Gender power structure is still on everyone’s lips. But politicians in the Swedish Parliament who work with gender equality issues have also noted another oppressive structure that must be combated: heteronormativity. “In our society, heterosexuality is still the norm. A heterosexual identity is seen as normal and desirable,” the Left Party has complained in a number of parliamentary motions. LGBTs, that is, people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual, have been rendered invisible and discriminated against as a result of  the “privileges that heterosexuals today are automatically guaranteed”, the Green Party has also  explained. 

Heteronormativity permeates society on every level; it is apparent in Swedish legislation and reproduced in the application of laws. At the same time, it is invisible, because heterosexuality is viewed as something neutral and natural, according to these critics. In order to change this, Maria We...