Editing Heterosexism (section)

===Institutional level===
As well as comprising attitudes held by an individual or a social group, heterosexism can also exist as the expression of attitudes within an institution. As a result, schools, hospitals, and correctional facilities can act as a showcase for heterosexist attitudes in various ways. First, schools may implement these attitudes and ideas through unequal and inconsistent disciplinary actions. One such example is meting out harsher punishment to a same-sex couple violating the school ground rules while allowing a heterosexual couple to pass with a more lenient disciplinary action for an equal or identical violation. Also, hospitals may limit patient visiting only to immediate family, i.e., relatives, and exclude same-sex partners.<ref>Heterosexism and Homophobia. Encyclopedia of Race and Racism, 2, 1–4. Retrieved March 31, 2008 from Gale Virtual Reference Library: http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS.</ref>

Heterosexism affects the family in several ways. For example, in many countries around the world, same-sex marriage is not allowed, so non-heterosexual persons must remain unmarried or enter into heterosexual marriage.<ref name="TFDASJ" /> Many countries also deny rights and benefits to same-sex couples, including custodial and adoption rights for children, Social Security benefits, and automatic durable power of attorney and hospital spousal rights.<ref name="TFDASJ">{{cite book|last=Adams|first=Maurianne |author2=Bell, Lee Anne |author3=Griffin, Pat|title=Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice|publisher=Routledge|year=2007|edition=2|chapter=Appendix 9H|isbn=0-415-95200-X }}</ref>