A guide to the various sexual orientations present around us...

In light of Pride-Month, here is a quick outline of the various sexualities people practice.

Before starting, a disclaimer, all information below has been gathered from secondary sources. If any topic/concept has been missed out or misinterpreted, then please reach out to me and I will happily make the necessary edits. I also do not wish to offend or demean anyone through this piece of literature, I apologise in advance if I do; I mean no harm.

As we are now in June, the Pride-Month, I wish to help people understand and know the LGBTQ+ community better. So, to start it off, I want to (not prioritising any topics) explain the various sexualities which are followed across the globe.

We must also understand the difference between gender and sexuality. Gender is what you identify as, what you behave as, or what you wish to be; sexuality, on the other hand, is: who you love, who you are attracted to, and with whom you want to be.

Here are 16 sexualities (in no particular order) explained to the best of my abilities:

Homosexual: Being a homosexual means having sexual, romantic, and emotional attraction towards an individual of the same sex or gender. Generally, it is considered as an overarching umbrella for terms such as "Gay" or "Lesbian".

Gay: The term refers to individuals who are romantically, sexually and emotionally attracted to a person of the same gender. However, sometimes women prefer to be identified as "lesbians" as the word "gay" can be considered offensive. Some men may refer to themselves as "homosexuals" rather than identifying as "gay" for the aforementioned reason.

Lesbian: This term is used for women who are romantically, sexually, and emotionally attracted to other women. As mentioned above, some women may prefer to identify as "gay".

Bisexual: This is an adjective for people who are emotionally, sexually, and romantically attracted to both men and women. The degree of bisexuality may also vary throughout the lifespan of the individual. They, thus, may over time change their sexual orientation.

Queer: Queer is the "Q" in the LGBTQ+; it is used by those individuals who find the terms mentioned above restricting. It is also used as an umbrella or general term for gender/sexual minorities (types that are not as popular or populated as the other categories). The "Q" can also be considered as "questioning", meaning that the individual is still exploring their sexual orientation and gender identity.

Asexual: Someone who feels no sexual, emotional, or romantic attraction towards anybody.

Aromantic: Someone who does not experience any "romantic" attraction towards anybody.

Heterosexual: It is an adjective that is more commonly referred to as "straight". This is when someone feels romantic, sexual and emotional attraction towards someone from the opposite gender.

Androsexual: These are individuals who experience romantic, emotional and sexual attraction towards the general concept of masculinity. This, however, does not mean that the individual towards whom the individual is attracted to is male. Regardless of the gender of the individual, an Androsexual would feel attracted to an individual purely due to their "manly" characteristics.

Gynesexual: These are individuals who experience romantic, emotional and sexual attraction towards the general concept of femininity. Similar to Androsexuals - people who identify as Gynesexuals are attracted to the notion of feminity and those personality traits. They too, regardless of the gender of the other individual, may find them attractive purely based on their feminine characteristics.

Bicurious: This category falls under the overarching "queer" umbrella as it is used for individuals questioning their sexual orientation. Bicurious individuals are exploring and curious about whether they are sexually, romantically and emotionally attracted to people of the same gender.

Demisexual: These individuals are borderline asexual; however, they feel a sexual attraction only after forming a deep emotional and romantic connection with their partner.

Polyamorous: An individual who is consensually involved in a sexual and romantic relationship with multiple partners simultaneously. In this situation, the partners follow an "open relationship" where they interact with many different people but have specific "ground rules" laid out.

Skoliosexual: These individuals are romantically, sexually, and emotionally attracted to genderqueer, transgender, and non-binary people. (Non-binary people are individuals who do not identify as: male/female or boy/girl)

Pansexual: These individuals are attracted to all types of people; their sexuality is considered (in no offence intended) gender-blind.

Omnisexual: This term refers to people who are emotionally, romantically and sexually attracted to all gender. However, their attraction is not "gender-blind" like the pansexuals; they may still hold some preferences.

Thanks for reading; again, please do read the disclaimer before shutting off...

I hope you learnt something here today, and if you have questions, doubts, or refutations - please contact me. The links to the socials are all listed on the website (Insta @tidb.its). I would still urge you to research more and read on this topic further independently and learn about the LGBTQ+ community.

Happy Pride Month.