We asked members of the QSF group to help us define many of the identity terms in the community. Here’s what we came up with.
Akoiromantic/Lithromantic: Somebody who is lithromantic can feel romantic attraction towards others and also enjoy being in romantic relationships but only in theory. They do not need the affection to be reciprocated, and as such do not usually feel compelled to seek out a relationship with someone they are interested in. Some lithromantics may also stop feeling their romantic attraction once in a relationship. Someone who identifies as lithromantic can be romance repulsed, romance indifferent / neutral / apathetic towards romance, or romance positive. Like with any romantic orientation, lithromantic individuals can have any sexual orientation. (wikia)
Androsexual/Androphilic: primarily sexually, romantically and/or emotionally attracted to some men, males, and/or masculinity. (Thianna)
Asexual: A spectrum of sexuality characterized by a lack of sexual attraction to persons of any gender or sexuality. (See also: demisexual, graysexual) More here. (Rory)
BDSM: “There isn’t one accepted definition for BDSM. A very general definition might be that BDSM is a form of sexual expression that involves the willing and consensual exchange of power. Note that the definition is “sexual expression” and not just sexual activities. A lot of people who engage in BDSM talk about the fact that most of it happens in your mind, and often the sexual activities you can see are the least interesting aspect of the action.” Also D/s, B/D and S/m. More here. (Christine)
Bisexual: “A bi person has the capacity for romantic and/or sexual attraction to more than one gender.” There are more definitions here, (Amy)
Celibate: a person of any gender or sexual persuasion who chooses to not engage in sexual relationships for any reason.
Demisexual: Demisexual is a person who does not experience sexual attraction unless they form a strong emotional connection with someone. More here. (Angel)
Enby (NB): Enby: short for non-binary, tends to be used in place of boy/girl. (Thianna)
Gay: A male who is attracted to members of his own sex. (Scott)
Gender Dysphoria: Gender dysphoria: a condition where a person experiences discomfort or distress because there’s a mismatch between their biological sex and gender identity. (Thianna)
Gender Fluid/Genderqueer: a person who does not identify as having a fixed gender. They may move among genders, always feel like a mix of genders, or identify more strongly at a given time with a specific gender. (Amy)
Gender Non-Conforming: a gender identity label that indicates a person who identifies outside of the gender binary. (Thianna)
Gynesexual/Gynephilic: primarily sexually, romantically and/or emotionally attracted to some women, females, and/or femininity. (Thianna)
Internalized Oppression: The fear and self-hate of one’s own identity, that occurs for some individuals who have heard negative concepts about their identity throughout childhood. (Thianna)
NB: See enby.
Non-Monogamy: an umbrella term for relationships that do not restrict partners to a single other person for the exchange of love, sex, affection, and/or intimacy. (Amy)
Pansexual: Someone who is sexually, romantically or emotionally attracted towards people regardless of their sex or gender identity. (Thianna)
Questioning: An individual who is unsure of and/or exploring their gender identity and/or sexual orientation. (Thianna)
Sapiosexual: Someone who finds intelligence and the human mind to be the most sexually attractive feature. (Thianna)
Transgender: Transgender: is a broad term that can be used to describe people whose gender identity is different from the gender they were thought to be when they were born. More here. Even more here. (Thianna)
Trigender: One who identifies as having three different genders (Thianna)