Sexual orientation

Sexual orientation is a person’s enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to people of particular sexes or genders. It is distinct from gender identity and from sexual behavior.

Sexual attraction: Sexual attraction is a pattern of desire for sexual contact with particular people or groups. It is one dimension of attraction that can shape a person’s orientation.
Sexual identity: Sexual identity is the label or understanding a person uses for their sexuality. People may use an identity label to describe their orientation, but labels are personal.
Alfred Kinsey: Alfred Kinsey was an American sexologist whose mid-twentieth-century studies documented variation in sexual behavior. His research challenged the idea that sexuality falls neatly into two categories.
Sexual orientation discrimination: Sexual orientation discrimination is unequal treatment based on a person’s actual or perceived orientation. It is a direct social consequence of prejudice about patterns of attraction.
Sexual orientation development: Sexual orientation development is the process through which patterns of attraction and related self-understanding emerge over time. Its varied pathways complicate claims that orientation has one universal cause or timeline.
Romantic orientation: Romantic orientation is a pattern of romantic attraction toward people of particular sexes or genders. Romantic attraction may align with sexual attraction or differ from it.
Asexuality: Asexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by little or no sexual attraction. It demonstrates that orientation includes patterns with little or no sexual attraction.
Kinsey scale: The Kinsey scale is a seven-point scheme describing sexual behavior or response from exclusively heterosexual to exclusively homosexual, with intermediate positions. It made graded descriptions of attraction and behavior widely known, despite its limitations.
Conversion therapy: Conversion therapy comprises practices intended to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. It treats orientation as something to alter, despite evidence of harm and lack of demonstrated efficacy.
Biology of sexual orientation: The biology of sexual orientation studies genetic, hormonal, and developmental factors associated with patterns of attraction. Research finds complex influences, not a single biological explanation for orientation.

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