Romantic and sexual orientation

Romantic and sexual orientation are enduring personal qualities that incline people to feel romantic and sexual attraction to certain kinds of people. Sometimes terms for sexual orientation are also used to include romantic orientation, the tendency to feel romantic attraction to certain kinds of people. Other times, orientation labels differentiate between romantic and sexual attraction.

Some of the most widely known labels for attraction, such as "lesbian," also label your own gender as a binary gender. There aren't similarly wide-spread words for attraction experienced by nonbinary people or attraction to nonbinary people. This article includes many terms for this that have been proposed, even though they may not have been widely used at this time.

Usually attracted to women

(heterosexual women, lesbians, a note about trans lesbians, sapphic, gynesexual, lesbian men, he/him lesbians, etc)

Gynephilia

Gyne means woman, and doesn't refer to sexual organs. Gynephilia is a romantic or sexual orientation in which a person feels attraction to women or femininity.

Gynesexual

Gyne means woman, and doesn't refer to sexual organs. Gynephilia is a romantic or sexual orientation in which a person feels attraction to women.

Lesbian

People who identify as lesbians have a female gender identity, and are attracted only to women. This word is applicable regardless of whether one or both people involved are cisgender women or transgender women. Some nonbinary people also identify as women to some degree (nonbinary women), and also usually experience attraction to women, and so they consider themselves lesbians.

Azalian

"An agender/genderless person who loves women." Coined by tumblr user genderless-gibberish.

• 

  An azalian flag created by tumblr user nooonbinaryyyy.

• 

  An azalian flag created by tumblr user madmaxthepaledragon.

• 

  An azalian flag created by tumblr user madmaxthepaledragon.

Femaric

Non-straight attraction by anyone to women and feminine-aligned people. Coined by Tumblr user goodpositivitylgbt.

Feminamoric

Attracted exclusively to women

NBLW

Non-binary people loving women (often abbreviated as nblw) is an expression used to describe nonbinary people who feel some type of attraction towards women. Trixic or orbisian are terms that can be used with the same meaning.

Some nblw prefer the term nonbinary lesbian to describe their attraction to women because it's easier, since lesbian is better known than trixic or orbisian, and some people can relate more to this term.

Gynesexual or finsexual are also terms to describe the attraction to femininity but they're not specifically for not non-binary people and also don't exclusively describe the attraction to women.

Orbisian/Trixic

Error creating thumbnail: File with dimensions greater than 12.5 MP

Trixic or orbisian flag. It was created by non-alligned-sapphic on tumblr. Purples and yellows represent nonbinary-ness, while pink represents the attraction to women.

An orbisian or trixic person is a nonbinary person who is attracted to women (exclusively or not).

Venusic

Only attracted to women and fem-aligned nonbinary people or partial women.

Usually attracted to men

Androphilia

Androphilia is a romantic or sexual orientation in which one feels attraction to men or masculinity, regardless of one's own gender identity.

Gay men

People who identify as gay men have a male gender identity, and are attracted only to men. This word is applicable regardless of whether one or both people involved are cisgender men or transgender men. Some nonbinary people also identify as men to some degree (nonbinary men), and also usually experience attraction to men, and so they consider themselves gay.

Mascic

Non-straight attraction by anyone to men and masculine-aligned people. Coined by Tumblr user goodpositivitylgbt.

NBLM

Nonbinary people loving men (very often abbreviated as nblm, NBLM) is a term that refers to nonbinary people who are sexually and/or romantically attracted to men.

Neptunic

Attracted to anyone but men and masc-aligned nonbinary people or partial men

Quadrisian/Toric

Nonbinary person attracted to men (exclusively or not).

Thistlian

"An agender/genderless person who loves men." Coined by tumblr user genderless-gibberish.

Viramoric

Nonbinary person attracted exclusively to men.

