of 'children's literature' and their role in introducing subversion to comic readers through narratives of disidentification. The article illuminates the transformative potential of comics in challenging norms, fostering resistance, and envisioning alternative futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the correlations between social workers' levels of religiosity and their professional attitudes toward discussing sexual health. The focus was particularly on the potential mediating role of their attitudes to heteronormative beliefs. A random sample of 150 social workers from Israel (Jewish [63.3 percent], Palestinian-Arab [36 percent], and those who self-identified as "other" [0.7 percent]) completed a self-administered questionnaire. The findings revealed significant correlations among professional attitudes toward discussing sexual health, attitudes toward heteronormativity, and degree of religiosity. Social workers with higher levels of religiosity exhibited higher levels of heteronormative beliefs, which, in turn, influenced their professional attitudes toward discussing sexual health. Furthermore, the findings highlight the importance of challenging heteronormative perspectives for all social welfare service users. Social work must establish culturally sensitive training to challenge the hegemony of heteronormative perspectives while connecting to religious and conservative values and perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining Martin Heidegger's concept of Holzwege —the tangled forest paths that serve as metaphors for being, knowledge and truth—with the wild epistemology of queer theorist Jack Halberstam and similar explorations of queer ecology, this article applies a phenomenological lens to the representation of the forest as a site of queer time, space and being in the work of Céline Sciamma, focused primarily on Tomboy (2011) and Petite Maman (2020). The logic of child's play and imagination coalesces with the unbound and wild epistemological conditions of the marginalized forest, forming in these two films a discernible "world within the world" that serves as the primary site of development and transformation. Traversing the boundaries between the known, familiar world of French middle-class domesticity and the unbound, wild expanse of the woods, Sciamma's films offer alternative possibilities of maturation on the margins of heteropatriarchal normality for her queer and gender non-conforming protagonists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Existing research suggests that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals often face discriminatory and hostile acts known as microaggressions, which are more prevalent than those experienced by individuals with heterosexual orientations. However, literature examining this phenomenon within the Philippine context is lacking. This explanatory sequential mixed-method research involved 427 LGB cisgender Filipinos aged 18 to 54. The study comprised two phases: Phase I employed a descriptive cross-sectional design to quantify the impact of sexual orientation microaggressions using the Homonegative Microaggressions Scale. Phase II employed a phenomenological method to explore further the impact of sexual orientation microaggressions through participants' lived experiences. Findings from the quantitative phase revealed that all LGB Filipinos in the study, regardless of generation (X, Y, Z), experienced similar levels of homonegative microaggressions. No significant differences were found among participants' experiences of sexual orientation microaggressions when grouped by generation. Qualitative interviews conducted in the second phase validated the presence and impact of homonegative microaggressions, leading to the emergence of five themes: (1) Heteronormativity & Social Expectations, (2) Marginalization & Exclusion, (3) Verbal & Psychological Harassment, (4) Emotional & Psychological Impact, and (5) Challenging Gender Norms & Expectations. These findings were derived from interviews with 11 randomly selected participants from the Phase I sample. The implications and future directions of research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyse the understanding of 'good' fathering amongst white, heterosexual, and highly educated men living in the Netherlands with whom we conducted interviews. Their narratives showed that they consider 'good' fathering as a constant learning process, in which they put much emphasis on individualism, spending quality time with their children, and jointly discovering the world. To shed light on the structural factors that enable them to make active choices regarding fathering, we use the lens of privilege. While these fathers are privileged in relation to their gender, sexuality, class, education, ability, language, and ethnicity, the aspects of education, class, sexuality, and ethnicity emerged most prominently in the analysis of our data. Earlier research argued that privileges are often invisible to those who benefit from them. However, our data suggests, in line with recent research, that the privileged are sometimes aware of the benefits they profit from. Moreover, we add to the growing body of literature on privileged fathering in Europe by arguing that these fathers' privileges are not primarily detectable in the advantages they profit from, but rather in the absence of barriers and obstacles they face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractDrawing on in-depth interviews with 17 participants, this study explores the experiences of Chinese queer university students in managing their queer identity on campus. A range of strategies is outlined, including passing, covering, being implicitly out, and being explicitly out. This study also presents participants’ expectations regarding institutional support, as well as their ambivalence toward it. While participants expressed various expectations of university support, they simultaneously considered institutional support difficult or impossible due to the campus climate and broader political context. Informed by queer theory and the concept of heteronormativity, this paper engages in a queer critique of Chinese higher education, examining the manifestations of heteronormativity at both institutional and interpersonal levels. Situated within the context of Xi Jinping’s presidency, which has reinforced political control over higher education in China, this study examines the impact of intensified authoritarianism on the campus experiences of queer university students. In this challenging environment, the study highlights a unique facet of contemporary China, providing empirical insights into the power dynamics among queer individuals, educational institutions, and the party-state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]