Imagine a world in which every action or feeling must be suppressed in order to appeal to the overall norm. Unfortunately, this is a very vivid reality for many homosexuals who are silenced by society's overwhelming construct of heteronormativity. Jackson (2006) explains that heteronormativity must not solely be thought of as the normative sexuality, but also as the normative way of living, thus making heteronormativity what roots the binary oppositions in all gendered societal roles. Because of this, it has become the foundation for most everyday thoughts and practices. This dichotomy can be very problematic when discussing it's effects on homosexual relationships as well as the way these individuals identify and interact with society. Sociological literature on this topic discusses the dangers of imposed heteronormativity attempting to categorize homosexuals into these strict masculine/feminine dichotomies with regards to passing as heterosexual, deconstructing their relationships and families, as well as the validity of their identity.
II. The Requirement to Pass as Heterosexual.
In many cases, homosexual individuals who appear and behave more traditionally heterosexual, or normatively as their assigned gender, receive praise and societal benefits from both the gay community and society as a whole (Rosenfeld, 2009). In her article, Rosenfeld (2009) explains that the presence of heteronormative behavior is what differentiates between homosexuals that are acceptable or unacceptable in society. Although it may seem safer, there are multiple dangers when one attempts to conceal their true sexual identity. A study conducted by Getnet Tadele (2011), revealed that almost all of the homosexual Ethiopian men interviewed attempted to merge the disjoined personal vs. social desires by marrying women in order to pass as heterosexual and preserve their hypo-masculinity, while continuing to engage in sexual behaviours with men on the side.
