Sexualities 101. Acceptance, love, and more.
In a rapidly changing world, becoming more open and inclusive has (finally) become more open. When it comes to sexuality, it is an ever-evolving part of us that either changes or stays the same over the years, or it can change even momentarily. Sexuality is fluid. It is how a person identifies sexually, what their preferences in sexual and romantic relationships are, and how they experience attraction.
Remember, who a person is with at this moment does not define their sexuality. It is a part of people that can change over time.
If you are out to explore your own sexual identity or want to create a safe space for your friends and family to come out to you, here is your short yet comprehensive guide to sexualities in 2021. (Note: the definitions are picked up verbatim from credible sources)
Allosexual
A word and category describing those who experience sexual attraction. The use of this term helps to normalize the experience of being asexual and provides a more specific label to describe those who aren’t part of the asexual community.
Allosexism
This refers to norms, stereotypes, and practices in society that operate under the assumption that all human beings experience, or should experience sexual attraction.
Allosexism grants privilege to those who experience attraction and leads to prejudice against and erasure of asexual people.
Androsexual
A term used to communicate sexual or romantic attraction to men, males, or masculinity. This term intentionally includes attraction to those who identify as men, male, or masculine, regardless of biology, anatomy, or sex assigned at birth.
Asexual
Asexual identity or orientation includes individuals who don’t experience sexual attraction to others of any gender.
Also referred to as “aces”, some people who are asexual do experience romantic attraction to people of one or multiple genders.
Aromantic
A romantic orientation that describes people who experience little or no romantic attraction, regardless of sex or gender.
Autosexual
A person who’s sexually attracted to themselves. Someone’s desire to engage in sexual behaviour such as masturbation doesn’t determine whether they’re autosexual.
Autoromantic
A romantic orientation that describes a person who’s romantically attracted to themselves. Those who identify as autoromantic often report experiencing the relationship they have with themselves as romantic.
Bicurious
This refers to people who are questioning or exploring bisexuality, which typically includes curiosity about one’s romantic or sexual attraction to people of the same or different genders.
Bisexual
Sexual orientation that describes those who experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attractions to people of more than one gender.
Also referred to as “bi,” bisexual typically includes individuals who are attracted to a variety of people, with genders that are similar to and different than their own.
Biromantic
Those who experience romantic attraction, but not sexual attraction, to individuals of more than one gender.
Closeted
Closeted, also referred to as “in the closet,” describes people in the LGBTQIA+ community who don’t publicly or openly share their sexual identity, sexual attraction, sexual behaviour, gender expression, or gender identity.
Closeted is often understood as the opposite of “out,” and refers to the metaphorical hidden or private place an LBGTQIA+ person comes from in the process of making decisions about disclosing gender and sexuality.
Some individuals may be out in certain communities but closeted in others, due to fear of discrimination, mistreatment, rejection, or violence.
Coming out
A phrase that refers to the process of being open about one’s sexuality and gender. For many LGBTQIA+ people, “coming out” isn’t a one-time event, but a process and series of moments and conversations.
Also described as coming out of the closet, this process can include:
-
sharing about a same-gender or similar gender sexual or romantic attraction or experience
-
identifying as LGBTQIA+
-
disclosing one’s specific gender identity, gender expression, or sexual or romantic orientation
Some LGBTQIA+ people decide to keep their sexuality, gender, or intersex status private, while others decide to share these things with loved ones, acquaintances, or the public.
The process of coming out or the state of being out is a source of self-acceptance and pride for many (but not all) LGBTQIA+ individuals.
However, it’s important to remember that each person’s coming out experience is different, and the act of coming out can be hard and emotional.
The decision to come out is deeply personal. Each person should make decisions about disclosing sexuality and gender in their own time and manner.
Cupiosexual
Cupiosexual describes asexual people who don’t experience sexual attraction but still have the desire to engage in sexual behaviour or a sexual relationship.
Demisexual
On the asexual spectrum, this sexual orientation describes individuals who experience sexual attraction only under specific circumstances, such as after building a romantic or emotional relationship with a person.
Demiromantic
This romantic orientation describes individuals who experience romantic attraction only under specific circumstances, such as after building an emotional relationship with a person.
Fluid
This term refers to the fact that sexuality, sexual attraction, and sexual behaviour can change over time and be dependent on the situation.
It’s used to describe those who experience shifts in their sexuality, sexual attraction, or sexual behaviour in different situations or throughout their lifetime. You may hear someone describe their sexuality as “fluid.”
Gay
A term that describes individuals who experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to people of the same or a similar gender.
Some gay-identified women prefer the term lesbian, while others prefer queer or gay. It’s also best to ask which word or term someone uses to describe themselves.
The fields of medicine and psychology previously referred to this sexual orientation as homosexual. Homosexual is now viewed as an outdated and offensive term and shouldn’t be used to refer to LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Graysexual
Graysexual is a term used to acknowledge the grey area on the sexuality spectrum for people who don’t explicitly and exclusively identify as asexual or aromantic.
