Across all cultures and civilizations, in every species and gender, sex is a fundamental biological activity practiced universally. There are hundreds of stigmas surrounding sex; some believe it has a religious value, others believe it has mere reproductive purposes. In recent decades, American society's general views on sex have become more lenient. However, a taboo that still exists is the mistreatment of people who practice homosexual sex. Although this also occurs among animals in nature, many traditional religious members of society believe that heterosexual sex is the only appropriate form and that homosexual sex is wrong. Even though there is scientific evidence that homosexuality is often biological, this taboo still exists and same-sex couples are looked down upon and treated unequally by the controlling society. The Poetics of Sex is a significant tale that addresses these socially imposed judgments, as well as the stereotypes associated with homosexuality. Jeanette Winterson bluntly confronts and challenges “normal” society to force them to look at what they don't understand. It also solidifies his relationship with his girlfriend making him just as passionate, if not more so, than heterosexual couples. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Winterson's fiction is full of graphic details of her romantic relationship with Picasso, her lover. He intentionally uses "vulgar" words and graphic images to slap society in the face, so to speak. There are many stereotypes that suggest same-sex relationships revolve solely around sex. Rather than directly challenge such claims (which would likely be ignored), Winterson mocks them. She strives to be as offensive as possible to mainstream society, forcing them to take a look at her and acknowledge her relationship. He wants to rock the boat and ruffle the feathers of his society. These attributes explain the postmodern era in which The Poetics of Sex was written. The postmodern movement attempted to challenge the norm and create a binary opposition between order and disorder. If “order” was heterosexuality, then “disorder” was homosexuality. Winterson intentionally created tension to highlight the conflict between the two. This is an example of postmodernism. She also revealed times when she and Picasso were mistreated and scorned for being "different." He says: “The world is full of blind people. They don't see me and Picasso as dignified in our love. They see perverts, inverts, tribads, homosexuals. They see freaks and Satan worshippers…” Being in the minority automatically aroused feelings of perversion in Winterson’s peers. Instead of recognizing that everyone is different, society creates standards about who is “right,” who is “normal.” Then compare everyone to those standards and marginalize anyone who doesn't fit them. Winterson also addresses issues specific to women in her narrative. In postmodernism, everything that is “non-masculine” is grouped into the genre of disorder. Society places women at a lower level than men. "Stay inside, don't walk down the street, barricade the windows, keep your mouth shut, keep your legs together, tie your bag around your neck... don't risk it, don't try." Women are taught from a young age to live in fear, that somehow we are the weaker sex. At the same time, young men are raised to be independent and strong and to fear nothing as they protect their female counterparts. These ideologies have assigned women the role of weakness, of victims. In many ways, we face more violent crimes than.