ABSTRACT
Heteronormativity is the politics and practices that re-/produce and privilege hegemonic heterosexuality, or the dominant ideal, identity, and practice of heterosexual orientation. Social work is implicated in sustaining the charmed power and deleterious effects of heteronormativity, yet too often it is not named nor deconstructed. This chapter critiques heternormativity and certain associated normativities, including cisnormativity, homonormativity, “declaranormativity,” and antinormativity. Various structural, cultural, and psychosocial harms for client systems, and everyone, are reviewed. Then, pragmatic strategies are offered to challenge the tendency to be complicit with heteronormativity, including increasing cultural competence and humility, engaging sex-positive dialogues, increasing representation, and fortifying social work education and accreditation. Finally, resources are recommended to further these endeavors of deconstruction and reconstruction.
