Sexual orientation and gender are immensely complex, and the various terminologies related to them can be very confusing. Below is a list of definitions to help provide a clear understanding of various terms surrounding sexual orientation and gender. DISCLAIMER: Some of the following terms are derogatory, offensive, and outdated, and should not be used as…
Tag: attraction
Overview of Sexual Orientations
Sexual orientation is a term that describes a person’s sexual, emotional, or romantic attraction, as well as the gender(s) of the people they are attracted to.1, 2 Sexual orientation differs from gender identity in that gender identity describes a person’s psychological identification with a particular gender, rather than their attraction to people. The Kinsey Scale—developed…
Necrophilia
Necrophilia describes a paraphilia in which an individual is aroused or attracted to fantasies of or potentially direct sexual contact with the dead. Contact between the necrophile and the corpse can take the form of penile-vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse, oral sex, or masturbation in the presence of a corpse, but can also solely manifest as fantasy. Experts and lawmakers consider the explicit practice of necrophilia as…
Asexuality
Sexuality exists on a continuum, and not within a dichotomy of heterosexual and homosexual. Thus, there are many different types of sexual orientation. Sexual orientation describes a person’s preferences for whom they find emotionally, romantically, and sexually attractive. One type of sexual orientation is asexuality, or the lack of sexual attraction to individuals of any gender. For example, someone might…