Where do I fall on the sexuality continuum?

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PeppermintMocha
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22 Apr 2014, 6:20 pm

I've lived with conservative Christians my entire life, and so I've never really felt comfortable talking about my sexuality...as such, I really have no idea what to call myself. I am content to just accept my sexuality for what it is, but I am still curious to know how it would be classified within the greater LGBT community.

Basically, I am a woman*, and I often experience more sexual attraction to women than men, but that's where it ends. In every other area, I am and always have been more attracted to men. I've never been in love with a woman, I've never been infatuated with a woman, I've never even had a little crush on a woman. All of my romantic relationships have been with men, and I'm currently engaged to marry a man I love more than anyone or anything. (And I'm VERY attracted to him.) But even still, I often notice attractive women before I notice attractive men.

So, what am I? Am I just bi-curious? Bi? Gay with incidental heterosexual leanings? Straight with incidental homosexual leanings? Or am I missing a more accurate, nuanced descriptor for myself?

*I am biologically female, but I usually feel androgynous. I'm not sure if that's necessary information, but whatever.



yournamehere
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22 Apr 2014, 9:09 pm

I dream about women.



1401b
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22 Apr 2014, 9:34 pm

I would hope that your definition of yourself would be whatever you want to be defined as, after all there will always be people that will want to define you in the most awful way they can imagine, just to make you unhappy.


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PeppermintMocha
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22 Apr 2014, 9:52 pm

I am comfortable with my sexuality, and yes, unfortunately, there are lots of people out there who would want to label me for the purpose of shaming me. But I am curious to know how the LGBT community, specifically, would define this. Or is it too nuanced to fall under any commonly accepted label?



fossil_n
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22 Apr 2014, 11:17 pm

LGBTQ labels often have fuzzy boundaries, and it is up to the person themselves to decide how they want to label themselves. Some people prefer to have very specific labels, others might just choose to go with the very broad umbrella term queer. All of the terms you listed, except gay, are valid. Since you are happily engaged to a man, you probably shouldn't use gay.



PeppermintMocha
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23 Apr 2014, 1:27 pm

Okay, thank you. I'd call myself bi, but I'm not sure if that would really be accurate...I've never had romantic feelings for a woman, not once.

Edit: You know what? Whatever, I'll call myself bi. My attraction to women may have only ever been sexual, but it happens often enough to where I had to ask about my sexuality in the first place. I'll just call myself bi. Thanks, everyone, for your input!



ReverieMe
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23 Apr 2014, 1:31 pm

For many people it's a non-issue, but some make a distinction between one's romantic orientation and one's sexual orientation. I first noticed this with asexuals, who may call themselves something like heteroromantic or panromantic to signify that they're interested in others romantically but not sexually.

If all else fails, go with what's functional.



PeppermintMocha
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23 Apr 2014, 5:05 pm

ReverieMe wrote:
For many people it's a non-issue, but some make a distinction between one's romantic orientation and one's sexual orientation. I first noticed this with asexuals, who may call themselves something like heteroromantic or panromantic to signify that they're interested in others romantically but not sexually.

If all else fails, go with what's functional.


Huh, I've never heard the terms heteroromantic or panromantic. In my case, though, I can feel both romantic and sexual attraction to men, but only sexual attraction to women.



SgtSalt
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27 Apr 2014, 7:54 pm

PeppermintMocha wrote:
ReverieMe wrote:
For many people it's a non-issue, but some make a distinction between one's romantic orientation and one's sexual orientation. I first noticed this with asexuals, who may call themselves something like heteroromantic or panromantic to signify that they're interested in others romantically but not sexually.

If all else fails, go with what's functional.


Huh, I've never heard the terms heteroromantic or panromantic. In my case, though, I can feel both romantic and sexual attraction to men, but only sexual attraction to women.


In that case, it sounds like you're biromantic homosexual, but whatever label you like you can use.



goldfish21
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28 Apr 2014, 2:26 am

Maybe you're just a little heteroflexible?

I don't think it's necessary to put a specific label on one's sexual orientation. It just is whatever it is to you and that's that. Some people's sexuality is fluid and tends to change every now and then. Others know they're rigidly heterosexual, or gay, or _____. I just don't see a point in expending time and energy trying yo define your sexual self in a single word. Whatever your coordinates are on the sexual continuum, whether fixed coordinates, multiple or moving.. it doesn't matter because no matter what, whatever your sexuality, it will always be exactly the same: whatever it is, it is. Like any situation in life, if you just accept it as it is however it is then you can happily move along and go about your life. So, do that, with or without a name for it.


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PeppermintMocha
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29 Apr 2014, 3:11 pm

Thanks for all the replies, it's helped a lot!