Knowing What You Are And What To Say

Knowing who you are is an incredibly tricky concept. Knowing how to explain it to other people is even harder, especially today, when we finally have a growing society of acceptance. It’s important to know that there’s more to you than just your name, and even if you haven’t quite figured it out yet, that’s okay too. But for those of you who don’t know how to describe yourself and what words to use, we’ve listed 12 different genders and sexualities you may not know the correct terms for, because it’s important to remember that at the end of the day, there’s so much more than just he, she and ze:

Agender – Not defining as any gender. Identifying as agender is called Neutrois.

Androsexual – Being attracted to a masculine gender presentation. The opposite of this, being attracted to a feminine gender presentation, is called Gynosexual.

Asexual – Not experiencing sexual attraction. The opposite of this is Allosexual (being attracted to at least one gender).

Bicurious – Being open to experimenting with the same or different genders, but not necessarily know if you’re open to forming relationships.

Bisexual – Being attracted (but not necessarily equally) to two or more genders.

Cishet – Being both cis-gendered and heterosexual.

Demisexual – Only experiencing a sexual attraction after a romantic or emotional bond.

Grey Asexual - Only experiencing a sexual attraction rarely, or under certain specific circumstances.

Intergender – Being between the genders of male and female.

Maverique – A non-binary gender that exists outside of the societal constructs.

Pansexual – Being attracted to all genders, and/or not being concerned about gender when it comes to feelings of attraction.

Perioriented – Targeting the same gender in your sexual and romantic orientation. The opposite of this, like being heteroromantic and bisexual, is called being Varioriented.

So now you know, and although identity is as complicated as can be, at least there are some definitions to get our grips on.

Next up, Polyamory: Are There Right Ways To Love?