You know, I just didn't listen to what I was taught, men and women should be together, it's the natural way, that kind of thing. I'm not with you because of what family, society, life have tried to instill in me from day one. As the world goes, how rare it is to meet that one person who understands you… it's so rare. My parents didn't really have that. There were no examples for me in the world of man-woman relationships. And stopping yourself from finding that person, immediately halving your options by eliminating the possibility of finding that person of your gender, 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 exudes that she has always felt that individuals must not falter in the face of social heteronormativity. There is an accepted standard in society and that standard is heterosexuality; anything outside that social norm is seen as wrong. Alyssa was adamant about not allowing herself to fall into the ideal that a male partner was the only acceptable end goal in life. The particular agenda that Alyssa sets for herself, along with other characters who deal with promiscuity, homosexuality, and homophobia, are the reason I chose to analyze Kevin Smith's film, Chasing Amy. In this essay, I aim to establish that Chasing Amy constitutes a positive step for gays and lesbians within a heteronormative culture. Chasing Amy centers on two freelance comic writers/best friends, Holden and Banky. A homosexual acquaintance, Hooper, introduces Holden to a fellow comic book writer, Alyssa. Holden immediately falls in love with Alyssa and forms a close relationship with... center of paper... viewers who don't make the same kinds of mistakes. Chasing Amy is a milestone for all those who choose to fight against what they are taught as socially acceptable and opens the door to social change. WORKS CITED Pharr, Suzanne. "Homophobia and sexism". The Differences Between Us: Divisions and Connections (1988): 416.¨ Ochs, Robyn. “Bisexuality, feminism, men and me.” Sexuality and Relationships (1992): 165.¨ Zimmerman, Bonnie. "What Never Was: A Lesbian Feminist Overview." Making a Difference: Feminist Literary Criticism 179.¨ Kehoe, Monica. "Historical, literary and erotic aspects of lesbianism". Homosexuality Journals 1.¨ Rust, Paula C. Rodriguez, Paula C. Rust and "Bisexuality in the United States: A Social Science Reader." Criticism of the academic literature on sexuality for its neglect of bisexuality 1.