You know, I didn't just heed what I was taught, men and women should be together, it It's the natural way, that sort of thing. I'm not with you because of what family, society, life tried to instill in me from day one. In the way the world is, how rare it is that you meet someone who understands you - it's so rare. My parents didn't really have it. No examples were given to me in the world of male-female relationships. And forbidding yourself from finding that person, immediately cutting your options in half by eliminating the possibility of finding that person of your own gender, that just seemed stupid to me. Alyssa Jones, the heroine of Chasing Amy, explains it calmly in order to reaffirm her love for her boyfriend, Holden. In this quote, Alyssa shows that she has always believed that individuals should not give in to societal heteronormativity. In society, there is an accepted norm, and that norm is heterosexuality; anything outside of this social norm is considered bad. Alyssa was adamant about not letting herself fall under the ideal that a male partner was the only acceptable end goal in life. The particular agenda that Alyssa sets for herself, as well as other characters dealing with promiscuity, homosexuality and homophobia, are why I chose to analyze Kevin Smith's film, Chasing Amy. In this essay, my goal is to establish that Chasing Amy represents a positive step forward for gays and lesbians within a heteronormative culture. Chasing Amy centers on two independent comic book writers/best friends, Holden and Banky. A gay acquaintance, Hooper, introduces Holden to another comic book artist, Alyssa. Holden immediately falls in love with Alyssa and forms a close relationship with ...... middle of paper ...... readers to avoid making the same kinds of mistakes. Chasing Amy is an important step for anyone who chooses to go against what they are taught to be socially acceptable and opens the door to social change. WORKS CITED¨ Pharr, Suzanne. “Homophobia and sexism”. The Differences Between Us: Division and Connections (1988): 416.¨ Ochs, Robyn. “Bisexuality, feminism, men and me”. Sexuality and Relationships (1992): 165.¨ Zimmerman, Bonnie. “What Never Was: An Overview of the Lesbian Feminist.” Making a Difference: Feminist Literary Criticism 179.¨ Kehoe, Monica. “Historical, literary and erotic aspects of lesbianism”. Journals of Homosexuality 1.¨ Rust, Paula C. Rodriguez, Paula C. Rust and “Bisexuality in the United States: A Social Science Reader.” Criticism of scientific literature on sexuality for its neglect of bisexuality 1.