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sexual orientation label confusion - 4/10/2014 9:24:23 AM   
defiantbadgirl


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First of all, I want to say that I am not homophobic and I'm 100% in favor of same-sexed rights and same-sexed marriage. I'm just a little confused on what the labels heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual mean. I know there are different degrees of bisexual but are there different degrees of heterosexual and homosexual as well? I've always thought homosexual and heterosexual was pretty black and white and only bisexual involved shades of grey. For example, as a heterosexual there's no way I could have sex with, make out with, or even kiss another woman (no I don't mean on the cheek). A homosexual man I know told me he feels the same way toward the opposite sex as I do toward the same sex (which confirmed what I thought). Since bisexuals are attracted to both men and women, I can see them as being 50% for both sexes, or 60% - 40%, 70% - 30%, etc in favor of one or the other. I thought I had it all figured out until Adam Lambert (one of my favorite celebrities) said he finds women beautiful and enjoys kissing and making out with women, but he's gay. How is that possible? Isn't attraction to both sexes the definition of bi? I thought I had the whole sexual orientation thing figured out, but now I'm starting to wonder.

< Message edited by defiantbadgirl -- 4/10/2014 9:51:25 AM >


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RE: sexual orientation label confusion - 4/10/2014 9:44:40 AM   
LanceHughes


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Unfortunately for folk like you who'd like to be politically correct, the phrase is "Self-identified."  So sorry.

And think back to the mulatto days, when discrimination was based on 1/8 or more made you a n-word.  That is a parent could be at most 1/4, or both 1/8...

In this day-n-age even the U.S.Census had trouble with "caterorizing" on the basis of "race" (whatever that is.)

There IS an easy way out for you.  Simply say "same-sex marriage."  Actually, that's what term is used in the legal language of various legislation, both pro and con.

Race?  We're all citizens, right?  Eventually, that question will disappear, just as the anti-miscagenation laws are gone.  (Look it up.)



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RE: sexual orientation label confusion - 4/10/2014 10:03:20 AM   
njlauren


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The real answer is when it comes to sexual orientation it is complicated, the whole idea of heterosexual and homosexual as some sort of divide, with bisexuals being this in the middle group (so you have three things you can be, homosexual, only like your own sex, bisexual can go 0-50, heterosexual only go with opposite sex). Among other things, like most black and white thinking, it leaves out a lot of gray.


Adam Lambert could find women attractive in one way, like the way they look, like to hang with them, maybe kiss them, but otherwise not feel the desire to have sex with them.A straight "man's man" can appreciate the way another man looks, like them, in some ways form a lasting emotional bond with them, but not think of them sexually....there have been long term men who have lived together for many years, who basically live together almost as they are married, except they don't have sex, because they aren't into men.....

And you get into all kinds of things, where culture and such come into play, and i am not sure what the answer is. Women are often a lot more willing to experiment with other women, and there is a lot of difference between how they and men can and will experiment. Is it because two women together are seen as kind of hot by a lot of men, is it because women have more freedom, is that women emotionally are freer than men, or are they wired that way? There are guys who love to suck another guys cock, but otherwise are not attracted to men. There are men who love to have sex with men, simply for the sex, but emotionally and otherwise are attracted to women, what are they? Straight women can watch gay male porn and get turned on (a lot of gay erotica's biggest fans are women)........a lot of M to F transwomen, who spend their lives attracted to women, having sex with them, not interested in men, when they transition, get on hormones, etc, suddenly get the big attraction to men, some of which may be feeling freer since now they are a woman, it is a major phenomenon and quite real, but what is that about? There are men who love crossdresers and transwomen , so called admirers, some of whom I think are gay or bi guys kind of using them being with someone looking female as cover for their feelings, but there are those who I think are very much straight, but find trans gals attractive because of something about them (I could go into long details, but generally the latter kind of guy is not interested in the trans gals genitals as such, whereas the form obsess about them. Put it this way, difference is first type of guy when you meet them, first question they ask is how big is your cock and whether you like to be passive or active, second type treats you as a woman, whether it is just to go to bed or maybe more, asks about yourself, etc, and seems interested in you as a person).


