"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 enduring sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to another person. Orientations include heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, and pansexual, among others.
Sexual Orientation: The patterns of emotional, romantic, and sexual attraction towards individuals of the same, opposite, or both sexes.
Gender Identity: The personal sense of one's own gender, without regard to the biological sex assigned at birth.
Biological Sex: The physical and physiological features that define males and females.
Intersectionality: The interconnectedness of multiple social identities, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, and class.
Heteronormativity: The societal expectation that heterosexuality is the default and desirable sexual orientation.
Homophobia: The fear, hatred, or intolerance of homosexuality and people who identify as LGBTQ+.
Coming Out: The process of disclosing one's sexual orientation or gender identity to others.
LGBTQ+ Activism: The organized effort to bring about social and political change related to the rights and acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals.
Queer Theory: The academic study of the social, cultural, and political assumptions surrounding sexuality and gender.
LGBTQ+ History: The study of the history of LGBTQ+ individuals, movements, and communities, including legal and social changes affecting LGBTQ+ people.
Same-Sex Relationships: The romantic and sexual relationships between individuals of the same sex.
Bisexuality: The sexual attraction towards individuals of both sexes.
Transgender: The umbrella term for people whose gender identity does not align with the sex assigned at birth.
Pansexuality: The sexual attraction towards individuals of all genders.
Asexuality: The lack of sexual attraction towards others.
Sexual Fluidity: The concept that people's sexual orientation can change over time or in different contexts.
LGBTQ+ Families: The diverse family structures that include LGBTQ+ individuals or parents.
Gender Expression: The way individuals present their gender identity through clothing, behavior, and other means.
Conversion Therapy: The practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity through therapy or other means, which has been widely discredited as harmful.
Safe Spaces: Physical or virtual environments where individuals feel accepted and free from discrimination or harassment based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
"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."