Key points

More young women lean left as men move right, widening the political gap in dating.

Heteropessimism names regret and hopelessness about straight relationships.

Unequal labor and dating fatigue may fuel rising disillusionment with love.

“ Dating is hopeless.” “Men are trash.” “I wish I liked women.”

If you’ve scrolled through social media lately, you’ve likely seen sentiments like these being expressed. Part joke, part truth; they capture a broader cultural mood that some are calling heteropessimism.

First coined by Asa Seresin in 2019, heteropessimism doesn’t mean people actually abandon heterosexuality. Instead, it describes a performative disaffiliation from its ideals. Heteropessimists have a dislike of straight dating even while participating in it.

The Politics o

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