Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence

Adrienne Rich’s 1980 essay, "Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence," is a landmark work in feminist and queer theory. Rich argues that heterosexuality is not innate for women but a political institution enforced by patriarchal society. The essay introduces the concept of a "lesbian continuum," suggesting that many forms of intense female bonding and solidarity, regardless of sexual expression, resist patriarchal control and can be seen as part of lesbian experience.