Sexual diversity or gender and sexual diversity (GSD), refers to all the diversities of
sex characteristics,
sexual orientation
Sexual orientation is an enduring personal pattern of romantic attraction or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. Patterns ar ...
s and
gender identities, without the need to specify each of the identities, behaviors, or characteristics that form this plurality.
Overview
In the
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to various nations and state (polity), states in Western Europe, Northern America, and Australasia; with some debate as to whether those in Eastern Europe and Latin America also const ...
, generally simple classifications are used to describe sexual orientation (
heterosexuals,
homosexuals and
bisexuals), gender identity (
transgender and
cisgender), and related minorities (
intersex), gathered under the acronyms
LGBTQ
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
or
LGBTQIA+ (
lesbian
A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...
,
gay,
bisexual,
asexual,
transgender/
transsexual people, and sometimes
intersex people); however, other cultures have other ways of understanding the sex and
gender systems. Over the last few decades, some
sexology
Sexology is the scientific study of human sexuality, including human sexual interests, Human sexual activity, behaviors, and functions. The term ''sexology'' does not generally refer to the non-scientific study of sexuality, such as social crit ...
theories have emerged, such as
Kinsey theory and
queer theory
Queer theory is a field of post-structuralist critical theory that emerged in the early 1990s out of queer studies (formerly often known as gay and lesbian studies) and women's studies. The term "queer theory" is broadly associated with the study a ...
, proposing that this classification is not enough to describe the sexual complexity in human beings and, even, in other
animal species.
For example, some people may feel an intermediate sexual orientation between heterosexual and bisexual (
heteroflexible) or between homosexual and bisexual (
homoflexible). It may vary over time, too (
sexual fluidity), or include attraction not only towards women and men, but to all the spectrum of sexes and genders (
pansexual).
In other words, within bisexuality there exists a huge diversity of typologies and preferences that vary from an exclusive heterosexuality to a complete homosexuality (
Kinsey scale).
Sexual diversity includes
intersex people, those born with a variety of intermediate features between women and men. It also includes
transgender and transsexed people,
genderfluid
Gender fluidity (commonly referred to as genderfluid) is a non-fixed gender identity that shifts over time or depending on the situation. These fluctuations can occur at the level of gender identity or gender expression. A genderfluid person m ...
people, and so on.
Lastly, sexual diversity also includes
asexual people, who feel disinterest in sexual activity;
and all those who consider that their identity cannot be defined, such as
queer
''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...
people.
Socially, sexual diversity is claimed as the acceptance of being different but with equal rights, liberties, and opportunities within the
Human Rights
Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
framework. In many countries, visibility of sexual diversity is vindicated during
Pride Parades.
Pride Weekend events celebrate gender and sexual diversity in Oxford.
The Daily Mississippian. 17 may 2017.
See also
References
{{Sex
LGBTQ