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 imply the user's gender is a binary gender. There aren't similarly wide-spread words for attraction experienced by nonbinary people or attraction to nonbinary people (although it has been argued that every orientation includes attraction to some 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
In the English-speaking world, most people know about three orientations that are usually attracted to women: bisexuals, heterosexual men, and homosexual women (lesbians). Some other identity labels have been proposed in order to have a way to say that one is usually attracted to women, without labeling one's own gender identity: gynephilia, femaric, feminamoric, neptunic, and venusic. Some identity labels have been proposed specifically for nonbinary people who are usually attracted to women: azalian, nonbinary people loving women (NBLW), and orbisian/trixic.

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

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

Feminamoric
Attracted exclusively to women.

Gynephilia
Gynephilia, also referred to as gynesexual, is a romantic or sexual orientation in which a person feels attraction to femininity itself instead of women/the person. This term has gained criticism, arguing that the prefix "gyne-" is focused on genitals, not gender. Proponents of the term "gynephilia/gynesexual" argue that the term refers to women, not genitals.

Lesbian
People who identify as lesbians are only attracted 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. Some people see "lesbian" as their gender identity as well as their sexuality.



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 non-binary people and also don't exclusively describe the attraction to women.

Neptunic
Attraction to women, nongender people, and all nonbinary people who are not male-aligned or masculine.

Orbisian/Trixic


An orbisian or trixic person is a nonbinary person who is attracted to women (exclusively or not). The trixic or orbisian flag was created by non-alligned-sapphic on tumblr. Purples and yellows represent nonbinary-ness, while pink represents the attraction to women.

Sapphic
Sapphic generally stands for feminine-aligned people being attracted to other feminine-aligned people and women. It is an umbrella term for bisexual female-aligned people, lesbians, and any other people who consider themselves wlw.

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

Usually attracted to men
In the English-speaking world, most people know about three orientations that are usually attracted to men: bisexuals, heterosexual women, and homosexual men (gay men). Some other identity labels have been proposed in order to have a way to say that one is usually attracted to men, without labeling one's own gender identity: androphilia, marsic, mascic, and uranic. Some identity labels have been proposed specifically for nonbinary people who are usually attracted to men: nonbinary people loving men (NBLM), quadrisian/toric, thistlian, and viramoric.

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.

Marsic
Only attracted to men and masc-aligned nonbinary people or partial men.

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.

Quadrisian/Toric
Nonbinary person attracted to men (exclusively or not).

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

Uranic
Attraction to men, nongender people, and all nonbinary people who are not female-aligned or feminine.

Viramoric
Nonbinary person attracted exclusively to men.

Heterosexuality
Also called being straight, 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.

Strayt
Coined by Mercuryretrograde, the term "strayt" is for nonbinary people who feel their attraction "is 'straight' but in a nonbinary way." Being strayt does not require attraction to only one gender or attraction to an "opposite" gender.

Contraic
Term for nonbinary people's attraction to an "opposite side of the binary" gender. Coined by identity-workshop in 2018.

Homosexuality
Also called being gay, 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.

Gai
The term "gai" is for nonbinary people who feel their attraction is gay but in a nonbinary way. Being gai does not require attraction to only one gender or attraction to the same gender.

Omnigay
"Omnigay" is a term which can be used by individuals with fluid gender who experience fluid attraction as well, "so that the individual is always attracted to [their] same gender." Omnigay was coined in 2014 by tumblr user monetarymollusk. In 2017, tumblr user shadowofthedude coined a synonym "omnique" (pronounced om-NEEK) which can also be used as a noun (ex: "I'm an omnique.") "Omnique" is formed by combining "omnigay" and "queer".

Symmaic
Coined in 2018 by tumblr user identity-workshop. A symmaic person is a nonbinary person attracted to their same gender. The prefix sym is taken from the word "symmetry".

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 and men". Others define bisexuality as attraction to two categories 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 it should be interpreted as inclusive of attraction to all genders or sexes, although there are certainly bisexuals who do only feel attraction to two specific genders, whether those be "men and women", "women and genderqueer folks", or any two genders imaginable.

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 then 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 they feel the word "bisexual" has 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). The polysexual flag has pink for women, blue for men, and green for nonbinary people. 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.

Mercuric
Also known as mercurian, this term can be used to describe attraction to women, men, and nonbinary people who are aligned towards one or the other, but not other-aligned or unaligned. Intended to be similar to other planetary-related terms to describe attraction for nonbinary people, such as venusic and marsic.

Enbisian
A term coined in 2020 by tumblr user enbisian, this describes the orientation of nonbinary people (fem-aligned or non-aligned) who are attracted to only women and nonbinary people (fem-aligned or non-aligned). The word is a combination of "enby" and "orbisian". The definition is similar to neptunic, but unlike neptunic, enbisian cannot be used by men or male-aligned people.

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, ceterosexuality, 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.

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)."

Lunaric
Attraction solely to lunarians, female-aligned nonbinary people, and feminine nonbinary people (but not women).

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.

Saturnic
Attraction solely to other nonbinary people, including those who may be woman-aligned and/or man-aligned, but not to women nor men.

Ceterosexuality
Ceterosexuality, formerly skoliosexuality, 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".

Solaric
Attraction solely to solarians, male-aligned nonbinary people, and masculine nonbinary people (but not men).

Stellaric
Attraction solely to non-aligned nonbinary people and stellarians. Given that this term is based on stellarian, it could also be taken as a term for attraction solely to stellarians and gender-neutral nonbinary people. This would be similar to the origins and use of lunaric and solaric.

Terraric
Attraction to nonbinary people and stellarians. Judging by the wording, the use of "nonbinary people" here may be referring to non-aligned nonbinary people.

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

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. Demisexuality is also included under the asexual umbrella.

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

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.