Many people who identify as graysexual do experience some sexual attraction or desire, but perhaps not at the same level or frequency as those who identify their sexuality as being completely outside of the asexual spectrum.
Grayromantic
A romantic orientation that describes individuals whose romantic attraction exists in the grey area between romantic and aromantic.
Many people who identify as grayromantic do experience some romantic attraction, but perhaps not at the same level or frequency as those who identify their sexuality or romantic orientation as something other than asexual.
Gynesexual
A term used to communicate sexual or romantic attraction to women, females, or femininity.
This term intentionally includes attraction to those who identify as women, female, or feminine, regardless of biology, anatomy, or the sex assigned at birth.
Heterosexual
A term that describes people who experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to people of the “opposite” gender (e.g. male vs. female, man vs. woman) or different gender.
Both cisgender and transgender-identified people can be heterosexual. This sexual orientation category is commonly described as straight.
Homosexual
An outdated term rooted in the fields of medicine and psychology that refers to individuals who experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to people of the same or a similar gender.
Lesbian
A woman or a female-identified person who experiences sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to people of the same or a similar gender.
Some women who are lesbians may also refer to themselves as gay or queer, while others prefer the label lesbian.
LGBTQIA+
The acronym often describes individuals who don’t identify as exclusively heterosexual or exclusively cisgender.
The letters in the LGBTQIA+ acronym stand for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual.
The + symbol in LGBTQIA+ refers to the fact that there are many sexual orientations and gender identities that are part of the broader LGBTQIA+ community but aren’t included as part of the acronym.
Monosexual
A broad sexual orientation category that includes people who experience romantic or sexual attraction to people of one sex or gender. Monosexuality typically includes those who are exclusively heterosexual, gay, or lesbian.
Omnisexual
Omnisexual is similar to pansexual and can be used to describe individuals whose sexuality isn’t limited to people of a particular gender, sex, or sexual orientation.
Pansexual
A term that describes individuals who can experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to any person, regardless of that person’s gender, sex, or sexuality.
Panromantic
A term that describes individuals who can experience romantic, or emotional (but not sexual) attraction to any person, regardless of that person’s gender, sex, or sexuality.
Polysexual
A term that describes individuals with a sexual orientation that involves sexual or romantic attraction to people of varying genders. Polysexual orientations include bisexuality, pansexuality, omnisexuality, and queer, among many others.
Passing
Passing refers to society’s perceptions and assumptions of someone’s sexuality or gender.
Specifically, this term is most commonly used to discuss the frequency and extent to which an LGBTQIA+ person is perceived as or assumed to be straight or cisgender.
It’s important to note that some LGBTQIA+ people have the desire to pass while others do not. The act of being perceived as straight or cisgender can be a source of discomfort and discrimination for some in the LGBTQIA+ community.
Queer
An umbrella term that describes individuals who aren’t exclusively heterosexual. The term queer (the Q in LBGTQIA+), acknowledges that sexuality is a spectrum as opposed to a collection of independent and mutually exclusive categories.
The use of the word queer opens up options beyond lesbian, gay, and bisexual to individuals who don’t fit neatly into these categories or prefer a category that isn’t dependent on sex and gender.
While this term once had negative and derogatory connotations, queer has resurfaced as a common and socially acceptable way for LGBTQIA+ individuals to refer to themselves and their community.
Despite its growing use, some people still have negative associations with the word queer and don’t like to be referred to in this way. Queer, like all terms describing sexuality, should be used sensitively and respectfully.
Romantic attraction
The experience of having an emotional response that results in the desire for a romantic, but not necessarily sexual, relationship or interaction with another person or oneself.
Some people experience romantic attraction but don’t experience sexual attraction.
Romantic orientation
Romantic orientation is an aspect of self and identity that involves:
-
how you identify
-
the way you experience romantic desire (if you do)
-
the gender(s) or sex(es) of the people who someone engages in romantic relationships with (if any)
-
the gender(s) or sex(es) of the people someone is romantically attracted to (if any)
Sapiosexual
A word used to describe those who experience attraction based on intelligence, rather than sex or gender.
Sexual orientation or sexuality
Sexual orientation or sexuality is an aspect of self that involves:
-
how you identify
-
the way you experience sexual or romantic desire (if you do)
-
the gender(s) or sex(es) of the people who someone engages in a sexual or romantic activity with (if any)
-
the gender(s) or sex(es) of the people someone is attracted to (if any)
Sexuality can change throughout someone’s life and in different situations. It’s understood to be a spectrum instead of a series of mutually exclusive categories.
Skoliosexual
A sexual orientation that describes those who are sexually attracted to people with non-cisgender gender identities, such as people who are nonbinary, genderqueer, or trans.
Spectrasexual
A term that describes people who are sexually or romantically attracted to multiple or varied sexes, genders, and gender identities — but not necessarily all or any.
Straight
Also known as heterosexual, straight describes people who experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to individuals of the “opposite” gender (e.g. male vs. female, man vs. woman) or different gender.
People who identify as bigender and transgender can be straight.