What Is Comphet? Everything You Need to Know

Compulsory heterosexuality, a term coined over 40 years ago by feminist poet and essayist Adrienne Rich, has been making rounds on social media.

Often shortened to “comphet,” web searches for the term first peaked in June 2020 and then doubled by July 2021. But what does comphet mean?

It is a theory that states that heterosexuality is the assumed and enforced norm by a patriarchal society that focuses on heteronormativity.

The simpler version is that we are all assumed to be heterosexual, and the media, political institutions, and people in power reinforce this idea from birth.

In simpler terms, comphet is how women are raised to think that marrying men and making men happy is our job.

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To be a lesbian, means that the idea of love and sexuality as completely detached from men is constantly questioned and erased.

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Under compulsory heterosexuality, a huge part of what it is to be a woman is to be attracted to and attractive to men.

[{"selector":"#anim-e3d915a2-b63b-474b-bfed-0927ddd6cbfe","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e3f45e30-c1eb-4abb-9b79-0e11861adbc3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(94.28572%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

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What Is Comphet? Everything You Need to Know

Compulsory heterosexuality, a term coined over 40 years ago by feminist poet and essayist Adrienne Rich, has been making rounds on social media.

Often shortened to “comphet,” web searches for the term first peaked in June 2020 and then doubled by July 2021. But what does comphet mean?

It is a theory that states that heterosexuality is the assumed and enforced norm by a patriarchal society that focuses on heteronormativity.

What is Comphet?

The simpler version is that we are all assumed to be heterosexual, and the media, political institutions, and people in power reinforce this idea from birth.

In simpler terms, comphet is how women are raised to think that marrying men and making men happy is our job.

Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence

To be a lesbian, means that the idea of love and sexuality as completely detached from men is constantly questioned and erased.

Under compulsory heterosexuality, a huge part of what it is to be a woman is to be attracted to and attractive to men.

Defining Womanhood

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