I agree with Lance in one sense, that rather than trying to label things, just let them be. Kinsey in one sense tried to deal with this, he came up with a continuum where some people are at the edges where they are totally straight or totally gay, others are in the middle. Yet I have known gay people, a stone cold butch dyke and a pretty boy gay guy, who occassionally have sex, for the sake of having it. I wouldn't call it bi, it is more link kinky sex play to them I think....I think Kinsey was right sexuality is somewhat fluid, but that it is multi dimensional, and it is better simply to recognize people can do things in ways that mystify us, but that's okay, rather than label it, just let it happen as it does:)

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RE: sexual orientation label confusion - 4/10/2014 10:07:39 AM   
defiantbadgirl


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quote:

ORIGINAL: LanceHughes

There IS an easy way out for you.  Simply say "same-sex marriage."  Actually, that's what term is used in the legal language of various legislation, both pro and con.



You're right, same sex marriage is the correct term since it covers marriage of both gays and lesbians so I edited my post accordingly.


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RE: sexual orientation label confusion - 4/10/2014 10:26:23 AM   
freedomdwarf1


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FR~

Haven't people invented words like 'heteroflexible' and the like to help fill in the grey areas??

To me, 'hetero' and 'gay' are the two far-flung ends of the spectrum.
'Bi' helps to fill in the middle ground to a great extent.
I've always thought that 'heteroflexible' meant mainly hetero with a small leaning (or appreciation of) Bisexuality.
And conversely, 'homoflexible' to fill in the other end.

Or am I just as cumfuzzled as others??
And I'm disagreeing with Lance here.
I think you can be just as "self identified" and still not fit conveniently into a little box label.

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RE: sexual orientation label confusion - 4/10/2014 11:20:37 AM   
defiantbadgirl


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quote:

ORIGINAL: freedomdwarf1

FR~

Haven't people invented words like 'heteroflexible' and the like to help fill in the grey areas??

To me, 'hetero' and 'gay' are the two far-flung ends of the spectrum.
'Bi' helps to fill in the middle ground to a great extent.
I've always thought that 'heteroflexible' meant mainly hetero with a small leaning (or appreciation of) Bisexuality.
And conversely, 'homoflexible' to fill in the other end.


This is the first time I've ever heard heard the terms heteroflexible and homoflexible (I'm from Kansas). I always thought hetero and homo were at opposite ends and everything in the middle fell under bisexual. That's why when Adam Lambert said he was gay despite liking to kiss and make out with women, I was like......no he's neither gay or straight, he's bisexual. Otherwise he wouldn't enjoy kissing and making out with the opposite sex. So why does he keep saying he's gay? Then I started wondering if both me and my gay acquaintance were wrong. I do know one thing though. Confusion about anything in life has a tendency to drive me crazy. I always want everything, no matter what it is, to make sense lol.

< Message edited by defiantbadgirl -- 4/10/2014 11:25:05 AM >


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RE: sexual orientation label confusion - 4/10/2014 12:08:52 PM   
freedomdwarf1


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Some reading for you -
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heteroflexibility
Urban Dictionary: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=heteroflexible
Huff'n'poo: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-kort-phd/are-heteroflexible-and-homoflexible-shades-of-bisexual_b_4549126.html

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RE: sexual orientation label confusion - 4/10/2014 1:16:01 PM   
kalikshama


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I think I've moved on the spectrum from bisexual to heteroflexible. I still find women sexually attractive, but am no longer interested in relationships. Might have something to do with all my girlfriends leaving me for men. In 2011, I was on OKCupid as bi for about two days.

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RE: sexual orientation label confusion - 4/10/2014 2:33:16 PM   
kdsub


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Myself it is cut and dry... there are heterosexuals...and there are homosexuals and there are bisexuals. You have the definitions exactly right.

I say however purely straight and purely gay are more rare than most believe. Where bisexuals to one degree or another are a lot more prevalent than people want to admit.

People can call themselves whatever they like but their actions speak for them.

