We can all work to combat heterosexism. Many others besides lesbians and gay men will benefit from this, as heterosexism is part of a wider ideology which seeks to undermine and disempower other minority groups. People with disabilities, travellers, women, immigrants, people of colour, other ethnic minorities. In 1992 The Combat Poverty Agency (CPA) funded GLEN (Gay and Lesbian Equality Network) to research the effects of disadvantage, exclusion and discrimination on lesbians and gay men in Ireland. The aim of this research was to compile data on the exclusion of lesbians and gay men. Another aim was to highlight similarities between exclusion and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and exclusion because of race, sex, colour, creed etc. 

The link was proven, so by challenging heterosexism we are also challenging the wider areas of injustice in our society. We can do this in many ways. We can support our lesbian friends, colleagues and family members in the workplace, at home, in society at large. We can lobby those in power to create a more just world for us all. We can be vigilant and refuse to accept heterosexism and homophobia at any level. 

Perhaps the best way to help heterosexuals realise how it feels to be discriminated against at every turn is to experience the attitudes that lesbians face every day. The following questionnaire is based on "heterophobic" rather than homophobic attitudes.

HETEROSEXUAL QUESTIONNAIRE

• What do you think caused your heterosexuality? 
• When and how did you first decide you were a heterosexual? 
• Is it possible that your heterosexuality is just a phase you'll grow out of? 
• Is it possible that your heterosexuality stems from a neurotic fear of people of the same sex? Maybe you just need a positive lesbian experience. 
• Heterosexuals have histories of failure in lesbian relationships. Do you think you may have turned to heterosexuality out of fear of rejection?
• If you've never slept with a person of the same sex, how do you know you wouldn't prefer that?
• To whom have you disclosed your heterosexual tendencies? How did they react? 
• Your heterosexuality doesn't offend me as long as you leave me alone, but why do so many heterosexuals try to seduce others into that orientation?
• If you should choose to bring up children, would you want them to be heterosexual knowing the problems they would face?
• Why must heterosexuals be so blatant, making a public spectacle of their heterosexuality? Can't you just be what you are and keep it quiet?
• Heterosexuals always assign themselves such narrowly restricted, stereotyped sex roles. Why do you cling to such unhealthy role-playing? 
• How can you have a fully satisfying, deeply emotional or sexual experience with an opposite-sex person, when the obvious physical, biological and temperamental differences are so vast? How can a man possibly understand what pleases a woman, or a woman understand what pleases a man? 
• Since there are so few happy heterosexuals, techniques have been developed to help people change. Have you considered aversion therapy?
• Why are heterosexuals so promiscuous, always having affairs?

LESBIAN LIVES: GLOSSARY THE LAW COMING OUT

EXAMPLES OF DISCRIMINATION