Sexualities glossary

• Asexual
• Androgynosexual
• Androsexual
• Aromantic
• Autosexual
• Bi-curious
• Bisexual
• Demisexual
• Gay
• GrayA
• Gynesexual
• Heterosexual
• Heteroflexible
• Homoflexible
• Lesbian
• Objectumsexual
• Omnisexual
• Pansexual
• Polysexual
• Queer
• Skoliosexual

Asexual

Asexual humans do not experience sexual attraction in a traditional sense. Unlike celibacy, which is a lifestyle choice, asexuality is an intrinsic part of a human's sexual identity. However there is much diversity among asexual humans in how they experience relationships, attraction and arousal; it’s common for asexual humans to still seek romantic and emotional connections.

Androgynosexual

Androgynosexual humans feel sexual, romantic and/or emotional attraction to humans with both masculine and feminine features.

Androsexual

Androsexual humans are primarily sexually, romantically and/or aesthetically attracted to masculinity (though not necessarily to men). The term is usually used by genderqueer rather than by heterosexual or gay humans.

Aromantic

Aromantic humans do not experience traditional romantic attraction, although they may still experience sexual attraction.

Autosexual

Autosexual is a human who is sexually attracted to and aroused by their own body. But masturbation does not automatically make a human autosexual (just as having sex doesn’t make a human sexual).

Bi-curious

Bicurious humans are interested in exploring whether or not they are attracted to humans of the same gender, as well as humans of another gender.

Bisexual

Sometimes shortened to ‘bi’, bisexual humans feel sexual, romantic and/or emotional attraction to humans of both the same gender, and of another gender. People may experience this attraction in differing ways and degrees over their lifetime.

Demisexual

Similar to the concept of demiromantic, above, demisexuals are humans who do not experience sexual attraction to another person unless they have formed a strong emotional connection.

Gay

A colloquial term used to describe humans who feel sexual, romantic and/or emotional attraction to people of the same gender. For women, ‘lesbian’ would also apply and could be the preferred term.

GrayA

GrayA (or Greysexual) refers to humans who very rarely experience sexual attraction.

Gynesexual

Gynesexual humans are primarily sexually, romantically and/or aesthetically attracted to femininity (though not necessarily to women).

Heterosexual

Heterosexual humans feel sexual, romantic and/or emotional attraction to a person of the opposite (binary) gender, i.e. women attracted to men, or men to women.

Heteroflexible

Heteroflexible humans are primarily sexually and/or romantically attracted to genders other than their own, but are also open to having sexual and/or romantic interactions with humans of the same gender. The term often refers to humans who are predominantly heterosexual, but are sometimes sexually attracted to (or curious about exploring with) members of the same sex.

Homoflexible

As with heteroflexible, homoflexible humans are primary attracted to humans of their own gender, but open to having sexual and/or romantic interactions with humans of a gender other than their own.

Lesbian

Lesbian refers to women who feel sexual, romantic and/or emotional attraction towards women. Some non-binary humans may also identify with this term.

Objectumsexual

Object sexuality or objectophilia is a form of sexual and/or romantic attraction focussing on specific inanimate objects.

Omnisexual

Omnisexuality is characterised by sexual desire and/or attraction that is not limited to people of a particular gender identity or sexual orientation.

Pansexual

A human who feels attraction to other humans regardless of gender identity.

Polysexual

Polysexuals are humans who are romantically or sexually attracted to some, but not all, genders.

Queer

Queer is term used by humans who reject specific labels of sexual and romantic orientation, and/or gender identity. Originally a slur, it has been reclaimed as a term of expression which encompasses a wide range of identities and behaviours. It’s a term which is often politically-charged and indicates a rejection of traditional norms (eg. as in ‘genderqueer’, above).

Skoliosexual

Skoliosexual humans are primarily sexually, romantically and/or aesthetically attracted to genderqueer, transgender and/or non-binary humans.

Note that this label is considered controversial: while some genderqueer and non-binary humans use it to find peers, some people see it as fetishising and othering. Because of this, we kindly ask our cisgender members to refrain from using this sexuality label.