Usually attracted to a different gender than one's own

Heterosexuality

Heterosexuality is a romantic and sexual orientation in which a person tends to feel sexual attraction only to people of a different gender identity than their own. For example, women who usually feel attracted only to men. This is heterosexuality even if one or both of the people are transgender, because this is based on gender identity rather than sex. Heterosexuality is often defined as attraction between persons of opposite gender. However, the idea "opposite gender" only makes sense within the gender binary, which sees all people as being either of only two genders, and that those two genders are supposedly opposites to each other. What "heterosexuality" means when nonbinary identities are taken into account is not agreed upon. By its etymology, it could imply "other" or "different" gender. In that case, a heterosexual nonbinary person could mean one who feels attraction to one gender other than nonbinary, to both binary genders, or to all genders other than their exact own. Nevertheless, heterosexuality is often assumed to refer to attraction between men and women only, even when nonbinary identities are acknowledged. This can cause distress to nonbinary people in a relationship and their partners as they struggle to find a labels for themselves. The question of whether a nonbinary person can identify as heterosexual-- and how exactly that person defines their heterosexuality-- is up to that individual person.

Usually attracted to the same gender as one's own

Homosexuality

Homosexuality is a sexual orientation in which a person feels sexual attraction only to people of the same gender as one's self. All homosexual people can also call themselves gay. Nonbinary people who are mainly attracted to other nonbinary people can call themselves homosexual, gay, or NBLNB (nonbinary loving nonbinary).

Nonbinary people who also identify as men or women to some degree, and are mainly attracted to the same, may also call themselves homosexual, gay, and/or lesbian.

Usually attracted to more than one gender

Bisexuality

Bisexuality is a sexual orientation in which a person feels sexual attraction to more than one gender of people. Some define this as attraction to women as well as men. Others define bisexuality as attraction to two genders of people: the same as one's own gender, and different than one's own gender. Others define bisexuality as attraction to people of any gender. What "bisexuality" means when nonbinary identities are taken into account is a matter of debate. Many people feel that "bi-" reinforces the gender binary, and erases nonbinary identities, preferring pansexual or polysexual. Others argue that "bisexual" was originally coined to describe a sexuality which included aspects of both heterosexuality and homosexuality, and that in a nonbinary context heterosexuality should be interpreted as inclusive of attraction to all other genders or sexes.

Pansexuality

Pansexuality is a sexual orientation that involves sexual attraction to people of all genders. Pansexuals are attracted to all types of people. They are gender-blind (because if they're not gender blind than it's called Omnisexuality), asserting that gender is insignificant or irrelevant in determining whether they will be sexually attracted to others. Some people prefer to call themselves 'pansexual' rather than bisexual because of the latter term's binary implications.

Polysexuality

Polysexuality is a sexual orientation with sexual attraction to several genders of people. Polysexuals are attracted towards two or more genders, but not all (as in pansexuality) and not just both binary genders (as in some understandings of bisexuality). Not to be confused with polyamory, which is about having more than one partner at the same time.

Dahlian

"An agender/genderless person who loves men, women, nbs, and other agender/genderless people." Coined by tumblr user genderless-gibberish.

Usually attracted to nonbinary people

Words for orientations involving nonbinary people are, at this time in history, not as developed or widely agreed upon as those involving people who have binary genders.

Orientations tend to be named and categorized in a way that involves one's own gender identity. For example, "lesbian" indicates not only that one is attracted to women, but also that one identifies as a woman. Some words for sexual orientations make reference to one's own gender: heterosexuality and homosexuality, gay and lesbian.

Some words for sexual orientations don't make reference to one's own gender, which makes it easier for nonbinary people to use them. This includes androphilic, gynephilic, skoliosexuality, and asexuality. This is also the case for bisexuality, polysexuality, omnisexuality, and pansexuality, which mean attraction to more than one gender of people. People disagree about how each of these involve transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people, and which of these words is the most inclusive and respectful of the legitimacy of them.

