Gay Lesbian Criticism and Queer Theory Adrienne Rich: from Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence

1. Gay and Lesbian Criticism
and Queer Theory
Adrienne Rich: from Compulsory Heterosexuality
and Lesbian Experience
Prepared by: Marie Joy M. Anhaw
Jaypee Rogel Pacres

2. Adrienne Rich (1929-
2012)
-> One of the most celebrated
poets of her generation.
-> Winner of the Yale
Younger Poets Award at the
age of twenty two.
-> Won the National Book
Award for poetry with the
poem Diving Into the Wreck
(1973)
-> by the mid-1970’s Rich
was openly lesbian and in
her poetry and prose she
was exploring all aspects of
“lesbian experience”

3. Gay and Lesbian
Criticism
An approach to literature that
focuses on how homosexuals are
represented in literature, how they
read literature, and whether
sexuality, as well as gender, is
culturally constructed or innate.

4. Gay, Lesbian, and
Queer Theory
examine the ways in which
sexuality and sexual difference play
with, within, and against the very
conditions of meaning that allow a
word to be uttered. and queer
Although gay, lesbian,
theory are related practices, the
three terms delineate separate
emphases marked by different
assumptions about the relationship
between gender and sexuality.

5. > Gender difference
refers to those
spectrums of meaning
governed by the binary
terms man/woman > sexual difference
refers to those
governed by the
binary terms
heterosexual/homose
xual.

6. Definitions
Gay theory examines
sexual difference as
it is applicable to the Lesbian theory
male gender. examines sexual
difference as it is
applicable to the
Queer theory attempts to
female gender.
examine sexual difference
separate from gender
altogether, or with a radical
DE privileging of the status
of gender in traditional

7. Queer Theory
Disembodies desire and examines
how homoeroticism and heteroeroticism
function, intermingling and mutually confusing
modes of expression within the constructions of
cultures and identities.
Homoeroticism refers to same-sex Heteroeroticism is
erotic expression that is more subtle sexual feeling directed
and less explicit than overt depictions of
toward someone of the
homosexual situations and behaviour.
Homoerotic content in art and literature opposite sex.
can be either consciously or
unconsciously intended by the artist or
author.

8. Eve Kosofsky's Sedgwick'sBetween Men: English
Literature and Male Homosocial Desire (1985) -
The text that has been most responsible for
initiating the tenets of queer an analysis of
-> Sedgwick eschews theory
Homosocial is a term used primarily
homosexuality and heterosexuality in
to describe the nonsexual bonding of
men with men an examination of
favour of and women with
homosexuality and "homosociality."
women. Homosociality manifests
itself in many forms and institutions,
from friendships, social circles, and
single-sex clubs, through athletics
and the military, to prisons, convents,
and monasteries. Although
homosocial relationships are not
sexual, there often is an element of
homoeroticism in them, even when it
is expressed in heterosexual
activities, such as when two men vie

9. Homosociality represents the
various bonds between men that
are necessary to maintain a
society
Queer theory celebrates
pleasure and therefore puts too
much emphasis on sex. It also
puts too much emphasis on the
visual, and too much emphasis
on the young and trendy.

10. Compulsory Heterosexuality
and Lesbian Experience
Rich argues that heterosexuality is a
violent political institution making way for
the "male right of physical, economical,
Urges women to directto women.
and emotional access" their energies
towards other women rather than
men, and portrays lesbianism as an
Rich challenges the notion of
extension of feminism.
Calls for what she describes as a greater
understanding of lesbian experience, and
believes that once such an understanding
is obtained, these boundaries will be
widened and women will be able to

11. Characteristics in which male power has
demonstrated the suppression of female
sexuality:
1. To deny women their own sexuality: destruction of
sexuality displayed throughout history in sacred documents.
2. Forcing male sexuality upon women: rape, incest, torture, a
constant message that men are better, and superior in society
to women.
3. Exploiting their labor to control production: women have
no control over choice of children, abortion, birth control and
furthermore, no access to knowledge of such things.
4. Control over their children: lesbian mothers seen as unfit
for motherhood, malpractice in society and the courts to
further benefit the man.
5. Confinement: women unable to choose their own wardrobe
(feminine dress seen as the only way), full economic
dependence on the man, limited life in general.
6. Male transactions: women given away by fathers as gifts or
hostesses by the husband for their own benefit, pimping
women out.

12. Rich discloses that the purpose of
“Compulsory Heterosexuality” was to
complicate the proverbial, i.e.
heterosexuality, in an attempt to
include different realities, i.e.
homosexuality. In no way was Rich
seeking a lesbian revolution against
heterosexuality.

13. References
• http://www.termwiki.com/EN:gay_and_lesbian_criticism
• http://www.glbtq.com/literature/lit_theory.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queer_theory