Sexual Orientation

Sexual orientation is the enduring emotional, romantic, sexual, or affectional attraction toward others. It is easily distinguished from other components of sexuality including biological sex, gender identity (the psychological sense of being male or female), and the social gender role (adherence to cultural norms for feminine and masculine behavior).

Sexual orientation, as defined in Wikipedia, describes the direction of an individual's sexuality, often in relation to their own sex or gender. Sexual orientation can be seen as existing along a continuum that ranges from exclusive heterosexuality to exclusive homosexuality and includes various forms of bisexuality. Persons with a homosexual orientation are sometimes referred to as gay (both men and women) or as lesbian (women only).  Sexual orientation is different from sexual behavior because it refers to feelings and self-concept. Individuals may or may not express their sexual orientation in their behaviors.

"Sexual identity" may be used as a synonym for sexual orientation, but the two are also sometimes distinguished, with identity referring to an individual's conception of themselves, and orientation referring to "fantasies, attachments, and/or behavior.

People are typically classified as heterosexual if their sexual focus is primarily people of the opposite sex/gender to their own, homosexual if it is people of the same sex/gender, and bisexual if it is both men and women. The less formal terms "straight", "gay", and "lesbian" are more commonly used by people to describe themselves and their friends and family, or to emphasize sexual orientation as a social identity. The discipline of sexology popularized the terms "heterosexual" and "homosexual", which are sometimes considered to have a clinical or even pathological tone when used outside of a scientific setting.

The term asexual can be used to describe people with no sexual interest at all, or those who have a sex drive, but not sexual attraction. The term celibacy or sexual abstinence is for those who are not sexually active. Asexuality and celibacy are not compatible terms, as celibacy implies a deliberate effort to refrain from one's desire for sex. Autosexuality can be considered an orientation with a sexual focus on oneself. Monosexuality, a sexual orientation to only one sex/gender, is sometimes used to contrast with bisexuality.

The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) acknowledges that depression and anxiety, as well as substance abuse and alcohol abuse, appear to affect gay men at a higher rate than in the general population. Additionally, gay and lesbian adolescents and young adults may be at particularly high risk of suicide.

The fact that these mental health related problems are greater in the gay and lesbian population are consistent with the social pressures encountered by gays and lesbians in many societies.

LGBT (or GLBT) is an abbreviation used as a collective term to refer to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people. Each term in the acronym is used to refer to members of the specific group and to the community (subculture) that surrounds them.

Lesbian refers to females with a sexual orientation exclusively or almost exclusively towards females.

Gay refers specifically to males with a sexual orientation exclusively or almost exclusively towards males.

Bisexual refers to persons who are attracted more than just one gender. While traditionally bisexuality has been defined as 'an attraction to both males and females', it commonly encompasses Pansexuality, 'an attraction where the gender of the partner is of little or no relevance' (i.e. to male, female, and any other gender identity). Bisexuality covers anywhere between the sexual orientations of asexuality, homosexuality, and heterosexuality.

Transgender is generally used as a catch-all umbrella term for a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups centered around the full or partial reversal of gender roles as well as physical sexual reassignment therapies (which can be just hormonal or involve various degrees of surgical alteration). Transsexualism (also called Gender Identity Disorder or GID) is a condition in which a transsexual person self-identifies as a member of the gender opposite to the one assigned to them at birth. Transsexualism often manifests itself as a dysphoria toward one's biological birth sex, as well as conflict living in one's social role. If untreated, it can lead to mental and emotional problems, and sometimes, suicide.

The term LGBT became increasingly common from the mid 1990s and as of 2005, LGBT has become mainstream terminology, and has been adopted by the majority of lesbian (L), gay (G), bisexual (B), and transgender (T) community centers and the LGBT press, in most English-speaking countries. However, in some circles the term LGBT is controversial. For example, some transgender and transsexual people do not like the term because they do not believe their cause is the same as that of LGB people; they may also object when an organization adds a T to their acronym when the level of service they actually offer to trans people is questionable. There are also LGB people who don't like the T for the same or similar reasons.

There are numerous theories about the origins of a person's sexual orientation. Most professionals today agree that sexual orientation is most likely the result of a complex interaction of environmental, cognitive and biological factors. In most people, sexual orientation is shaped at an early age. There is also considerable recent evidence to suggest that biology, including genetic or inborn hormonal factors, play a significant role in a person's sexuality. Although we can choose whether to act on our feelings, psychologists do not consider sexual orientation to be a conscious choice that can be voluntarily changed.

Although most homosexuals live successful lives, some homosexual or bisexual people may seek to change their sexual orientation through therapy, often coerced by family members or religious groups to try and do so.  But  psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals agree that homosexuality is not an illness, a mental disorder, or an emotional problem. More than 35 years of objective, well-designed scientific research has shown that homosexuality, in and itself, is not associated with mental disorders or emotional or social problems. However, many gay, lesbian, and bisexual people seek assistance from a mental health professional to help with adjustment issue and to help with the coming out process or for strategies to deal with prejudice.

Some therapists who undertake so-called conversion therapy report that they have been able to change their clients' sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. Close scrutiny of these reports, however. show several factors that cast doubt on their claims. The American Psychological Association is concerned about such therapies and their potential harm to patients. In 1997, the Association passed a resolution reaffirming psychology's opposition to homophobia in treatment and spelling out a client's right to unbiased treatment and self-determination. Any person who enters into therapy to deal with issues of sexual orientation has a right to expect that such therapy will take place in a professionally neutral environment, without any social bias.

The more you understand about sexual identity issues and problems, the better you can cope with the effects.  The links to other topics on this website may be helpful including the links to gay and lesbian sexuality, bisexuality, gender identity disorder, and sexual deviations.

The more you understand sexual orientation, sexual identity disorder and other sexual issues, the better you can cope with their effects. Reaching out for information and assistance can help you live a healthier and more fulfilling life. People who suffer from sexual orientation, sexual identity disorder, or other sexual issues can get help from a mental health professional such as a psychologist, psychiatrist, or clinical social worker. For more information about sexual orientation and other sexual issues, please click on the linked websites listed below.

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