Lesson Five: Intimate Relationships and Family

Lesbian/Bisexual Chic: A lesbian woman realizing the "girl-on-girl" porn she's watching was made for the male gaze—heterosexual, cis-gendered males—and not lesbians. Lesbian/Bisexual Chic illustrates a mismatch between sexual behavior and sexual identity in certain, excusable circumstances. It mainly occurs between two heterosexual females for the viewing pleasure of heterosexual males.

Heterosexual Privilege: Two heterosexuals publicly displaying their affection for one another without fear of retribution. Heterosexuals are free to express their sexuality in ways that people of other sexualities cannot. For instance, a heterosexual will not have to worry about bringing their partner to social gatherings in the ways a homosexual might.

The Second Shift: A mother arrives home from her full-time job, only to start her "second shift". The second shift is the unpaid, at-home labor expected of women, such as cooking, cleaning, and caring for the children. Unlike mothers, most fathers do not experience the second shift and are able to relax and unwind after work. At-home labor is extremely undervalued by capitalist societies, because it does not bring money into the home.

Heteronormativity: Society is structured in such a way that heterosexuality is always the default or presented as the norm. This is called heteronormativity. Heteronormativity spurs from the idea of heterosexism, the anti-homosexual beliefs and practices embedded within a culture. Thus, it also refers to the invisibility of non-heterosexual couples in social life and that all sexual/romantic relationships are expected to follow the scripts of heterosexual ones.

Domestic Violence: Domestic violence refers to physical, verbal, financial, sexual, and/or psychological abuse within the home. It is the most common form of family violence. Women are generally more likely to experience domestic violence than men, but the opposite does occur. Domestic violence can occur in any family, regardless of race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, and/or religion if the victim(s) and abuser.