This document discusses definitions of homophobia and heterosexism, and provides examples of both subtle and explicit discrimination based on sexual orientation throughout history. It explores how heterosexism operates through invisibility and attack of non-heterosexual orientations. Examples given include the "Save Our Children" campaign in 1977 Florida, a high school student being denied a same-sex date to prom in 1979 Rhode Island, the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy in the US military from 1993-2001, and the controversy over depicting same-sex parents on the children's show "Postcards From Buster" in 2005. The document argues heterosexism is similar to racism in promoting privilege for dominant groups and explores studies finding heterosexist

1. Episodes of arguably obvious and
subtle forms of structural
homophobic or heterosexist
discrimination.
THE LARAMIE PROJECT
RESEARCH

2. Definitions
• Homophobia - an extreme and irrational
aversion to homosexuality and homosexual
people.
• Heterosexism - discrimination or prejudice
against homosexuals on the assumption that
heterosexuality is the normal sexual
orientation.

3. What is Heterosexism?
Heterosexismmore broadly denotes the "system of
ideological thought that makes heterosexuality the
sole norm to follow for sexual practices".
As a bias favoring heterosexuals and heterosexuality,
heterosexism has been described as being "encoded
into and characteristic of the major social, cultural,
and economic institutions of our society" and stems
from the essentialist cultural notion that maleness-
masculinity and femaleness-femininity are
complementary.

4. Heterosexism explored…
Researcher, author, and psychology professor
Gregory M. Herek states that “Heterosexism
operates through a dual process of invisibility and
attack. He says “Using the term heterosexism
highlights the parallels between antigay
sentiment and other forms of prejudice, such as
racism, antisemitism, and sexism.
In interviews with perpetrators of anti-gay
violence, forensic psychologist Karen Franklin
points out that “heterosexism is not just a
personal value system, rather it is a tool in the
maintenance of gender dichotomy.” She
continues by saying that “assaults on
homosexuals and other individuals who deviate
from sex role norms are viewed as a learned form
of social control of deviance rather than a
defensive response to personal threat.”

5. Craig Rodwell
• Craig Rodwell is supposed to have coined the
term Heterosexism when 1971 he wrote :
After a few years of this kind of 'liberated'
existence such people become oblivious and
completely unseeing of straight prejudice and
- to coin a phrase - the 'hetero-sexism'
surrounding them virtually 24 hours a day

6. Examples or Episodes of Heterosexism
There are numerous stories and
examples of so called heterosexist
discrimination, both subtle and more
explicit.
Here are a few from different cultures
and time periods.

7. ‘Save Our Children’ Campaign
1977 Florida Save Our Children, Inc. was a political coalition
formed in 1977 in Miami, Florida, U.S. to
overturn a recently legislated county ordinance
that banned discrimination in areas of housing,
employment, and public accommodation based
on sexual orientation. The coalition was publicly
headed by celebrity singer Anita Bryant, who
claimed the ordinance discriminated against her
right to teach her children biblical morality.
“All America and all the world will hear what
the people have said, and with God's continued
help, we will prevail in our fight to repeal
similar laws throughout the nation which
attempt to legitimize a life style that is both
perverse and dangerous”. —Anita Bryant
Bryant claimed never to have heard of Alfred
Kinsey's study that estimated one out of five
males had had some sexual contact with
another male; or any information about
homosexual behavior in animals.

8. No same-sex dates at prom
1979 – Rhode Island please
• In 1980 a gay high school junior at Cumberland High School named Aaron Fricke
asked principal Richard Lynch asked Lynch for permission to bring a same-sex date
to a school dance.
• Lynch said that "the adverse effect among [Fricke's] classmates, other students,
the School and the Town of Cumberland, which is certain to follow approval of
such a request for overt homosexual interaction (male or female) at a class
function" was sufficient ground for rejecting the request.
• A preliminary injunction allowed him to attend the dance with his boyfriend.
• On May 31, 1980, the press reports "Amid heavy security, homosexual student
Aaron Fricke showed up at the senior prom with a male companion. Both wore
tuxedos." Lynch addressed the senior class earlier in the day and promised to
respond to any harassment of the couple with "very stern measures." The school
provided six rather than the customary two police officers for security. Some
students taunted the couple when they danced together.

