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The Sexuality Sticky
Updated 7/4/08


The information on being gay/lesbian comes from a pamphlet from the local university-college. The information within the pamphlet is from a group called ETR Associates, and is from 2002 so it's a little old/out of date perhaps.

The information on bisexuality, asexuality, adrogyny and heterosexuality was taken from the internet, and sources are cited.


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Table of Contents:

- Post 1: Introduction <--- You are here
- Post 2: Being Gay/Lesbian (pamphlet)
- Post 3: Bisexuality information
- Post 4: Asexuality information
- Post 5: Androgyny information
- Post 6: Heterosexuality information.

Bisexuality Information

Taken from: http://www.answers.com/topic/bisexuality


Bisexuality is the sexual orientation which refers to the aesthetic, romantic, or sexual desire for individuals of either gender or of either sex.

Although observed in a variety of forms in human societies and in the animal kingdom throughout recorded history, the term "bisexuality" was only coined in the 19th century.


Description
Bisexual orientation includes all the territory between the two extremes of homosexuality and heterosexuality. Bisexual people are not necessarily attracted equally to both genders. Moreover, it is possible for a bisexual person to be attracted to all genders but only one sex, or to all sexes but only one gender (note the definition of gender as social/psychological category, distinct from biological sex). Apart from sexual preference, some bisexual people describe their attraction as being based on personality or other characteristics rather than gender. Another view of bisexuality is that homosexuality and heterosexuality are two monosexual orientations, whereas bisexuality encompasses them both. However, some argue that bisexuality is a distinct sexual orientation on a par with heterosexuality or homosexuality.

Bisexuality is often misunderstood as a form of adultery or polyamory, and a popular misconception is that bisexuals must always be in relationships with men and women simultaneously. Rather, individuals attracted to both males and females, like people of any other orientation, may live a variety of sexual lifestyles. These include: lifelong monogamy, serial monogamy, polyamory, polyfidelity, casual sexual activity with individual partners, casual group sex, and celibacy. For those with more than one sexual partner, these may or may not all be of the same gender.

Some people who might be classified by others as bisexual on the basis of their sexual behavior self-identify as gay, lesbian, or straight -- for example, a bisexual woman who considers herself a lesbian may do so on the basis that a lesbian might be defined as any woman who is attracted to women (even one who is also attracted to men), or a woman who is primarily attracted to other women. Likewise some men may identify as heterosexual because the only activities they engage in with other men do not involve a**l sex (or more commonly, do not involve being the bottom in a**l sex).[citation needed] This kind of ambiguity is problematic because some people maintain that exclusivity is part of the definitions for monosexual orientations, others feel that only one's current situation is what matters (if one is in a heterosexual marriage, they are straight), and still other groups prefer to say that bisexuality is non-existent and a bisexual person's heterosexual feelings are merely the result of internalized homophobia.[citation needed] Other bisexuals consider themselves distinct from homosexuals but part of the larger LGBT or queer community. Some people who engage in bisexual behavior may be supportive of lesbian and gay people, but still self-identify as straight, and still others consider any labels irrelevant to their positions and situations.


Terminology
The term bisexual was first used in the 19th century to refer to hermaphrodites. By 1914 it had begun to be used in the context of sexual orientation. Some bisexuals and sex researchers are dissatisfied with the term, and have developed a variety of alternative or supplementary terms to describe aspects and forms of bisexuality. Many are neologisms not widely recognized by the larger society.

- Pansexual, omnisexual, anthrosexual, and pomosexual(postmodern sexuality) are substitute terms that rather than referring to both or "bi" gender attraction, refer to all or "omni" gender attraction, and are used mainly by those who wish to express acceptance of all gender possibilities including transgender and intersex people, not just two. Pansexuality sometimes includes an attraction for less mainstream sexual activities, such as BDSM. Some people who might otherwise identify as pansexual or omnisexual choose to self-identify as bisexual because the term bisexual is more widely known, and because they see it as an important term in identity politics.

