A To Z Of Sexual Orientation: Terms Describing Preferences And Attraction

Attraction to the opposite gender is the most common kind we know of. However, there are many other terms that define sexual orientation, attractions and preferences. We might not know everything, but there is no harm in learning about them.

Below is an A to Z of sexual orientation:

A

Allosexual

It is the term that makes the conversation around asexuality normalised. It simply means people who experience sexual attraction.

Allosexism

Allosexism defines practices, stereotypes and norms that give birth to the idea that every person on the planet experiences sexual attraction. It basically outcasts asexual people.

Androsexual

An androsexual is a person who feels attracted to those who identify as men, masculine or male, irrespective of their sex or anatomy at birth.

Asexual

Asexuality is a term that defines sexual attraction to no one.

Aromantic

A person who does not feel romantic attraction towards anyone.

Autosexual

An individual who feels attracted to themselves is an autosexual. It does not include the activity of self-pleasure.

Autoromantic

An autoromantic is a person who experiences romantic attraction towards themselves.

B

Bicurious

Bicurious people are those who are either exploring bisexuality or are curious about it. They might find themselves attracted to people identifying with the same or different gender.

Bisexual

People who identify themselves as bisexuals are often attracted romantically, emotionally and sexually to more than one gender.

Biromantic

Biromantics are those who feel only romantic attraction towards people of more than one gender.

C

Closeted

Closeted means a state in which a person from the LGTBQ+ community does not share their identity with the public.

Coming Out

Coming out is a term often used for a person who openly shares their sexual and gender identity with the world.

Cupiosexual

A cupiosexual is one who is asexual but has the desire to be in a sexual relationship.

D

Demisexual

A person who would experience sexual attraction only in certain conditions. For example, if they share a romantic or emotional relationship with their partner.

Demiromantic

A demiromantic is one who feels romantic attraction towards people only under special conditions, like when they share an emotional equation with their partner.

F

Fluid

A person who calls themselves fluid means their sexual attraction or identity can change over a period or in certain situations.

G

Gay

Gay is an umbrella term to define people who feel romantically, emotionally and sexually attracted to the same gender they identify with.

Greysexual

Greysexual is the grey area for people who are not exclusively asexual or aromantic.

Gynesexual/Gynaesexual

According to Stonewall Center at the University of Massachusett, the term defines attraction to people who identify as women, females or feminine, irrespective of the gender or anatomy assigned at birth.

H

Heterosexual

Heterosexuality defines sexual attraction to the opposite gender. For example, a man is attracted to a woman.

Homosexual

Homosexuality (homosexual relationships in a Bollywood film) is an umbrella term to define a person who feels sexually attracted to a person who identifies with their gender.

I

Intersex

According to the LGBTQIA Resource Center, University of California, Davis, intersex is a term defining natural body variations outside the construct of male and female.

L

Lesbian

A woman who has a homosexual relationship with a person who identifies as a woman is called a lesbian

LGBTQIA+

It is an acronym for people who are not exclusively heterosexual. LGBTQIA+ (iconic people from the LGBTQIA+ community) refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual among others.

Libidoist Asexual

It defines asexual people who satisfy their sexual needs via self-pleasure or stimulation.

M

Monosexual

It is a broad term that defines the sexual attraction of a person to a specific gender only. It mostly includes people who identify as heterosexual, lesbian or gay.

N

Non-Libidoist Asexual

An asexual person who does not have a sex drive is referred to as a non-libidoist asexual.

O

Omnisexual

An omnisexual is a person who is fluid, when it comes to sexual attraction. They do not limit themselves to a particular gender.

P

Pansexual

A pansexual person is one who feels sexually, emotionally and romantically attracted to a person, irrespective of their gender or sexual identity.

Panromantic

A person who feels emotionally or romantically attracted, not sexually, to a person, irrespective of their gender identity or sexuality.

Polysexual

A polysexual is a person who feels romantically and sexually attracted to people with various gender identities. It usually encompasses omnisexual, pansexual and queer among others.

Passing

Passing means assuming someone’s gender or sexual identity. For example, a person dressed in a certain way means they identify with a certain gender.

Q

Queer

According to Collins dictionary, queer is also an umbrella term for people who are not explicitly heterosexual.

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Questioning

Questioning refers to being curious about exploring an aspect of gender or sexuality.

R

Romantic Attraction

It refers to feeling attraction towards someone with a desire to experience romance. The relationship does not have to be sexual here.

Romantic Orientation

Romantic orientation defines how a person identifies themselves, the people they engage in romantic relationships with, the way they experience romantic desire and the people they feel attracted to romantically.

S

Sapiosexual

Sapiosexual is a person who feels attracted to another person because of their intelligence, regardless of their gender or sexual identity.

Sexual Attraction

Sexual attraction refers to sexual arousal towards a person or a group.

Sex-Averse

Sex-averse people are asexual people who are absolutely not interested in any kind of sexual behaviour.

Sex-Indifferent

Asexual people who feel indifferent about sex are called sex-indifferent.

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Sexuality (Sexual Orientation)

Sexual orientation is how you identify, the people you feel sexually attracted to, the way you desire romantic relationships and the people you indulge with sexually.

Sex-Repulsed

Sex-repulsed is another word for sex-averse - asexual people who are disinterested in a sexual relationship.

Skoliosexual

Skoliosexual is those who find themselves attracted to people who are not heterosexual.

Spectrasexual

Spectrasexual is a person who may be attracted to multiple genders, sexes and people of different identities. But they might not be attracted to all or just no one.

Straight

Straight is another term for heterosexual people.

T

Transgender

According to the National Centre for Trangender Equality, the term defines people whose gender identities are different from what they were assigned at birth.

Transvestile

It is an offensive term that was earlier used to define mental health conditions or disorders.

W

Women Loving Women

Communities of colour often use this term to define attraction between two or more women.

Z

Zie & Hir

Zie and Hir are gender neutral pronouns, according to the Resource Centre on Gender, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (US). Zie is used in place of he or she, while Hir replaces her or his. It's up to each individual to decide which pronoun best fits them and their identity.