Heteronormativity is the belief that people fall into distinct and complementary genders (man and woman) with natural roles in life. It assumes that heterosexuality is the norm, and states that sexual and marital relations are most (or only) fitting between people of opposite sexes. For people who don't fit into these roles, it can be difficult to find a home. 

iO Tillett Wright has photographed 2,000 people who consider themselves somewhere on the LGBTQ spectrum — and asked many of them: Can you assign a percentage to how gay or straight you are? Most people, it turns out, consider themselves to exist in the gray areas of sexuality, not 100% gay or straight. Which presents a real problem when it comes to discrimination: Where do you draw the line?

https://www.ted.com/talks/io_tillett_wright_fifty_shades_of_gay/transcript?language=en (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Love is a tool for revolutionary change and a path toward inclusivity and understanding for the LGBTQ+ community. Married activists Tiq and Kim Katrin Milan have imagined their marriage — as a transgender man and cis woman — a model of possibility for people of every kind. With infectious joy, Tiq and Kim question our misconceptions about who they might be and offer a vision of an inclusive, challenging love that grows day by day.

https://www.ted.com/talks/tiq_milan_and_kim_katrin_milan_a_queer_vision_of_love_and_marriage/transcript?language=en (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Please, using the Sexualitree shared in the Sexuality lesson, think about how those three understandings of sexuality – intimate, relational, and cultural – combine to define your holistic view of sexuality in general. Think too about how you found yourself responding to the videos above. In what ways do these aspects of your self play a role in your reactions? How do the videos affect your perspective? Be thoughtful in your reflections, using the readings and the videos to help inform your writing.