- Bi-permissive describes someone who does not actively seek out sexual relations with a given gender, but is open to them. Such a person may self-identify as heterosexual or homosexual, and engage predominantly in sexual acts with individuals of the corresponding gender, and might be rated 1 or 5 on Kinsey's scale. Near-synonyms include heteroflexible and homoflexible.

- Ambisexual indicates a primarily indiscriminate attraction to either sex. A person who self-identifies as ambisexual might be attracted with equal intensity on physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual levels to partner(s) regardless of sex or gender presentation, while upholding selectivity standards in other areas. Some might experience equally intense attractions that could be triggered by sex- or gender-specific traits in given the partner(s). A person with this orientation might fall in the 3 category on Kinsey's scale, as would some who subscribe to the 2 or 4 rating (although some individuals in these latter categories consider themselves Bi-permissive).

- Bi-curious, has several distinct and sometimes contradictory meanings. It is commonly found in personal ads from those who identify as heterosexual but are interested in homosexual "experimentation". Such people are commonly suspected - not necessarily correctly - of being homosexuals or bisexuals in denial of their homosexuality. It can also be used to describe someone as being passively-bi, bi-permissive or open to indirect bisexual contact.

- Trisexual (sometimes trysexual) is either an extension of, or a pun on bisexual. In its more serious usage, it indicates an interest in transgender persons in addition to cissexual men and women. In its more humorous usage, it refers to someone who will try any sexual experience.

- Biphobia describes a fear or condemnation of bisexuality, usually based in a belief that only heterosexuality and homosexuality are genuine orientations and appropriate lifestyles. Bisexual persons may also be the target of homophobia from those who consider only heterosexuality appropriate. The reverse can also apply in that bisexual persons may be targets of heterophobia or discrimination by some gays/homosexuals.

- Passively-bi, aka open-minded is a non-gender specific term that describes a straight or bi-curious person who is open to incidental or direct contact (typically in a Group sex scenario) from a MOTSS, usually without reciprocation.

- Actively-bi is a non-gender specific term that describes a bi-curious/bisexual person who initiates direct contact with a MOTSS.


Modern Western Prevalence of Bisexuality

Main articles: Demographics of sexual orientation and Kinsey Reports

Some modern surveys report about 2%-6% of modern western populations as bisexual, but there are still many methodological difficulties with regard to randomness and size of the sample population, and the accuracy of self-reports of such personal information.[citation needed] (The accuracy of these numbers is disputed.) Different studies also use different standards for bisexuality. Some studies ignore bisexual phenomena entirely, or separate it into same-sex and opposite-sex components. Reported results disagree over whether homosexuality is more common than bisexuality (with various definitions for each). Anecdotal reports from areas outside the west suggest much higher rates of bisexual expression.

Sigmund Freud, arguably the first scholar to write an analysis of human sexuality, theorized that every person has the ability to become bisexual at some time in his or her life.[citation needed] He based this on the idea that enjoyable experiences of sexuality with the same gender, whether sought or unsought, acting on it or being fantasized, in social upbringing becomes an attachment to his or her needs and desires.

Some studies, notably Alfred Kinsey's Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (194 cool and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953), have indicated that the majority of people appear to be at least somewhat bisexual. The studies report that most people have some attraction to either sex, although usually one sex is preferred. According to some (falsely attributed to Kinsey), only about 5-10% of the population can be considered to be fully heterosexual or homosexual.[citation needed] On the other hand, an even smaller minority has no distinct preference for one gender or the other.

Despite common misconceptions, bisexuality does not require that a person is attracted equally to both sexes. In fact, people who have a distinct but not exclusive preference for one sex over the other can and often do identify as bisexual. Some recent studies, including one by controversial researcher J. Michael Bailey which attracted media attention in 2005, purported to find that bisexuality is extremely rare in men, but such studies have typically worked from the assumption that a person is only truly bisexual if they exhibit virtually equal arousal responses to both opposite-sex and same-sex stimuli, and have consequently dismissed the self-identification of people whose arousal patterns showed even a mild preference for one sex.[citation needed] (Bailey, in fact, found that approximately one-third of the men he studied, a percentage that remained consistent across all three orientation groups, were not aroused by any of the sexual stimuli that he presented, a finding which he dismissed as irrelevant to his conclusions.)