Butch

< Message edited by kdsub -- 4/10/2014 2:34:53 PM >


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RE: sexual orientation label confusion - 4/10/2014 3:20:50 PM   
NiceButMeanGirl


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quote:

ORIGINAL: defiantbadgirl
I know there are different degrees of bisexual but are there different degrees of heterosexual and homosexual as well? I've always thought homosexual and heterosexual was pretty black and white and only bisexual involved shades of grey.

Actually, there's a term for the varying degrees in that grey area. It's called heteroflexible, bisexual and homeflexible. The flexible options mean more one way than the other. For example, heteroflexible means more toward the hetero end of bi but same-sex situations are not out of the question. That would be me but there's no -flexible option(s) available on CM.

NBMG

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RE: sexual orientation label confusion - 4/10/2014 10:38:34 PM   
DesFIP


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There's a difference between having sex without emotional attachment and entering into a relationship.
Most bisexual women I know are sexually bi but emotionally straight. Most bi males I know are sexually bi and emotionally gay.

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RE: sexual orientation label confusion - 4/10/2014 10:48:47 PM   
angelikaJ


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There is the Klein Sexual Orientation Grid which was expanded upon the Kinsey Scale.

http://www.youngsouthampton.org/children-and-young-people/advice/relationships/sexuality/klein-sexual-orientation-grid-quiz.aspx

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RE: sexual orientation label confusion - 4/13/2014 2:42:09 AM   
ThePrincessKali


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In my experience if it's a friend or someone you're close with just ask. I'm not really sure how that would go over in Kansas to be honest bc my neighborhood is very well known for having a predominately gay population so everyone is pretty open about it here. There have been times where I thought I was being hit on by a gay guy or a straight girl and just asked them what their orientation was and they told me without being offended. I wouldn't ask a stranger at the bank. But I think it's a case by case thing. I also know a lot of people don't like being labeled or find it difficult to categorize themself. A lot of gay men that I know had girlfriends before they "came out" and had sexual relationships with their girlfriends. So if you are really confused about someone's orientation maybe try thinking about it a bit differently. Instead of worrying about their label, gay man or straight woman just think of them as people and forget the label.

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RE: sexual orientation label confusion - 4/13/2014 4:32:05 AM   
DomKen


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quote:

ORIGINAL: kdsub

Myself it is cut and dry... there are heterosexuals...and there are homosexuals and there are bisexuals. You have the definitions exactly right.

I say however purely straight and purely gay are more rare than most believe. Where bisexuals to one degree or another are a lot more prevalent than people want to admit.

People can call themselves whatever they like but their actions speak for them.

Butch

This is what the Kinsey Reports found. The pure hetero and pure homo were very rare.

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RE: sexual orientation label confusion - 4/13/2014 5:03:18 AM   
ChatteParfaitt


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When it comes to assessing humans, pure *anything* isn't just rare, it's virtually non-existent.

This is why I consistently say no one is 100% dom or 100% sub, we're all a combination of both. This is true of sexual orientation, most of us are somewhat bi, though many don't act on their attractions. (The reasons why, which are most likely societal conditioning, I find fascinating.)

The same think applies to gender based personality traits and brain wiring. Most of us are somewhat one gender, but have many traits or ways of thinking/doing that are more applicable to the other gender. In other words no one's all male, and no one's all female. We're all a combination of both, and this often includes physical traits (though not always).

As an example, I am very feminine in appearance but have a very male brain. What makes my brain male? I am extremely analytical and compartmentalized in my thinking. When I was a little girl, I didn't play with barbies, I played chess and poker and war with the boys. Although I see myself as 'all female' I know I have some predominantly male personality traits, such as being aggressive, self reliant, competitive, and a risktaker.

When you begin to look at humans this way, that is seeing them as shades of gray as opposed to black and white, you can look beyond stereotypes and just accept people as people. It really isn't necessary to label everyone, and trying to will just drive you crazy.

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RE: sexual orientation label confusion - 4/13/2014 7:26:07 AM   
kalikshama


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But will you stop and ask for directions?

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RE: sexual orientation label confusion - 4/13/2014 7:27:05 AM   
ChatteParfaitt


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Yes I *will* stop and ask for directions, I have to, I have a terrible sense of direction. Which is all the confirmation *anyone* needs as to my gender.

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