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For a long time, most of society only acknowledged a few types of sexuality and only accepted an even smaller number than that. However, some experts assert that there are well over 40 different types of sexuality. The Better Health Channel describes sexuality as “Your sexual feelings, thoughts, attractions and behaviors towards other people.” They add that it isn’t only about who you have sex with – it’s also about who you want to have sex with, and it can involve feeling both sexually and emotionally attracted to someone, or just one or the other.
Sexuality is complex. And if you’ve never felt that yours fits into the limited boxes you’ve been offered on surveys like “straight, gay or bisexual” – that’s okay. You are far from alone. Furthermore, if you aren’t quite sure what your sexual orientation is, maybe you just haven’t come across the term to describe yours yet. Here are types of sexuality you might not have known about.
Cupiosexual
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A cupiosexual is a subcategory of a sexuality with which you might already be familiar – asexual. Asexual individuals have no sexual attraction to anyone and do not desire sex. However, cupiosexuals are asexual, but, they still desire a sexual relationship. They do not feel sexual attraction to anyone, but they still want to engage in sexual activities. Cupiosexuals often do date and get into relationships based on a mental/emotional attraction with the assumption or hope that the desire to have sex with a person will come later.
Heteroflexible
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People often confuse bisexual individuals with heteroflexible individuals. Heteroflexible individuals typically identify as heterosexual but experience sexual desires outside of the confines of heterosexuality on a situational basis. They’re less likely than bisexuals to engage in serious relationships with people of multiple genders and sexualities, but they might have occasional sexual interactions that don’t qualify as heterosexual.
Androsexual
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An Androsexual person is attracted to masculinity. That is distinctly different from being attracted to just heterosexual men or even to just men. An androsexual lesbian might be attracted to women who present as masculine. A cisgender gay man would be attracted to a gay man who is more masculine than feminine. Androsexuality doesn’t assume anything about the sex or gender of the person who is feeling attraction, or the person to whom they are attracted. Anyone – including cisgender, transgender, bisexual, heterosexual and gay individuals – can be androsexual if they are attracted to masculine qualities.
Fluid
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If you don’t want to claim what your sexuality is because you think it could change over time, you likely identify as fluid. Fluid sexuality acknowledges that sexuality isn’t static and can change over time. It leaves one the freedom to explore different sexualities, and even identify with different ones at different phases in their life.
Gynesexual
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Gynesexual is on the opposite end of the spectrum from androsexual. Gynesexual individuals are sexually attracted to femininity. Again, this does not mean just being attracted to straight women or even people who identify as female. A gay man who is attracted to a transgender woman who presents as female would be gynesexual. A lesbian who is attracted to women who present as feminine is gynesexual. Like with androsexuality, nothing is assumed about the gender or sexual orientation about a person who is gynesexual, or the people to whom they are attracted. It simply refers to feeling sexual attraction towards femininity.
Sapiosexual
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A sapiosexual is someone who experiences sexual attraction to others based on their intelligence. It’s not uncommon to see “sapiosexual” appear on dating app profiles today – that’s just a way of the person saying, “Those with low IQs need not DM.” Sapiosexuals are often confused with demisexuals – individuals who fall on the asexual spectrum, and only develop sexual attraction once a strong emotional bond has been formed. But for sapiosexuals, it’s all about that intellect, and for demisexuals, it’s about emotional connection.
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