Sexuality describes a person’s capacity for sexual and romantic feelings toward others. It is an important aspect of human behavior . Humans engage in sexual behavior for pleasure, out of love, to conceive children, or for other reasons. Sexuality influences how we behave and feel in a wide range of situations. It affects how we view our roles in life, especially in the family, at school, in the workplace, and in our community. Our sexuality helps define our attitudes about love and sexual relationships. Each person’s sexuality is unique and may be influenced by family, culture, peers, religion, media, and life experiences.
Sexuality is commonly defined in terms of gender. Gender includes the beliefs, feelings, and behaviors that a culture associates with an individual based on the individual’s apparent sex. The relationship between a person’s gender and the gender or genders to which they are attracted determines sexual orientation. For example, consider someone who identifies with the female gender, or as a woman. If she is romantically and sexually attracted only to other women, she may characterize herself as having a lesbian sexual orientation.
People often think of sexuality in terms of a binary (two-part) system in which individuals are either (1) attracted solely to others of the same gender or (2) attracted solely to others of the “opposite” gender. On the other hand, a growing number of people identify their sexuality in nonbinary terms. They may express attraction to individuals of more than one gender or regardless of gender. They may also experience little or no sexual or romantic attraction to other people.
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a person’s sexual identity in relation to the gender or genders to which they are attracted. Men who are solely attracted to women and women who are solely attracted to men are called heterosexual. Historically, men and women who are solely attracted to others of the same gender have been called homosexual. People—especially men—who were traditionally called homosexual are now often referred to as gay. Many female homosexuals call themselves lesbians. Individuals who are attracted to people of more than one gender generally refer to themselves as bisexual or pansexual.
Today, many people reject the use of the word homosexual. Some heterosexual individuals and institutions may still use the term. So too may older gay men, who grew up when the word was commonly used to describe them and their community. But many younger people see the term as outdated and pejorative (insulting). The term was coined in the late 1800’s to describe what was then considered to be a pathology (diseased condition). This view continued for many years. Today, homosexuality is not considered a pathology or psychological disorder by mainstream doctors and behavioral scientists.
There are many terms that people today use for describing their sexual orientation. Most of the newer terms are various ways to describe nonbinary sexualities. Many younger, non-heterosexual people refer to themselves as queer and to their community as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (abbreviated LGBTQ). The term asexual is also being used more frequently. People who are asexual experience little or no sexual attraction.
The word queer has historically been a slur, and it still is used as an insult by people hostile toward lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals. But in the 1990’s, lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth began to reclaim the term. Among lesbian, gay, and bisexual people today, it is often used as an umbrella term for all individuals who are not strictly heterosexual. It may also be used by individuals who see their sexuality as fluid (flexible) or who do not want to be placed in a more defined category.
Sexual orientation is not determined strictly by sexual activity. For example, many people consider themselves to be heterosexual long before having sexual experiences with a person of a different gender. Other people may have sexual experiences with persons of the same gender and yet may not consider themselves lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Such a situation may be in response to discrimination and social stigma (disgrace or shame) faced by non-heterosexual individuals. These pressures may lead individuals to engage in same-gender sexual relationships in secret, presenting themselves publicly as heterosexual. As a result, it is difficult to estimate the true size of lesbian, gay, and bisexual communities.
Influences on sexuality
Exactly how a person’s sexuality develops is poorly understood. Scientists and researchers think that sexuality is not something that a person voluntarily chooses. Instead, sexuality is a naturally developing part of each individual. Most experts in the field agree that a person’s sexuality is the result of a combination of (1) biological, (2) psychological, and (3) cultural factors. The degree to which different factors contribute to sexuality varies from one person to the next.
Biological factors
have probably the most obvious influence on sexuality. In humans, physical sex is largely determined by a specific set of chromosomes. Chromosomes are the carriers of genetic inheritance. In humans, each body cell typically includes a pair of chromosomes called sex chromosomes that help determine physical sex. Most women have two of the same type of sex chromosome, called an X chromosome. Thus, the typical female chromosome pattern is often written using the symbol XX. The cells of most men have one X chromosome and a smaller sex chromosome called the Y chromosome. This pattern is often written XY.
Sex differentiation is the process in which a developing fetus (unborn child) commonly gains either male or female characteristics. It is largely regulated by chemical units called genes on the sex chromosomes. These particular genes control the release of certain hormones. Hormones act as chemical messengers, helping different parts of the body to function in coordinated ways. Certain hormones act to permanently differentiate sex organs during development. In humans, this process begins in the embryo , an early stage of development.
Some people are born with a chromosome pattern, reproductive system, or sexual anatomy that does not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies. Such individuals are often called intersex. Certain factors may be associated with the development of intersex individuals. They include hormonal variations during pregnancy, variations in chromosomal arrangements, and a wide variety of environmental factors. Experts estimate that as many as 1 in every 1,500 to 2,000 babies is born with anatomy that cannot easily be classified as male or female. An even greater number of individuals are born with intersex variations that are not readily visible. The exact number of intersex people is not known because (1) intersex variations are not always accurately diagnosed, (2) experts sometimes disagree on exactly what qualifies as an intersex variation, and (3) government agencies do not collect statistics on intersex individuals. Nevertheless, most experts agree that intersex individuals are not extremely uncommon, and that they are a natural part of human biological variation.
Psychological factors
that influence our sexuality include personal beliefs and feelings. As young children, we develop a concept of ourselves and learn how a person is expected to act in society. Our feelings about our sexuality may be shaped by parents, friends, teachers, popular culture, the internet and other forms of mass communication, and many other sources.
