I think it was hard enough to come to grips that I am gay. It wasn't a fluid transition from "the norm" to happiness, but life is so much better than the closeted days. Now, a new report tells me I may not be just gay. There are other "-sexuals" I may be besides "homo."
A recent article in The Telegraph followed the release of new research that found no woman is really 100% straight, but instead bisexual or gay.
Always assumed you were straight? Well, according to a recent study don’t be so sure. Women, claims Dr Gerulf Rieger, are just as likely to be turned on by naked women as naked men. “Even though the majority of women identify as straight,” he explains, “our research clearly demonstrates that when it comes to what turns them on, they are either bisexual or gay, but never straight.” It might come as a shock to Dr Rieger that these three are far from our only options. The blurring of sexual boundaries has made headlines repeatedly this year, with over 50 per cent of young people identifying as neither gay nor straight.
While you may be familiar with the LGBT acronym – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender – more and more letters are being added of late. The current term du jour is LGBTQIA – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, Intersex and Asexual -but even that doesn’t cover it. The Kinsey scale, once used to rate human sexuality from 0 (100 per cent straight) to six (100 per cent gay), no longer applies. Sexuality isn’t even a spectrum – it’s a pick and mix of infinite possibilities and combinations. It’s not just the new sexual orientations that have labels – you might read this list and find yourself on there. Words like ‘monosexual’ (just being attracted to one gender) and ‘allosexual’ (feeling any kind of sexual desire) have been coined to describe more usual sexual identities, the things you might consider ‘normal’. The truth is, normal doesn’t exist. It never really did. And what you might consider unexceptional is someone else’s different. – telegraph.co.uk
Head on over to The Telegraph to see how they define each letter of the SLGBQQAAGDAPOM.
I have a hard enough time remembering that I am an ENFJ, but now, I get to pick more letters than the G to represent me. Reading the descriptions at telegraph.co.uk, I'll go with GQDAM.
Well wait. Are there 4, 14, or 16 ways to describe my sexuality? These YouTubers leave a couple of the above out and give us a couple more sexualities to ponder. Thanks Trent and Luke.
Wait, Trent and Luke, maybe I'm more confused now than when I was in the closet.
Does the idea of this 14 or 16 lettered labeling system poke you right in your hot button. No more wire hangers labels ever! Stop labeling us and just let us live laugh love! Yeah, I hear yah, but sometimes we need to evaluate who we are personally and being able to proclaim to yourself, I am gay, or I don't want a relationship ever, or I will never love just one person, but need to be open to more than one partner. For many of us it was hard to get that first letter out. I'm a big ol' G! But does the self exploration and understanding end there with that first letter? Labeling can be a good thing and as life goes on, re-evaluating ones self and changing your own labels is a great way to know who you are.
And with that, maybe three more letters should be added, ATM = at the moment. Some people will do the monogamy thing for a while then over to poly and then asexual. Sexuality is a fluid thing and when it comes to labeling, it's good to know that labels are not like tattoos. They can be easily changed. They do not always define us, but they do help to add to personal clarity / sanity sometimes.
There are others that feel we should look at romanticism and sexuality as two different things. Okay, maybe there is too much to consider. Can we go back to LGBT and call it good? My head is spinning little bit.
Is the 14 letter alphabet soup a better way to look at sexuality than very linear one dimensional Kinsey Scale? Is the old LGBT worn out and in need of an upgrade when it comes to sexuality?
What letters may you identify with?
Do you feel we need to get rid of them all?
Are they helpful personally to figure out where you are in your own personal sexual adventure called life?
In the end, define yourself how you want to. Don't define yourself at all. It's a personal choice, but I think self exploration and self understanding are crucial to living, laughing, and loving.
I find all these new terms
I find all these new terms popping up are dividing us, instead of unifying what we stand for, can't we just stand under name?