Compulsory Heterosexuality

You may or may not have heard comphet before on the internet whether it’s on Tiktok or Twitter. But what is comphet? Why do people think so much about it and why it affects so many women and nonbinary people in many ways?

Well, comphet is a short form of compulsory heterosexuality and it is explicitly related to lesbianism. It explains the imposition of heterosexuality on women, the pressure to be with men as it is forced by the patriarchal society.

In recent years, the term has become popular thanks to The Lesbian Masterdoc which was released by a user on Tumblr. The document explains the differences between actual heterosexual women and the heterosexuality-imposed lesbians and how they, since childhood, are taught to have a nuclear family: a husband to serve and kids to look after. It focuses on the belief women have that they must be with men to fulfill their life goals.

The master doc and the understanding of what comphet is can help people better understand if they are heterosexual, bisexual, pansexual, etc. or a lesbian in fact.

Here are a few signs of comphet:

1.     Feeling like you have to have a crush as a teenager and choosing a boy to crush on out of necessity.

2.     Having crushes on unattainable men such as celebrities or fictional men.

3.     Not seeing yourself settling down with a man in the future.

4.     Feeling disgusted, awful and/or generally weird and off while around men and/or having relationships with them

5.     Being with men just to feel desired, get validation and/or attention

If you think you show any signs of comphet, you must take a look at The Lesbian Masterdoc and get more information on comphet. You can try talking to lesbians about comphet and how they come to the realization of being a lesbian. In the process, never forget that you are valid!