Transcript here, but I really recommend watching the video: https://youtubetranscript.com/?v=gsW3VsraJqo [search for “Applause” to skip add]
Brief definition here: https://www.lgbtqia.wiki/wiki/Amatonormativity
Being single shouldn’t be seen as some non-conformist statement
The focus of the video is on aromantics, but it is about societal expectations regarding relationships and how the goal is to live in a life long monogamous relationship.
–
The nice thing when watching videos for the second time before posting here is realizing all the connections my brain has formed in the background after so much time. It hadn’t occurred to me that, although I feel immune to the pressures at large to be in a relationship, I have actually entered romantic relationships because of how they would have deteriorated (or so I thought) without me accepting the transitions from friendships.
Amatonormativity can ruin it for everyone. You might be monogamous and totally happy, but putting a barrier between you and others that are close because the forms of intimacy we are led to believe to exist or to be okay are limited.
Took me a few days to find time to watch this. It’s not quite as a deep a dive as I was hoping, which is perhaps unsurprising given that the person giving the talk is allo. I’m not sure I really learned anything, but there was some nice framing that I might use to help other allos understand in the future.