Some people may experiment sexually with others of their own gender or people of other genders. They may do so out of interest, curiosity, or for other reasons. These experiences, by themselves, do not necessarily indicate a person’s sexual identity.
Young people often feel pushed to adopt certain values or to otherwise conform (fit in) in order to be accepted by a group. A major influence on many adolescents is social pressure from people their own age. Such pressure, known as peer pressure, may influence how one person responds sexually to another.
People may also be harassed or physically attacked because of their actual or perceived sexuality. Such dangers may lead some people to publicly present themselves as heterosexual even if they are not.
Mainly because of societal attitudes, lesbian, gay, and bisexual people often have felt shame for their desires, and it can take many years to overcome that feeling. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual people who accept themselves and tell others about their sexual orientation are said to have come out. Many experience great pride in their identities.
Cultural factors.
Every society has its own sexual beliefs, and attitudes about sexuality vary widely from culture to culture. The process by which people—especially children—learn their society’s culture is called enculturation. Through enculturation, attitudes about sexuality are shared with members of a society and passed from one generation to the next.
Many cultures privilege (give better treatment to) individuals who are or who appear to be heterosexual. Such cultures may disparage (belittle) and subordinate (reduce in social standing) individuals who are or who appear to be non-heterosexual. Many cultures view sexuality strictly as binary, recognizing individuals only as either heterosexual or lesbian or gay.
Nevertheless, same-gender sexual behavior is found in all human societies and throughout history. Biologists have also observed same-gender sexual behavior in a wide variety of other animals besides humans.
Clinical experts agree that same-gender attraction cannot be changed through therapy. So-called conversion or reparative therapies to change lesbian, gay, and bisexual people to heterosexual have been denounced as ineffective or harmful by professional organizations. However, experts recognize that sexual orientation can be fluid. That is, human desire can sometimes change and shift during the course of a person’s life and experiences.
Other aspects of sexuality
Romantic attraction
describes the extent and level of romantic feelings that someone may have for other individuals. A person may experience romantic attraction with or without sexual attraction, or the person may experience the two kinds of attraction differently. There is a spectrum of romantic attraction among humans. Individuals who are aromantic have little or no romantic attraction to others of any gender. Others may be romantically attracted to people of the “opposite” gender (heteroromantic), to people of the same gender (homoromantic), to people of more than one gender (biromantic), or to individuals of any gender (panromantic).
Sexual attraction
describes the extent and level of sexual feelings that someone may have for other individuals. As with romantic attraction, sexual attraction varies widely. Some people are asexual, having little or no sexual attraction to others of any gender. Individuals who experience sexual attraction are commonly described as heterosexual, lesbian, gay, and bisexual.
Increasingly, the word pansexual is also used. Both bisexuals and pansexuals are attracted to people of more than one gender. The difference most commonly made is that bisexuals often take gender into account. They may, for example, be attracted to different aspects of different genders. In contrast, pansexuals often say that gender does not matter to them or that they are attracted to people regardless of gender. Some simply prefer the more inclusive prefix pan-, meaning all, over the prefix bi-, meaning two.
Cultural expectations often minimize the recognition of bisexuality and pansexuality. For example, someone with a partner of the same gender is almost always assumed to be lesbian or gay. Likewise, a man partnered with a woman or a woman partnered with a man is almost always assumed to be heterosexual. It is not uncommon for people who do identify as bisexual or pansexual to be told that they are “going through a phase” or “just confused.”
Sexual expression
relates to the gender or genders of the individuals with whom one has sex. Typically, sexual expression corresponds with sexual attraction. People engage in sexual activities with others of the gender or genders to which they are attracted. However, people may engage in sexual activities with others for various reasons. For example, heterosexual people who spend long periods separated from their preferred gender may turn to same-gender partners. Such interest may not continue once partners of a different gender become available. An asexual person may not experience sexual attraction but may engage in sex at times to please a partner or to find out what sex is like.
Sexual behavior
refers to specific acts that individuals engage in. Sexual behavior varies widely from holding hands and hugging to more intimate sexual contact, such as kissing and sexual intercourse. The acts that are considered sexual vary by culture and change over time. In ancient Greece , for example, older men often engaged in acts of friendship and affection with younger males that many people today would consider sexual.
The sexual acts that are considered acceptable within cultural mores also differ by time and place. Mores are customs that reflect a society’s ideas about right and wrong. They can change over time. For example, in 1986, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that states could outlaw certain sexual conduct. The court upheld a Georgia law that made _sodomy—_defined by the court as “deviate sexual intercourse”— illegal, even when performed in private by consenting adults. But the court reversed that decision in 2003, when it struck down a Texas law that had made private sexual acts between two people of the same gender a crime.
Sexual attribution
is how others perceive one’s sexuality. People do not often think of the perceptions of others as part of one’s sexuality. However, sexual attribution is a critical component of individual sexuality because we are affected by how others see us. People who are not heterosexual often lack recognition in society because of an expectation that everyone is heterosexual. Individuals who are bisexual or pansexual are further rendered invisible by the assumption that someone who has a partner of the same gender identifies as lesbian or gay. Asexual individuals often lack acknowledgement because many people assume that all adults feel sexually attracted to other people.
A lack of acknowledgement of nonbinary sexual and asexual identities leads to these identities being devalued and delegitimized (not considered genuine). Individuals with such identities have often faced greater difficulties understanding and acknowledging their sexuality because of the absence of images of people like themselves in the media and popular culture. Today, people who identify beyond traditional sexual identities are expanding people’s options for characterizing their sexuality.
