What is Gay? Bisexual? Heteroflexible? Straight? Heterosexual? Lesbian?

Heteroflexible

The Urban Dictionary defines heteroflexible as a person who thinks of themselves as mostly heterosexual but can also find same sex appealing. Other definitions point to the straight nature of heteroflexibles as well as having gay sensibility. This is usually marked by having a lot of gay friends and identifying with the lesbian and gay culture. There is definitely a lot of debate about the term, however it is becoming more accepted as a way to define yourself. Other people think that the term is less loaded than the terms bisexual or gay.

Bisexual

The term bisexual refers to people who are romantically and or sexually attracted to people of the opposite sex and people of the same gender. Bisexuals can by definition be female or male. The bisexual term has been around since the beginning of the 19th century, however people have always been attracted to members of the same sex dating all the way back to ancient Greece where examples of gay culture have been chronicled. Bisexuality is an official sexual orientation and not a stepping stone or stage that many think it is. While those who are bisexual often feel attracted to both genders, they usually have an attraction to one gender more than another. Some bisexuals have relationships with both genders, others have relationships with just one gender and some don't have relationships with either sex. In terms of legal issues bisexuals face many of the issues that lesbians and gay men have. These issues include same-sex marriage, frequent sexual-harassment, and second partner adoptions. Some bisexuals come out as late as their 20s although the current climate contains more support than ever before.

Gay

Gay men are defined as those who are physically and/or romantically attracted to other men. Being gay is an official sexual orientation where men have sexual relationships with the same-sex. The Roman Empire are the earliest records that we have of gay culture, where older men often mentored younger gay men. The term homosexual only began to surface around the early to mid-19th century. Throughout much of the 20th century gay men have had to endure hostility and prosecution. As recently as the 1960s, gay rights began to emerge as a platform for the equal rights of gays and lesbians. The gay community took a beating during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and since then significant ground has been covered concerning the cultural and political significance of being gay. As far as legal issues for gays, anti-sodomy laws were overturned in 2003. Even still, marriage between gay men is only legal in the United States in Iowa, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and California.

Lesbian

A lesbian is defined as being a gay woman and is a sexual orientation. One of the earliest known lesbians was the Greek poet Sappho. Relationships where two women who were romantically linked and lived in the same household used to be known by the term Boston Marriage in the 19th century. As with gay men, much progress has been made politically and culturally with the increasingly widespread acceptance of the gay, lesbian and transgender communities. The acceptance of the lesbian community received a boost after many lesbians were involved in the feminist movement during the 1960s.

As we continue to learn about ourselves as people we realize that sexuality is a very complex part of our humanity. Sexuality comes in many different intensities and often times it is difficult to pinpoint exactly where one's sexuality lies. It is safe to assume that sexuality is not a definitive or black and white aspect of our personalities, rather it is a range of feelings, behaviors and a part of our genetic makeup.