Social Status of Bisexuality
Historically, bisexuality has largely been free of the social stigma associated with homosexuality, prevalent even where bisexuality was the norm. In Ancient Greece pederasty was not problematic as long as the men eventually married and had children. All over the world among upper-class men of good social standing (i.e., properly married) homosexual affairs were quietly accepted, and heterosexual marriage was often successfully used as a defense against accusations of homosexuality.[citation needed] On the other hand, there are bisexuals who marry or live with a heterosexual partner because they prefer the complementarity of different genders in cohabiting and co-parenting, but have felt greatly enriched by homosexual relationships alongside the marriage in both monogamous and "open" relationships.

Some in the gay and lesbian communities accuse those who self-identify as bisexual of duplicity, believing they are really homosexuals who engage in heterosexual activity merely to remain socially acceptable. They may be accused of "not doing their part" in gaining acceptance of "true" homosexuality. Some gay and lesbian people may also suspect that a self-described bisexual is merely a homosexual in the initial stage of questioning their presumed heterosexuality, and will eventually accept that they are lesbian or gay; this is expressed by a glib saying in gay culture: "Bi now, gay later." These situations can and do take place, but do not appear to be true of the majority of self-described bisexuals. Nonetheless, bisexuals do sometimes experience lesser acceptance from gay and lesbian people, because of their declared orientation. Bisexual experimentation is also common in adolescents of every sexual orientation.

Bisexuals are often associated with men who engage in same-sex activity while closeted and heterosexually married. The majority of such men - said to be living on the down-low - do not self-identify as bisexual.

Because some bisexual people do not feel that they fit into either the gay and lesbian or the heterosexual world, and because they have a tendency to be "invisible" in public, some bisexual persons are committed to forming their own communities, culture, and political movements. However, since "Bisexual orientation can fall anywhere between the two extremes of homosexuality and heterosexuality," some who identify as bisexual may merge themselves into either homosexual or heterosexual society.[citation needed] Still other bisexual people see this merging as enforced rather than voluntary; bisexual people can face exclusion from both gay and straight society on coming out. Relatively few supportive bisexual communities exist, therefore there is not as much support from people who have gone through similar experiences. This effectively can make it more difficult for bisexuals to "come out" as such.

A common symbol of bisexual identity is the bisexual pride flag, which has a deep pink stripe at the top for homosexuality, a blue one on the bottom for heterosexuality, and a purple one (blended from the pink and blue) in the middle to represent bisexuality.

Another symbol of bisexual identity that uses the color scheme of the bisexual pride flag is a pair of overlapping pink and blue triangles (the pink triangle being a well-known symbol for the gay community), forming purple where they intersect.

Many gay and bisexual individuals have a problem with the use of the pink triangle symbol [citation needed] as it was the symbol that Hitler's regime used to tag homosexuals (similar to the yellow ((Star of David)) that is constituted of two opposed, overlapping triangles). Many gay and bisexual people simply do not wish to be represented or identify themselves as a suppressed group [citation needed].

An alternative to the triangle symbol is the bisexual double moon symbol that is formed when the sex specific attributes of the astrological symbol of Mars & Venus (representing heterosexual union) is reduced to the two circles open on both ends. Thus symbolizing that bisexuals are open to either sex unions.

The color of the bisexual double moon symbol varies. The symbol is most often displayed with rainbow colors signyfying that bisexuals belong to the gay community or family. It also may appear with the pink-purple-blue colors of the bisexual pride flag.

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Taken from: http://www.youthinformation.com/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=90251


Bisexuality is the term used to describe someone who is attracted to both sexes. As some people haven't always had the opportunity to act on their feelings, this does not mean that someone will have had relationships with both sexes but they feel in themselves that this is a possibility. Bisexuals may be attracted to one sex more than the other and the attraction that they feel may vary from time to time.

