The language around sexuality and gender is constantly changing, with new definitions evolving, and existing words being reclaimed by new generations.
We've compiled this list of sexualities and their definitions to act as an ever growing resource for the LGBTQ+ community and our allies, to give you the language to express your own sexuality, as well as the language to accurately represent those around you.
For the Gender Identities companion piece to this article, click here.
Table of contents
Abrosexual
Abrosexual describes someone whose sexuality is fluid or changeable. For example one day they may identify as asexual, the next as lesbian, and the next as pansexual. Abrosexual people can fluctuate between all sexualities, or just a few. The timing between fluctuations can also vary.
Androphilic / Androsexual
Androphilic, or androsexual, describes someone who is primarily attracted to masculinity, be this sexually, romantically, or aesthetically. These terms are particularly useful for people who identify outside of the gender binary as unlike terms like gay or lesbian, they refer only to the presentation of the person someone is attracted to and not the person themselves.
For example, both heterosexual women and homosexual men can be referred to as androphilic or androsexual.
Aroace
Aroace is short for Aromantic Asexual, which means someone who experiences little or no romantic and sexual attraction.
Aroflux
An aroflux person is someone whose romantic orientation fluctuates but generally stays on the aromantic spectrum. They may feel strongly aromantic one day, and less so on another day.
Aromantic
Aromantic refers to someone who does not experience romantic attraction. They may experience sexual and/or aesthetic attraction, but not romantic attraction.
Asexual
An asexual person is someone who does not experience sexual attraction. They may experience romantic and/or aesthetic attraction, but not sexual attraction.
Bisexual
Bisexuality refers to sexual attraction to more than one gender and is inclusive of ALL genders, therefore bi folk can be attracted to people from right across the gender spectrum.
Demisexual
Demisexual refers to someone who only experiences sexual attraction to someone once they have created a romantic or platonic relationship with them.
Demiromantic
Similarly to Demisexual, Demiromantic refers to someone who does not experience romantic attraction until they have formed a strong connection with a partner.
Finsexual
The exclusive attraction to those who are feminine in nature (FIN). This means finsexual people are attracted to women, feminine aligned and/or feminine presenting non-binary people, and potentially feminine men.
Gay / Homosexual
Someone who is attracted to the same gender as themselves. The rainbow flag is also used to represent the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole.
Gay Male / Vincian
Vincian is a term used to describe gay men or men-aligned people. Often used as the masculine equivalent of lesbian.
Greysexual
Greysexual refers to people who experience limited sexual attraction. They experience sexual attraction very rarely, or with very low intensity. Also known as gray-ace.
Gynephilic / Gynesexual
Someone who is primarily romantically, sexually, or aesthetically attracted to femininity.
Lesbian
Most often refers to women who are solely attracted to other women however some non binary people can also identify as lesbian.
Lithosexual
Lithosexual refers to a person who may experience sexual attraction but does not want it reciprocated. Also known as Akoisexual.
Lithromantic
A lithromantic person is someone who may experience romantic attraction but does not want it reciprocated. Also known as Akoiromantic.
Minsexual
Minsexual refers to the exclusive attraction to those who are masculine in nature (MIN). This can include men, masculine aligned and/or masculine presenting non-binary people, and potentially masculine women.
Multisexual
Multisexual is an umbrella term for any form of attraction to more than one gender. Also known as Plurisexuality.
Neptunic
Neptunic refers to the attraction to women, feminine non-binary people, and neutral non-binary people. It can also be described as attraction to all except men and/or masculine-aligned non-binary people.
Ninsexual
Ninsexual refers to the exclusive attraction to those who are non-binary in nature (NIN). This includes people who are non-binary, neutrois, androgyne, agender, and anyone whose gender or presentation is androgynous.
Omnisexual
Omnisexual refers to a person who is attracted to all genders or any gender, while still having a preference.
Pansexual
Someone who is attracted to all genders, the pre-fix 'pan' meaning 'all' in Latin. Many Pansexual people also describe themselves as being attracted to others based on their personality, not gender.
Polyamorous
Someone who is, or desires to be in, a consensual relationship with multiple partners. Polyamory is the opposite of monogamy.
Queer
An umbrella term for someone whose sexuality and/or gender is not heterosexual, cisgender and/or allosexual.
Queer has been used as a term of abuse against the LGBTQ+ community, but is now often used by members of the LGBTQ+ who have reclaimed it.
Sapphic
Sapphic refers to a woman or woman-aligned person who is attracted to other women or woman-aligned people. Also known as woman loving woman (WLW).
Saturnic
The attraction to androgynous-aligned non-binary people. Mostly used by non-binary people to describe their attraction without relying on the gender binary.
Uranic
Uranic refers to the attraction to men, masculine non-binary people, and neutral non-binary people. Can also be described as attraction to all except women and/or feminine-aligned non-binary people.
Celebrate your identity
As language evolves there are always new ways to describe different identities, if you feel we've missed something out that needs adding to this list of LGBTQ+ terms, be sure to let us know by emailing us on info@rainbowandco.uk or messaging us via our Facebook page.
Oliver
This article was written by Oliver, a trans, queer, and disabled person who lives in Manchester with his partner and cats.
170 comments
Thank you so much for this website and it’s gender identity sibling. It has rlly helped me figure out my identity, and now I know that I am neptunic and girlflux!! <3
thanks this helped me find out I was uranic I’m glad to find this community
I really like this wesbite. My parents aren’t that supportive (when I came out as a lesbian, then bisexual, then straight, they accepted me, but it’s limited). They don’t like things like pansexual and all of that, finding it ‘fake’. I’m abrosexual, but I’ve resorted to telling my parents I’m bisexual.
Abrosexuality does have it’s downsides, considering I’m in a relationship with a man and suddenly I feel like a lesbian. I power through it though. This wesbite also helped me with writing my book —I wanted to give more ‘unique’ sexualities for awareness.
I am still struggling with my gender identity however. I have a feeling I may be a form of non-binary or even genderfluid. However, my parents don’t support this. The reason I believe I might be a type of non-binary is because I feel comfortable with people using they/them on me. And for genderfluid, it’s because I assumed I was trans when I was younger. I hated being called she/her and preferred he/him. However, I also (quite rarely, however) love wearing dresses, like when I went to a party with my boyfriend.
I’m continuing to search for a term that I feel connected too, but this website helped a lot. Thank you!!
I think I might be neptunic but im still not sure . This website helped me understand a lot more .
A very interesting list. I thought I was asexual because I never want to have sex with anyone, but it was always because I don’t want people touching me or seeing my genital areas; I am autistic and don’t like being touched or exposed like that, and being a trans man, I also have dysphoria. Now I realise I am lithosexual, because I would be love to be in a romantic relationship and only perform sexual acts with a partner if they are not reciprocated. I find people sexually attractive, and crave hugs and kisses, but would just never want to engage in sexual activity involving my private areas. Thank you for enlightening me on my identity, because it has been challenging to call myself asexual and yet not feel like it fits me perfectly. Lithosexual is…perfect.
I didn’t really understand my sexuality or gender (i was guessing pan aroace and didnt know my gender/gender questioning) but with this and the gender version i found out i was greysexual, gynephilic, multisexual, omnisexual, pansexual, demigirl and demiandrogyne tysm :)
This was so helpful! Thank you!
Hello, I am 22 y/o from Puerto Rico,
My roommate and I read through the entire list and came out more educated about the community than we were before. Thank You!!
Thank you! I’m figuring out if I’m pan, demigirl and abrosexual !
Damn, thought i was full on aromantic but I’m greyromantic. Nice. i searched it up first though.