▁Georges ▁B ata ille , ▁who ▁argued ▁that ▁er otic ism ▁performs ▁a ▁function ▁of ▁dissol ving ▁boundaries ▁between ▁human ▁subject ivity ▁and ▁human ity , ▁a ▁trans gression ▁that ▁dissol ves ▁the ▁rational ▁world ▁but ▁is ▁always ▁temporary , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁that , ▁" Des ire ▁in ▁er otic ism ▁is ▁the ▁desire ▁that ▁triumph s ▁over ▁the ▁tab oo . ▁It ▁pres upp oses ▁man ▁in ▁conflict ▁with ▁himself ". ▁For ▁B ata ille , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁many ▁French ▁the or ists , ▁" E rot ic ism , ▁unlike ▁simple ▁sexual ▁activity , ▁is ▁a ▁psych ological ▁quest ... er otic ism ▁is ▁ass ent ing ▁to ▁life ▁even ▁in ▁death ". ▁ ▁Non - h eter osex ual ▁ ▁Que er ▁theory ▁and ▁L GB T ▁studies ▁consider ▁the ▁concept ▁from ▁a ▁non - h eter osex ual ▁perspective , ▁view ing ▁ps y cho anal yt ical ▁and ▁modern ist ▁views ▁of ▁er otic ism ▁as ▁both ▁arch a ic ▁and ▁heter osex ist , ▁written ▁primarily ▁by ▁and ▁for ▁a ▁" hand ful ▁of ▁el ite , ▁heter osex ual , ▁b our ge ois ▁men " ▁who ▁" m ist ook ▁their ▁own ▁repr essed ▁sexual ▁pro cl iv ities " ▁as ▁the ▁norm . ▁ ▁The or ists ▁like ▁E ve ▁Kos of sky ▁Sed g wick , ▁Gay le ▁S . ▁Rub in ▁and ▁Mar il yn ▁F ry e ▁all ▁write ▁extens ively ▁about ▁er otic ism ▁from ▁a ▁heter osex