Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence (Unknown Binding)

Adrienne Rich argues that heterosexuality is a political institution enforced upon women to maintain male dominance, rather than a natural emotional preference. She introduces the concept of the lesbian continuum, a framework that encompasses a wide range of female-identified experiences and bonds beyond sexual desire, such as mutual support and shared resistance against patriarchy. The text examines how social structures, media, and economic forces coerce women into marriage and domesticity, effectively erasing the historical and social reality of female-centered existence and independence.

This text serves scholars of feminist theory and students of sociology who investigate the structural roots of gender inequality. Readers use this work to analyze how cultural norms dictate personal desire and to identify the mechanisms that marginalize women who live outside traditional family units. The audience gains a vocabulary for questioning the invisibility of female solidarity and a theoretical lens to view the history of women through their connections to one another rather than their relationships with men.