We explain what a heterosexual person is and the history of the term. Also, other sexual orientations.
What is straight?
Heterosexual people are those who feel sexual or emotional attraction to people of a sex other than their own. A straight woman is attracted to men and a straight man is attracted to women.
The first contact with the term "heterosexuality" was at the beginning of the 20th century, when doctors were investigating possible treatments for "heterosexuals and homosexuals to become Humans with natural erotic inclinations and with normal impulses”, since for the time both terms alluded to practices of lust towards the same sex or towards the opposite sex. Over time, the conception of sexual behavior as a disease was abandoned and many people began to defend heterosexuality as the only valid model of sexual-affective relationships.
Currently, activist associations and citizens around the world are fighting for the discrimination towards all sexual orientation or conduct —in the social, cultural, legal, religious aspect, among others— disappear.
Other sexual orientations
There are other sexual orientations among which the following stand out:
- Homosexual. A person who feels physical or emotional attraction to a person of the same sex.
- Bisexual. A person who feels physical or emotional attraction to both people of the same sex and the opposite sex.
- Asexual. That person who does not feel any type of sexual attraction towards others.
- pansexual. A person who feels physical or emotional attraction to other people beyond their sex or sexual identity or gender.
- Demisexual. That person who does not feel sexual attraction to another or others unless they form a strong emotional bond.
- Anthrosexual. That person who does not feel represented by any sexual orientation, so they establish sexual and affective relationships with people of any gender or sex.
- Greysexual. That person who feels sexual attraction to another only in some specific cases.