Skoliosexuality

Skoliosexuality, or ceterosexuality, means a sexual orientation in which a person feels sexual attraction to nonbinary people, and perhaps other kinds of transgender people as well. Some believe the term is only to be used by non-binary people, though it was coined in the context of binary people's attraction to non-binary people. Non-binary people who are attracted to other non-binary people may also use the term homosexual/homoromantic. Due to a somewhat problematic etymology (skolio- comes from the Greek for "crooked"), some prefer to use the term ceterosexual, from Latin "cetera", meaning "other".

Androgynesexual

Androgynesexual and ninsexual refer to attraction to androgynous or gender neutral people. However, androgynesexual carries the connotation that the person of attraction is both masculine and feminine, rather than neither.

Delphinian

"An agender/genderless person who loves other agender/genderless people." Coined by tumblr user genderless-gibberish.

Diamoric

"A form of attraction felt by nonbinary people who feel that being nonbinary affects their experience with attraction or a nonbinary form of attraction that does not fit a same or similar vs opposite or other gender attraction dichotomy. ‘Diamoric orientations’ is an umbrella term for all orientations lables that describe nonbinary attraction that does not conform to a similar/opposite gender dichotomy."

Enbian

"[NBLNB], nonbinary people who experience attraction towards nonbinary people (whether exclusively or not)."

• 

  The enbian flag, created by tumblr user the-ross-winchester.

• 

  Another enbian flag: a pair of interlocking nonbinary symbols on the nonbinary flag.

NBLNB

Nonbinary people loving nonbinary people (often abbreviated as nblnb, NBlNB, NblNb) is a term that refers to nonbinary people who are sexually and/or romantically attracted to other nonbinary people.

Wisterian

"An agender/genderless person who loves nbs." Coined by tumblr user genderless-gibberish.

Usually not attracted

Asexual participants in the Pride in London 2016 parade. Photo by Katy Blackwood.

Asexuality

Disambiguation: for asexuality in the sense of a person born without sexual organs, that is an intersex condition, so instead see intersex. People who don't experience sexual attraction are most often not intersex.

Asexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by lack of sexual attraction. This is often accompanied by low or absent interest in sexual activity. Asexuality is distinct from abstention from sexual activity and from celibacy, which are behavioral and generally motivated by factors such as an individual's personal or religious beliefs. Asexuals may have attraction sometimes but is not performed practically. Though asexuals lack in sexual attraction to any gender, may engage in romantic relationships. Some asexuals identify as MOGII. This can be because they feel that the category is appropriate because they experience discrimination for their sexuality like lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, because they experience romantic attraction to the same gender, or both.

Asexuality is also an umbrella term, and there are many kinds of sexual orientations in the asexual spectrum. One of many kinds of asexuality is gray-asexuality, a sexual orientation that partly lacks sexual attraction. Aromanticism and demisexuality are also included under the asexual umbrella.

• 

  Asexual flag. Black for abscence of sexuality (asexuality). Grey for grey-asexuality & demisexuality. White for non-asexual partners & allies. Purple for community.

• 

  Logo of Asexual Visibility & Education Network (AVEN). Sometimes used as a symbol of asexuality. Representing the third point on the Kinsey Scale, asexuality, seperate from heterosexuality & homosexuality. Juxtaposed on a purple triangle, for queer identity.

• 

  Aromantic flag.

• 

  Aromantic heart symbol. The hexagon is a visual pun on the chemical structure of aromatic hydrocarbons ("aromatic"≈"aromantic").

• 

  Demisexual flag.

• 

  Demisexual heart symbol. Derived from AVEN logo.

Aromanticism

An aromantic is someone who usually experiences little or no romantic attraction, though they may feel other forms of attraction.[4]

Demisexuality

Demisexuality is a sexual orientation in which a person feels sexual attraction only to people they have formed a strong bond with, friends for example. Grey-asexuality is similar to demisexuality, but not exactly the same.

See also

• Sexes, in the sense of how people's bodies are put into categories such as female and male
• Intimacy
• LGBT