What is sexual orientation?

Sexual orientation

Sexual orientation is who you are attracted to emotionally and sexually. 

Common terms:

Gay:

Someone who is attracted to members of the same gender. 

Lesbian:

A female who is attracted to females. 

Bisexual:

A person who is attracted to both members of their own gender and other genders. 

Heterosexual:

Someone who is attracted to members of the opposite gender, also called “straight.” 

Pansexual:

Someone who is attracted to people, regardless of their gender identity or biological sex. 

Asexual:

Someone with a lack of sexual attraction to others. 

Queer:

Someone that expresses a fluidity of gender expression, identity and/or sexual orientation. 

Sex assigned at birth

Sex assigned at birth

Sex assigned at birth is determined by the genitals someone is born with. Sometimes this is called biological sex, but it’s NOT gender.

Common terms are:

Male:

Penis, scrotum, and testicles. 

Female:

Vulva, vagina, and ovaries. 

Differences in sexual development (DSD):

A combination of genitals. 

Genderbread person

Source: It's Pronounced Metrosexual https://www.itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2015/03/the-genderbread-person-v3/ 

What is the difference between gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and sex assigned at birth?

A lot of people find these terms confusing. The Genderbread Person is a tool that helps us explain the different terms. 

Genderbread person

Gender expression

Gender expression is the way people present their gender through actions, clothing, and demeanor. You can’t always tell what someone’s gender is, so when you introduce yourself say your pronoun. For example, my name is Jill and I go by she/her. There are many types of pronouns people can use:

  • She/her
  • He/him
  • They/them
  • Ze/Hir