Constructing the Heterosexual, Homosexual, Bisexual System, by Jonathan Ned Katz

This feature explores the human production of the terms and concepts "heterosexual," "homosexual," and "bisexual," which are presented here as evidence of the construction of a historically specific social order or regime. This is the social-historical institution or system that divides people, identities, desires, acts, relationships, and groups into heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual with profound subjective, objective, psychological, social consequences. The chronology includes scholarly works dating to the 1980s, when historians began to develop what is now called "critical heterosexual history," analysis that interrogates the historically specific discourses and institutions that comprise the hetero, homo, bi system. First published on OutHistory in 2014. Last edit: April 15, 2021.

1889: Richard von Krafft-Ebing: "Heterosexual"

The term heterosexual made four public appearances in the fourth German edition of Dr. Richard von Krafft-Ebing's Psychpathia Sexualis, 1889.

"Heterosexual" appears four times in three different phrases: "heterosexual Empfindung" (heterosexual sensation); "heterosexuale Gefuhle" (heterosexual feeling); and "heterosexualer Verkehr" (heterosexual intercourse). In these phrases the heterosexual refers to emotion and desire, and to an act. It does not yet refer to a person or persons, or their identity.

Through Krafft-Ebing's work the term heterosexual passed into English.[1]

Note
[1] Jonathan Ned Katz, The Invention of Heterosexuality (NY: Dutton, March 1995), p. 54, and n. 56 p. 216, citing Manfred Herzer, "Kertbeny and the Nameless Love," pp. 6, 21 n. 6. The term "heterosexual" appears in the 4th edition of R. von Krafft-Ebing, Psycho-pathia sexualis . . . (Stuttgart: Ferdinand Enke, 1889), 96, 99. Herzer to Katz, July 6, 1983, and April 16, 1989 in Katz Collection, NYPL. Katz thanks James Steakley for help with the German translation.