In our male-dominated society, almost everything we do are defined by our relationships with men, even our identities. Women are taught from a very early age that the idea of a relationship is a love connection between a man and a woman, and our job is to make men happy. We're supposed to be soft because that's what men like, soft women. We're supposed to be well-mannered for men. In our 20s, we're onto the next chapter of our lives and again, we are expected to be with a man. Compulsory heterosexuality - being straight is something our culture tries to force on us. We were never introduced to same sex romantic relationships and even if we did, in a horrendous way. If we happen to want to be one, we are contradicting the social norms. In a million tiny ways, we’re taught that only relationships with the other binary gender are valid. (And if you’re not one of the binary genders, this can be even more confusing.). It's important to know that compulsory heterosexuality is nothing more than just a concept that humans our generation lives in create for a social system. Compulsory heterosexuality is built into us from the moment we’re born into this time and place. It takes a long time to dismantle it, but one that is worth taking part in.
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