Right from primary school, in Social Studies class, we’ve been taught that the only constant in life is change itself. Today, an examination –– cursory or in depth of man’s understanding of gender and sexual orientations, will not only give our most likely African parent-esque social studies teacher a heart attack, but shows that indeed, time does its thing and agitated cries do become the reality known as change.
The LGBTQIA+ community is one that has seen many of such changes. From being largely unrecognised and ignored to coming to be known first as the ‘LGBT’ community, and then later becoming known as the ‘LGBTQ’ community. Now, the rainbow of human genderisation, sexuality and sexual orientation has become even more colourful with the addition of several other terms and labels in these regards. And while it can be quite confusing to keep up with, these terms continue to serve as an anchor of self-awareness to many people.
Do you row the boat of allyship or are you stranded on the windy hill that is sexuality or romantic disorientation? This non-exhaustive breakdown of some uncommon LGBTQIA+ terms should help you:
Abrosexual: someone whose sexual identity is fluid and can change often.
Androgynosexual: someone who is attracted to people of androgynous appearance.
Androsexual: a person who is sexually attracted to masculinity.
Aromantic: a person who does not experience romantic attraction.
Asexual: also known as ‘ace.’ This is a person who feels little to no sexual attraction to anyone.
Autosexual: a person who is sexually attracted to themselves, especially a preference for masturbation over sexual intercourse.
Biromantic: a person who is romantically attracted to two sexes or genders.
Bisexual: A person sexually attracted to two or more genders.
Ceterosexual: someone who gets sexually or romantically attracted to only non-binary people.
Demisexual: people who don’t experience sexual attraction unless they have formed an emotional connection.
Demiromantic: they don’t experience romantic attraction unless an emotional connection has been established.
Finsexual: the attraction to women and femininity.
Fraysexual: a person who only feels attracted to people when they barely know them.
Gynosexual: Anyone who has sexual feelings towards a woman or femininity.
Graysexual/ Grayasexuality: someone who sometimes experiences sexual attraction but usually not.
Gray-Romantic: a person whose romantic orientation falls somewhere between aromantic & romantic.
Heteroromantic: the romantic attraction to a member of the opposite sex or gender. It may not involve sexual attraction.
Homoromantic: being romantically attracted to someone of the same sex or gender. It may also not involve sexual attraction.
Lithsexual/ akoisexual or akoinesexual: this is someone who experiences sexual attraction, but has their feelings fade if reciprocated.
Morosexual: someone exclusively attracted to people with a lower intelligence than themselves. They are the opposites of sapiosexuals.
Omnisexual: this is being attracted to all genders.
Pansexual: similar to omnisexuality, but here, the person has a gender-blind attraction to all people.
Panromantic: a person who may experience romantic but non-sexual attraction to all genders.
Pomosexual: a person who does not wish for their sexuality to be labelled.
Polysexual– this is the attraction to some, but not all, genders.
Questioning: when an individual is uncertain of or re-examining his or her gender, sexual or romantic orientation.
Skoliosexual: someone sexually attracted to people who identify as non-binary or transgender.
The + symbol is now more than the signifier for addition in sums, but also a symbol for inclusion of all and everything on the sexuality and gender spectrum that are yet to be defined.
If this list doesn’t answer all your questions on (your) sexual or romantic orientation or terms of the LGBTIA+ movement, remember that is as non-exhaustive a list as the journey to unraveling the sexuality and romantic continuum. Keep learning, unlearning and relearning and remain a well-oiled cog that makes up the complex framework of fundamental humane progression.
