Chapter 9: Sexual Orientations Flashcards
Sexual orientation
Sexual, emotional, and/or romantic attraction one has to others, usually labeled based on the sex of the people one is attracted to.
Heterosexual
A sexual orientation that describes people with sexual, emotional, and/or romantic attraction to people of the other sex. Also called straight.
Homosexual
A sexual orientation that describes people with sexual, emotional, and/or romantic attraction to people of the same sex/gender. Also called gay or lesbian.
Bisexual
A sexual orientation that describes people with sexual, emotional, and/or romantic attraction to both men and women.
Asexual
A lack of sexual, emotional, and/or romantic attraction to others.
LGBTQ
An acronym for the words: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning. Sometimes a + (LGBTQ+) is added to the end to be inclusive of other gender and sexual minority identities.
Queer
An umbrella term used to describe people who do not identify as heterosexual and/or cisgender. This used to be a derogatory term but has been reclaimed by many people in the LGBTQ community.
Mostly straight
Individuals who are primarily heterosexual and have some degree of sexual interest in and/or experience with the same sex.
Mostly gay/lesbian
Individuals who are primarily homosexual and have some degree of sexual interest in and/or experience with the other sex.
Pansexual
Sexual attraction, romantic love, or emotional attraction toward people of any sex or gender identity.
Sexual fluidity
Variability in same-sex and other-sex attraction and involvement at different times and in different situations throughout the life span.
Performative bisexuality
Heterosexually-identified women who engage in sexual activity with other women for the purpose of pleasing and arousing men.
Gender nonconformity
A lack of conformity to stereotypical masculine and feminine behaviors.
Gay-affirmative therapy
Therapy to help homosexual clients cope with negative societal attitudes.
Internalized homophobia
Negative attitudes toward homosexual people that have been internalized and directed toward oneself as a gay, lesbian, bisexual, or other sexual minority person.
Conversion therapy/sexual reorientation therapy
Therapy that purports to help homosexual men and women change their sexual orientation. It is not an effective therapy and can be very harmful.
Homophobia
Negative attitudes, such as fear, intolerance, resentment, and discomfort, towards homosexual people. These negative attitudes often extend to other sexual and gender minority people as well.
Heterosexism
The belief that heterosexuality is better than LGBTQ identities.
Coming out
The process of becoming aware of, accepting, and disclosing one’s sexual and/or gender identity.
Heteronormative
The assumption that everyone has a heterosexual identity; can cause us to stigmatize or treat other identities as invisible.
Outing
Public disclosure of someone’s sexual minority identity by someone else.