9. 1993 - 2001 D.A.D.T ‘Don’t Ask. Don’t Tell’
A classic example is the attitudes that
contributed and stemmed from an official US
policy stating that anyone who “demonstrated a
propensity or intent to engage in homosexual
acts” was prohibited from serving in the armed
forces. Their reasoning for this was that “their
presence would create an unacceptable risk to
the high standards of morale, good order and
discipline, and unit cohesion that are the
essence of military capability".
This act also prohibited any potential
homosexual or bisexual person from disclosing
any homosexual desires, practices or
relationships while serving.
From the Revolutionary War (1780 approx) until
2011, homosexual tendencies were grounds for
discharge from the American military.

10. The policy was introduced as a
compromise measure in 1993 by
President Bill Clinton who campaigned
in 1992 on the promise to allow all
citizens to serve in the military
regardless of sexual orientation.
Comdr. Crag Quigley. Navy spokesman,
expressed the opposition of many in
the military at the time when he said,
"Homosexuals are notoriously
promiscuous" and that in shared
shower situations, heterosexuals
would have an "uncomfortable feeling
of someone watching”
Left - Dignity and Respect, the U.S.
Army's 2001 training guide on the
homosexual conduct policy, gave
official guidelines on what can be
considered credible information of
someone's homosexuality.

11. Postcards From Buster
2005 - USA
In January 2005 Margaret Spellings, United States
Secretary of Education, criticized the show for exploring
same-sex marriage. Episode #133, "Sugartime!", which
features Buster visiting Hinesburg, Vermont to learn
about the production of maple sugar, includes Buster
meeting several children who have lesbian parents.
In the episode, the word lesbian or homosexual is never
said, and the episode — like all Postcards episodes —
has no sexual content. Buster meets the children and
comments, "Boy, that's a lot of moms!"; one girl
mentions her "mom and stepmom," adding that she
loves her stepmother very much, and no other
comments are made about the couple.
Spellings demanded that PBS return all federal funding
that had been used in the production of the episode,
claiming that "many parents would not want their young
children exposed to the lifestyles portrayed in this
episode."[2] PBS decided not to distribute this episode,
but some member stations across the country chose to
air the episode.

12. 2012 Gay Marriage ?
Prime Minister David Cameron said: "I'm a massive
supporter of marriage and I don't want gay people to
be excluded from a great institution. But let me be
absolutely 100% clear: if there is any church or any
synagogue or any mosque that doesn't want to have a
gay marriage it will not, absolutely must not, be forced
to hold it.
Mr Clegg said: "It's very important to remember that in
our plans we're not going to force any church or any
religious denomination to hold same-sex marriage
ceremonies if they don't want to

13. Parallels
It has been argued that the concept of heterosexism is similar to the
concept of racism in that both ideas promote privilege for dominant
groups within a given society. For example borrowing from the racial
concept of white privilege, the concept of heterosexual privilege has
been applied to benefits of (presumed) heterosexuality within society
that heterosexuals take for granted.
Conservative leaders such as Rev. Irene Monroe comment that
those who suggest or state "gay is the new black" exploit black
people's suffering and experiences to legitimate their own.
Nonetheless, a study at the British Psychological Society shows that
heterosexist prejudice is more pervasive than racism.

14. Good old Gregory…
In a study, Heck found that there was a gender difference between heterosexual
attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. Specifically, the study reveals that heterosexual
individuals all seem to have some heterosexist tendency, however, heterosexual males
have a greater tendency than heterosexual females to exhibit negative attitudes towards
non-heterosexual individuals (this includes gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals). Another
notable finding of Herek's study was that heterosexual males showed a greater tendency
to demonstrate hostility towards gay men rather than lesbians. Other factors that Herek
acknowledges to contribute to heterosexism include individual differences, religiosity,
conforming to social norms, right-wing authoritarianism, customs and beliefs regarding
cultural tradition, and personal experience with non-heterosexual individuals. Other
research revealed that higher levels of education, or having more years of education, is
related to less homophobic tendencies. This is perhaps due in part because in college
settings students are more exposed to people with different backgrounds as well as new
ways of thinking.

15. Reflection
Does institutionalized heterosexism cause
internalized homophobia and become the key
source of tragedies such as that of Matthew
Shepherd?
Yolanda Dreyer, professor of practical theology at University of
Pretoria, has claimed, “Heterosexism leads to prejudice,
discrimination, harassment, and violence. It is driven by fear and
hatred.”
Forensic psychologist Karen Franklin says ‘The potential of being
Ostracized as homosexual regardless of actual sexual attractions and
behaviors, puts pressure on all people to conform to a narrow
standard of appropriate gender behavior, thereby maintaining and
reinforcing our society's hierarchical gender structure”