The AIB model highlights the three main elements that make up a person's sexuality: attraction, identity, and behavior.
A common abbreviation for asexual.
Describes a person who experiences little or no romantic attraction to others.
Describes a person who does not experience sexual attraction. This is different from celibacy, a state of abstaining from sexual activity. On the Kinsey Scale, asexuality is denoted with an "X."
Evoking interest, pleasure, or a wish for closeness with another person based on sexual or romantic desire. A person's patterns of attraction (same-sex, different-sex, both, or none) is the foundation of sexual orientation.
In regards to sexuality, behavior refers to how a person interacts with others romantically or sexually. Along with attraction and identity, behavior is one of the 3 main components of sexual orientation.
Bi is a shortened form of bisexual and is often used as an identity label.
Bi erasure is a tendency to ignore, remove, falsify, or reexplain evidence of bisexuality. Examples of bi erasure could include someone talking about "gay marriage"; the active denial of the existence of bisexuality; or a history book ignoring a figure's bisexuality.
The bi umbrella refers to the fact that bisexual is a broad term for a sexual orientation. There are many identity labels that people may chose to use that fit under that umbrella.
Bi visibility is about seeing and creating bi representation. Examples of bi visibility would be a person choosing to come out, wearing a bi shirt, having bi characters in media, or simply having bisexuality be a bigger part of the LGBT conversation.
A binary is a system that only has two parts; it is an either/or proposition. There is a common misbelief that bisexuality reinforces the gender binary.
Biphobia is a dislike or prejudice against bi people and bisexuality.
Bisexuality is a sexual orientation that describes people who have both homosexual and heterosexual attraction patterns. Colloquially, this means attraction that is not limited by sex or gender.
An abbreviation of cisgender.
Cisgender refers to someone whose apparent reproductive sex is in alignment with their gender identity. It is generally regarded as the opposite of transgender.
Consensual non-monogamy is when people choose to have non-exclusive romantic or sexual relationships. This may take the form of swinging, polyamory, or whatever else is negotiated. This is distinct from infidelity in that all parties are aware of and happy with the arrangement.
This is an identity label with an emphasis on romantic attraction over sexual attraction. It is often used in the ace community.
This is an identity label generally used to describe homosexual men.
Characteristics that are seen or presented as distinguishing between male and female. Gender may or may not include assigned or chosen: sex, social roles, feelings, behaviors and/or presentation or appearance.
Discomfort with an assigned sex and/or gender and/or the gender norms and roles associated with either.
An identity label that falls under the bi umbrella that describes people who mostly exhibit heterosexual attraction patterns, but occasionally experience same-sex attraction.
Heterosexuality is a sexual orientation that describes people who exclusively experience romantic or sexual attractions to a sex different than their own.
An identity label that falls under the bi umbrella that describes people who mostly exhibit homosexual attraction patterns, but occasionally experience attraction to a different sex.
Homosexuality is a sexual orientation that describes people who exclusively experience romantic or sexual attractions to a sex that is the same as their own.
How a person conceptualizes themselves and wishes to be seen and thought of by others. This is a social construct, highly influenced by factors such as cultural background, education, class, social incentives, and religion. Along with attraction and behavior, identity is one of the 3 main components of sexual orientation.
The Kinsey Scale is a tool developed by Alfred Kinsey. It expresses sexual orientation on a scale from 0, meaning exclusively heterosexual, to 6, meaning exclusively homosexual.
The Klein Grid is a tool developed by Fritz Klein that builds on the work of Alfred Kinsey and his Kinsey Scale. It provides a more nuanced look at attraction patterns over time and how they change.
Lesbian is an identity label generally used to describe homosexual women. The word lesbian is derived from the name of the Greek island of Lesbos, home to the 6th-century BCE poet Sappho, who was bisexual.
Monosexual means that a person only exhibits heterosexual or homosexual attraction patterns.
Omnisexual is an identity label that falls under the bi umbrella with a political emphasis on gender non-conforming individuals.
Pansexual is an identity label that falls under the bi umbrella with a political emphasis on gender non-conforming individuals.
Polyamory is a form of consensual non-monogamy in which participants may have multiple romantic attachments.
Queer has become an umbrella term for the LGBT community and been further adopted by anyone who feels that they are in a sexual or gender minority. The word was historically used as pejorative and can be upsetting for some members of the LGBT community. Activists in the 1980s fought to reclaim the word as a deliberately provocative and politically radical alternative to the more assimilative and mainstream branches of the LGBT movement. Since then, the term queer has taken a less militant tone, particularly among younger generations.
Sex can refer to a number of things. One is sexual intercourse. Another is the biological construct that uses primary and secondary sexual characteristics to define people as male, female, or intersex.
About or relating in some way to sex or sexuality.
Sexual orientation describes a person's attraction patterns. The four main sexual orientations are homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, and asexual. These are distinct from identity labels, which are often less broad and can serve to further elaborate on how a person experiences their sexual orientation.
Straight is an identity label that is mostly used to describe heterosexual men and women.