Heterosexual interdependence makes both sexes invested in sexist arrangements

Evidence

This tender friend of women—and precisely because he loves them in their truth—does not believe in feminine mystery; there is no essence that defines woman once and for all; the idea of an eternal feminine seems pedantic and ridiculous to him. … The differences that one notices between men and women reflect those of their situation. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 608 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Lesbianism is tolerated because it preserves masculine dominance — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1035; Lesbian eroticism lacks the dizzying estrangement but also the hostility of heterosexual coupling — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1076; Autonomy-seeking women often remain heterosexual rather than lesbian — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1041 (+8 more)

Broader Connections

• Observed male-female differences reflect social situation, not fixed essence #complicates (0.75) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 608