Different Types of Sexualities or Sexual Orientations Explained; LGBTQA+ Umbrella Terms
Sexual orientation is a term used to refer to a person's pattern of emotional, romantic, and sexual attraction to people of a particular gender (male or female).
Let's say something straight : Sexual orientation is not a choice and cannot be changed in anyone's interest , as some homosexual or bisexual people hide their sexual identity from the public to avoid prejudice from others or shame they may have been taught to feel about their sexuality.
Sexuality is an important part of a human being because it makes us what we are. Beyond the ability to reproduce, sexuality also defines how we see ourselves and how we physically relate to others.
According to La Trobe University , The term ' LGBTIQA+ ' is an evolving acronym that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, and asexual. Many other terms (such as non-binary and pansexual) that people use to describe their experiences of their gender, sexuality, and physiological sex characteristics.
In this article, I am trying to give a short explanation of all known sexual orientations. Sexual orientations or sexualities are usually divided into these categories:
Types of sexualities or Sexual Orientations Explained
Alloromantic:
An alloromantic person can experience romantic feelings with someone from the opposite gender, the same gender, or any other gender.
Allosexual :
Allosexuality refers to feeling sexual attraction to other people. A person can identify as allosexual or sexual regardless of gender, and regardless of whether they identify as straight, gay, bi, or another orientation.
Androsexual :
The word androsexual comes from the Greek language. Androsexual refers to people who are attracted to masculinity (men, male-identified persons). People who are androsexual may be attracted to anyone with masculine qualities regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.
Aromantic :
An aromantic person has no interest in or desire for romantic relationships, they don't experience feelings of romantic attraction. They feel that you do not need a romantic relationship to feel complete or fulfilled.
Asexual :
An asexual person has little or no interest in sexual contact with other people. Being asexual is not the same as suddenly losing interest in sex or choosing to not have sex while still experiencing sexual attraction, they may engage in sexual activity alone or with a partner.
- Sex-averse : SAD or Sexual Aversion Disorder is a Sexual Desire Disorder that is described in the 'Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)' as a "persistent or recurrent extreme aversion to, and avoidance of, all or almost all, genital sexual contact with a sexual partner". Such people may like someone but they don't have any desire to have sex with them.
- Sex-favorable : A sex-favorable person is an individual who is favorable towards or enjoys the act or concept of sexual interaction. Sex-favorable individuals may also identify as ARCsexual or procarnal (a term related to the ARCsexual umbrella which describes an individual who is sex-favorable). Such people usually do not initiate sexual activity but are happy to take it if it comes their way.
- Sex-indifferent : People who refer to as ' Sex-indifferent ' are people who have no strong feelings about sex. According to The LGBTA Wiki "Sex-indifferent asexuals are not repulsed by sex, but they also do not have any particular positive feelings about sex."
- Sex-repulsed : Someone who is repulsed by or completely disinterested in the idea of sex, such people don't like sex or the idea of any sexual activity. They may feel sex is a disgusting or revolting activity, and the reasons can be anything or personal.
- Cupiosexual : Cupiosexuality falls under the asexual umbrella, a person who refers to an aspect of asexuality when a person may want a sexual relationship or have sexual desires but does not experience sexual attraction.
- Libidoist asexual : A term used to describe an asexual person who experiences sexual feelings that are satisfied through self-stimulation or masturbation. This means some people, acting on libido or sexual feelings don't necessarily involve sexual behavior with others.
- Graysexual : One's orientation can shift and feel different over time, they might experience sexual attraction once in a while but largely don't. Someone who refers to as graysexual may fall somewhere between asexual and sexual. Sometimes they may have any romantic orientation because sexual and romantic identities aren't necessarily linked.
- Grayromantic : also spelled as Greyaromantic or Grayaromantic, is a romantic orientation, meaning it describes someone's experience of romantic attraction infrequently only after developing a strong emotional connection to someone.
Autoromantic :
People who are autoromantic experience their personal relationship with themselves as being romantic, while people who are autosexual feel intense sexual attraction to themselves. Autoromantic people consider their relationship with themselves as one where they both give and receive love.
Autosexual :
Autoeroticism or autosexuality is a practice of sexually stimulating oneself. The term Autosexual/person is sexually attracted to themselves more than they're attracted to other people. It doesn't mean that someone who is autosexual will never have sexual relationships with other people.
Bicurious :
Bi-curious is an umbrella term used for someone who typically has sexual relations with one gender, but is curious about having sexual activities with a different gender.
Biromantic :
A person who identifies as biromantic can be romantically attracted to various genders. Biromantic asexuals seek non-sexual romantic relationships with people from different gender identities.
