Hetero-cisnormativity Index
Hetero-cisnormativity Index
Current literature cannot control for institutional queerphobia in de jure policies, which leads to a substantial Western bias and obfuscates the importance of colonialism and imperialism on the creation and dissemination of the hetero-cis-normative systems. One key puzzle that my research will seek to resolve is the fact that in most countries, it took less time to legalize same- sex marriage than queer sex. The resulting index will inform our understanding of queer political history and correct previous literature’s heavy focus on Western democracies as bastions of queer rights.
Hetero-cis-normativity, or the degree to which heterosexual and cisgender identities are preferred, prioritized, or normalized, is infused in the de jure legality of queer rights. Adler (2018) highlights how sects of US-based queer activists successfully narrowed the policy focus of queer rights to fit heterosexual norms to the detriment of the broader community. This shift in policy focus systematically marginalizes intersectional identities, such as those of Black transwomen, and less normative identities, such as those of butch lesbians.
Yet the focus on US politics is myopic. As Puar (2013); Puar (2017) point out, the recent wave of progressive international LGBTQ+ policies enacted and enforced by Western governments critiques developing countries’ treatment of the queer community. Nonetheless, these same governments fail to address how formal and informal institutions limit the rights of queer individuals within their respective states. For example, the US espouses pro-LGBTQ+ policies related to international relations and specifically condemns the use of violence against LGBTQ+ people. Given the intensity of the government’s virtue signaling, one might expect similarly progressive policies on a local level. Yet, in 35 states, gay and trans panic defenses are legally permissible, meaning that in 35 states, it is possible to kill someone for being gay or trans and use their sexuality or gender identity as a defense. I propose the creation of an index measuring the hetero-cisnormativity of laws related to queer people, broadly construed.
Coming Soon: Hetero-cisnormativity Index