"Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender."
A person's emotional, romantic and sexual attraction to others.
Sex: This topic refers to the biological differences between males and females, including the reproductive organs, chromosomes, and hormones.
Gender: This topic refers to the social and cultural constructions of what it means to be male or female, including gender roles, expectations, and norms.
Sexual Orientation: This topic refers to the emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attraction that a person experiences toward individuals of the same or different gender.
Heterosexuality: This topic refers to a sexual orientation where a person is attracted to individuals of the opposite gender.
Homosexuality: This topic refers to a sexual orientation where a person is attracted to individuals of the same gender.
Bisexuality: This topic refers to a sexual orientation where a person is attracted to individuals of both genders.
Pansexuality: This topic refers to a sexual orientation where a person is attracted to individuals regardless of their gender identity or biological sex.
Queer Theory: This topic refers to an interdisciplinary study of gender and sexuality that challenges traditional assumptions about identity, power, and culture.
Transgender: This topic refers to individuals whose gender identity does not conform to the sex they were assigned at birth.
Gender Dysphoria: This topic refers to the distress or discomfort experienced by some individuals whose gender identity does not match their biological sex.
Intersex: This topic refers to individuals who are born with physical differences in their reproductive or sexual anatomy that do not fit typical male or female classifications.
Gender Identity: This topic refers to an individual’s sense of themselves as male, female, or somewhere in between.
Gender Expression: This topic refers to the way in which an individual presents themselves to the world, including clothing, hairstyle, and behavior.
Non-Binary: This topic refers to individuals who do not identify as strictly male or female, and may identify as a combination of both, neither, or something else entirely.
Genderqueer: This topic refers to individuals who challenge traditional gender categories and embrace fluidity and diversity of gender identity and expression.
Cisgender: This topic refers to individuals who identify with the gender they were assigned at birth.
Allyship: This topic refers to the process of supporting and advocating for individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+.
Intersectionality: This topic refers to the interconnected nature of various forms of oppression, including those related to gender, race, class, and other social identity markers.
Homophobia: This topic refers to the fear or hatred of individuals who identify as homosexual or queer.
Transphobia: This topic refers to the fear or hatred of individuals who identify as transgender or gender non-conforming.
"Asexuality (the lack of sexual attraction to others) is sometimes identified as the fourth category."
"People may use other labels, such as pansexual or polysexual, or none at all."
"Sexual orientation 'also refers to a person's sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions.'"
"Androphilia describes sexual attraction to masculinity; gynephilia describes the sexual attraction to femininity."
"Sexual preference largely overlaps with sexual orientation but is generally distinguished in psychological research. A person who identifies as bisexual, for example, may sexually prefer one sex over the other."
"Scientists theorize that it is caused by a complex interplay of genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences."
"Scientists favor biologically based theories as there is considerably more evidence supporting nonsocial, biological causes of sexual orientation than social ones, especially for males."
"There is no substantive evidence which suggests parenting or early childhood experiences play a role with regard to sexual orientation."
"Across cultures, most people are heterosexual, with a minority of people having a homosexual or bisexual orientation."
"A person's sexual orientation can be anywhere on a continuum, from exclusive attraction to the opposite sex to exclusive attraction to the same sex."
"Sexual orientation is studied primarily within biology, anthropology, and psychology (including sexology)."
"It is also a subject area in sociology, history (including social constructionist perspectives), and law."
"These attractions are generally subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality."
"Sexual preference may suggest a degree of voluntary choice, whereas sexual orientation is not a choice."
"Scientists theorize that it is caused by a complex interplay of genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences."
"There is considerably more evidence supporting nonsocial, biological causes of sexual orientation than social ones, especially for males."
"There is no substantive evidence which suggests parenting or early childhood experiences play a role with regard to sexual orientation."
"Asexuality (the lack of sexual attraction to others) is sometimes identified as the fourth category."
"A person's sexual orientation can be anywhere on a continuum, from exclusive attraction to the opposite sex to exclusive attraction to the same sex."