Bisexual :
Bisexuality is romantic and/or sexual attraction to more than one gender. People who identify as bisexual feels a sexual, romantic attraction to people from different gender as well as their own.
Demiromantic :
Demiromantics are considered to be on the aromantic spectrum, they can be of any gender identity or sexual orientation. Someone who is demiromantic only develops romantic feelings for another person when they have a strong emotional connection to them. Demiromantics also fall under the umbrella term of the asexual spectrum.
Demisexual :
Demisexuality is a type of sexuality or sexual orientation, people who identify as demisexual are sexually attracted to someone only when they have an emotional bond with them.
Gay :
Gay sexual orientation is the term that refers to a person who is homosexual, or someone feeling physical or romantic attraction to people of one's same-sex or gender (especially men on men). The term is can be used to describe men and women attracted to the same sex, though lesbian is the more common term for women.
Gynesexual or gynosexual :
Gynesexual describes the sexual orientation of people who finds sexual attraction to femininity or feminine qualities. Unlike many other sexual identities, people who identify as gynesexual may also identify as male, female, nonbinary, or something else, which means anyone can be gynosexual.
Androsexuality :
Like Gynosexuality , Androsexual refers to a person who is sexually or romantically attracted to masculinity or masculine characteristics. Regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, anyone can be an Androsexual person.
Heteromantic :
Those who are known to be heteroromantic may experience romantic relationships (heteroromanticism), which can include sexual attraction or not, to those of a different gender or opposite sex. Heterosexual means, the person can possibly be sexually attracted to the opposite sex only.
Heterosexuality :
Heterosexual people are sexually or romantically attracted to people of the opposite sex. Heterosexual men are sexually or romantically attracted to women, and heterosexual women are sexually or romantically attracted to men. Heteroromantic means that one is romantically attracted to the opposite sex only.
Generally, Heteromantic and Heterosexual people are “straight” which means a person who is attracted to the opposite sex, whether it's in a sexual or romantic way.
Homoromantic :
A person who falls under the term homoromantic is romantically attracted to people who are the same or a similar gender to them. Homoromantic people prefer to date people of the same or a similar gender only.
Homosexuality :
Homosexuality is a romantic and or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to people of the same sex.
Lesbian :
Lesbian sexual orientation is the term that refers to a person, especially a woman who is homosexual. The word is also used for women in relation or feeling to their sexual identity or sexual behavior. The term can be used to describe men and women attracted to the same sex, though lesbian is the more common term for women.
Monosexual :
Monosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction to members of one sex or gender only. A monosexual person may identify as heterosexual or homosexual, heterosexuality and homosexuality are the most well-known forms of monosexuality.
Multisexual:
Multisexual or Non-Monosexual is an umbrella term that refers to anyone whose sexual orientation involves attraction to more than one gender. It can include romantic and/or sexual attractions to more than one sex or gender, such as bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, polysexual, queer, and more. Multisexual is the opposite of monosexual. It may also be used as a standalone identity term by some people who do not use labels.
Pansexual:
Pansexuality is sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction towards people regardless of their sex or gender identity. Pansexual people may refer to themselves as gender-blind, asserting that gender and sex are not determining factors in their romantic or sexual attraction to others.
Omnisexual:
Omnisexuality can also be defined and or categorized as multi-sexuality (multisexuality), which includes people who are attracted to more than one gender. In short, "people who identify as 'omnisexual' are attracted to those of all gender identities and sexual orientations".
Panromantic:
Panromanticism can be defined this way: once a person identified himself/herself as romantically attracted to a person or many, of any or every or maybe including all genders, the person is 'Panromantic'. Also, keep in mind Pansexual & Panromantic are different, “Pansexual” is about sexual attraction while “panromantic” is about romantic attraction towards people.
Polysexual:
Polysexuality is a sexual orientation in which the person can be attracted sexually and/or romantically to multiple genders, but not necessarily all genders. Polysexuality, not to be confused with pansexuality or omnisexuality, is under what some people would call the bisexual umbrella, sometimes seen as non-monosexual spectrum.
Queer:
Queer is an umbrella term for those whose sexual orientation or gender identity falls outside the heterosexual mainstream or the gender binary. In the late 19th century the term queer (originally meaning 'strange' or 'peculiar') came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships.
Skoliosexual :
Skoliosexuality (scoliosexuality) means being sexually attracted to people who are transgender or nonbinary gender. People who are skoliosexual may or may not be attracted to cisgender people as well. According to webmd.com Some consider skoliosexuality to be an attraction to anyone who is not cisgender. Others feel that it only applies to people who are attracted to nonbinary individuals.
Spectrasexual :
Spectrasexual is a term that describes those who are romantically and sexually attracted to multiple sexes, genders, and gender identities but not all of them.
