Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last several years, you’re probably aware of the fact that there are more sexual identities that a person can have aside from being heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. There are multiple terms to get familiar with, including pansexual, asexual, and perhaps the more lesser known term— skoliosexual. So what exactly do these terms mean, you ask? Keep reading to find out.
Sexuality. There’s never been a better time to experiment with your sexuality or come to terms with the feelings you’ve had towards a specific gender than today. Now more than ever before, people are becoming tolerant and accepting of anyone who isn’t just a cis male or female.
Skoliosexual. According to Refinery 29, the term skoliosexual has been around for about five years, although no one knows where the word originated. A person who is skoliksexual is only attracted to "non-binary identified individuals,” or people who are not cisgender.
Specifics. "Sometimes it doesn't include trans folks, and sometimes it does. As trans folks can fall into genderqueer or gender non-binary, it doesn't mean specifically that they all do,” psychotherapist Michael Guichet tells Refinery 29.
Controversy. There’s been some controversy surrounding the term, particularly because some think that skoliosexuals are simply fetishizing trans and genderqueer people. However, Guichet says that it all boils down to labels and someone’s decision to subscribe to that particular label.
Preferences. "It's really important to come to terms with your preferences, and then be able to ask for them. How we go about asking for them is where the gentleness or finesse comes into play,” says Guichet, as reported by Refinery 29.
More identities. Skoliosexuals aren’t the only ones getting more and more attention. Pansexuals, asexuals, and androsexuals are just some of the other sexual identities that a person can have.
Community. “A lot of people feel broken before they find a label and a community to go with it. Many asexual people feel they can’t live up to the expectations of their friends, family and society, and are hugely relieved at finding out they’re not alone,” says Michael, with AVEN, reports the Huffington Post.
Attraction. Asexuals on the other hand, are people who experience very little sexual and romantic attraction. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t find anyone attractive— it just doesn’t happen on a regular basis.
Asexual. “Asexuals may regard other people as aesthetically attractive without feeling sexual attraction to them. Some asexual people also experience the desire of being affectionate to other people without it being sexual. If you do not experience sexual attraction, you might identify as asexual,” reports Asexual.com.
Pansexual. A pansexual is someone who is attracted to all genders. While this doesn’t necessarily mean they will fall in love with just anyone, they don’t have a preference when it comes to physicality.
Preference. "This doesn't mean they like everyone, and some Pansexuals do have physical preferences. The identity is used merely to express the openness and fluidity to people of all genders,” reports stophomophobia.com.
Masculine. An androsexual is someone who is attracted to males, or those who have masculine characteristics. According to Cosmopolitan, it doesn’t mean that only women can be androsexual also.
Sexuality. "The most common definition of androsexual is a person who is attracted to individuals on the masculine side of the gender spectrum. Sometimes this is interpreted as individuals who are attracted to cisgender men (that is, people who were assigned male at birth and also identify as a man), but that binary-based definition is typically too narrow for how individuals who identify as androsexual see their sexuality,” Dr. Jay Irwin told Cosmopolitan.
Respect. So there you have it— the different types of sexualities and what they mean. There are still so many more types of identities out there, and it’s important to get educated on them so as to respect everyone and their identities, no matter what.
You. Had you ever heard of skoliosexuality? Do you know anyone who identifies as this? Let us know what you think!
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