Heterosexism: the Heterosexual Privilege issue

[Monk06]

10. Hetero sexism is meant to signify the assumption on the part of heterosexuals that everyone is

heterosexual unless otherwise informed. So if a straight acting gay man says his spouse is ill and I ask what is wrong with her, that is an instance of hetero sexism. If I understand correctly

I just expanded the idea to the entire lexicon from GLBT to LGBTQIA.

While it is obvious how language can be altered to accommodate the sensitivities of gay, lesbian and trans people, it is not at all obvious that language can be changed to accommodate every variety of sexuality or lack of sexuality that you can imaging. Language can only go so far in satisfying normative and political demands.

An as far as your final query goes, my trans sister in-law has said trans people are made to feel second class, inferior or merely ignored by gays and lesbians. She says she has experienced overt hostility from G and L people in bars. So that's what I mean about TQIA identifiers perceiving G and L people having a privileged status within the sexual identity community.