Sexuality is a person's sexual orientation, identity, and behavior. It includes attraction to others, how a person labels themselves, and how they express desire. It is distinct from gender identity, though the two are often confused. Gender is who you are. Sexuality is who you are attracted to.
Sexuality is not fixed. It can change over time. Some people are exclusively heterosexual or homosexual. Others are bisexual, pansexual, asexual, or queer. The categories are not rigid. They are social labels that help people describe themselves.
Dimensions of sexuality
- Attraction: who you are drawn to
- Behavior: what you do sexually
- Identity: how you label yourself
- Orientation: heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, etc.
Societies regulate sexuality through laws, religion, and custom. Homosexuality was criminalized in many countries and is still illegal in some. Same-sex marriage is legal in a growing number of countries. Sexuality is personal, but it is also political. Who you love can determine your rights.
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