Bisexuality is often viewed on as a phase, a period of experimentation before choosing who you would rather be with. However many people are bisexual for life. It is a sexual orientation itself. You may feel confused about how you feel and coming to terms with your sexuality can be difficult.

Being bisexual in a predominantly heterosexual world can be hard. You may feel alienated from wider society as well as suffer some prejudice from sections of the gay community. Although many of the issues of prejudice affect both gay people and bisexuals, some of the gay community feel that bisexuality is a mask for true homosexual feelings. Also you may suffer some rejection from potential partners who cannot understand your attraction to both sexes.

Androgyny Information

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgyny


Androgyne is a term derived from the Greek words andras (άνδρας) (meaning man) and gyne (γυνή) (meaning woman) that can refer to two concepts regarding the mixing of both male and female genders or having a lack of gender identification.

The first is the mixing of masculine and feminine characteristics, be it the example of the loud fashion statements of musicians like David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Grace Jones, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Manson, and Brian Molko or the balance of "anima" and "animus" in Jungian psychoanalytic theory. The second is in describing something that is neither masculine nor feminine, for example the Hijras of India who are often described as "neither man nor woman".


Androgynous Traits
Androgynous traits are those that either have no gender value, or have some aspects generally attributed to the opposite gender. Physiological androgyny (compare intersex), which deals with physical traits, is distinct from behavioral androgyny which deals with personal and social anomalies in gender, and from psychological androgyny, which is a matter of gender identity. A psychologically androgynous person is commonly known as an androgyne, although there is a politicized version known as genderqueer.

To say that a culture or relationship is androgynous is to say that it lacks rigid gender roles and that the people involved display characteristics or partake in activities traditionally associated with the other gender. The term androgynous is often used to refer to a person whose look or build make determining their gender difficult but is generally not used as a synonym for actual intersexuality, transgender or two-spirit people. Occasionally, people who do not actually define themselves as androgynes adapt their physical appearance to look androgynous. This outward androgyny has been used as a fashion statement, and some of the milder forms of it (women wearing men's pants, for example) are not perceived as transgendered behavior.

Lesbians who don't define themselves as butch or femme may identify with various other labels including androgynous or androg for short. A few other examples include lipstick lesbian, tomboy, and 'tom suay' which is Thai for 'beautiful butch'. Some lesbians reject gender performativity labels altogether and resent their imposition by others. Note that androgynous and butch are often considered equivalent definitions, though less so in the butch/femme scene.

A recently-coined word, often used to refer to androgynes, is genderqueer. However, this term can be used to refer to anyone who identifies as transgender, or even someone who identifies as cisgender but whose behavior falls outside the standard gender norms. An androgyne may be attracted to people of any gender, though many identify as pansexual or asexual. Terms such as bisexual, heterosexual, and homosexual have less meaning for androgynes who do not identify as male or female to begin with. Infrequently the words gynephilia and androphilia are used, which refer to the gender of the person someone is attracted to, and do not imply any particular gender on the part of the person who is feeling the attraction.


Androgynes
An androgyne is a person who does not fit cleanly into the typical masculine and feminine gender roles of their society. Many androgynes identify as being mentally "between" male and female, or as entirely genderless. The former may also use the term bigender or ambigender, the latter non-gendered or agender. They may experience mental swings between genders, sometimes referred to as being gender fluid.

Intergender is also a word that androgynes can use to describe being between or beyond genders. Androgyne used to be primarily used as a synonym for hermaphrodite (a term since replaced by the word intersex), but this usage has fallen out of favor.

Androgynes sometimes refer to themselves using gender-neutral pronouns or the singular they.[citation needed] A few even take steps toward transitioning from their birth sex into a physically androgynous form.

Why is there no explanation of heterosexuality?

I feel ignored.

Ahh, I see, thank you for replying!