Compulsory heterosexuality, shortened to the term “comphet”, is a fundamental notion in the field of critical studies of sexualities. Adrienne Rich, a feminist theorist, first used this concept in her 1980 essay Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence. In this essay, she problematized heterosexuality and highlighted a social system where heterosexuality is considered a natural norm, benefiting and upholding patriarchy. She stated how it is only in this system that homosexuality appears as marginal and suggested that heterosexuality is re(produced) in this system, rather than viewing it as a natural reality. Since its first conceptualisation, compulsory heterosexuality has been explored by other authors and applied to different angles of gender and sexual orientation. Although Rich used comphet in the context of lesbianism and the erasure of lesbian identity, the term has been applied to other identities as well. This review points towards the diversity of contexts in which the concept has since been used; for example sexual development and identity formation of young people, as well as violence in heterosexual relationships. More recently, some authors have mentioned that several transphobic activists’ rhetoric is based on compulsory heterosexuality, specifically by portraying transitioning as a way to cope with internalized homophobia. Moreover, Rich initially elaborated on comphet’s negative impacts on women, including how it would drive women apart and towards relationships with men. Since then however, many authors have underlined how this normative system, although reinforcing masculine domination, can also be harmful to men.