an individual whose sexuality fluctuates rapidly and/or with great intensity, often with the implication that it often feels the sexuality itself changes. Because the implication is that the sexualities involved cover more than one gender, abrosexual is often included under the bisexual+ umbrella.

Many bisexual+ individuals experience a degree of fluidity or fluctuations in their attractions, for example, going through a stage where their attractions gravitate more towards a certain gender or gender expression than another, and may not necessarily mean that they are abrosexual (for example, a bisexual person may find they go through a period of time where they are strongly drawn to people of the same gender).

The difference between this fluctuation may be that it is so rapid compared to other fluctuations, and/or that it is so intense that it almost feels as if they are no longer one sexuality but another – for example, a person who finds they rapidly and/or intensely fluctuate between exclusive or primary attraction to the same gender (e.g. being gay or lesbian), to exclusive or primary attraction to a different gender (e.g. being straight), or even between those and being attracted without consideration for gender (e.g. bisexual, pansexual, etc), to the point where each label feels temporary.

a slang term for someone who is bisexual.

an umbrella term for same-gender loving men or man-aligned people, such as gay men and bisexual+ men; an alternative to terms such as men who have sex with men, and used to describe the topics, activities and ideas around it: for example, achillean relations, achillean people, achillean literature.

It arose in the mid-2010s as a masculine equivalent to the term sapphic. It is named after Achilles, a Greek mythological figure who has been interpreted as having a close romantic or sexual relationship with his close wartime comrade, Patroclus.

In Queer contexts, alignment generally refers to whether two or more parts of an identity are in cohesion or not; whether they ‘match’ or are ‘different’.

In gender identity, one such example is the alignment of birth sex and gender. Typically, a transgender individual is transgender because their birth sex and perceived gender do not align; for example, a Trans man may be assigned female at birth, but identify as a woman – therefore, their assigned sex at birth and gender identity do not align. They may therefore take steps to align their sex and gender, by undergoing gender reassignment surgery, hormone therapy, and/or going through the various steps needed to officially recognise their gender.

A cisgender person generally has their sex and gender aligned; their sex assigned at birth and gender identity are the same.

In sexual identity, this may refer to the alignment between one’s sexual attractions and one’s romantic attractions. This is particularly pertinent with people on the asexual spectrum: their sexual identity (asexual) may not be aligned with their romantic identity (for example, homoromantic). Similarly, an aromantic person may be homosexual (e.g. homosexual-aromantic). An asexual with their sexual and romantic identities aligned may be aromantic as well.

In allosexual people, an example would be somebody who is bisexual but homoromantic. That is, somebody who is sexually attracted to their own and other genders, but only romantically attracted to their own.

In gender identities, being aligned may also refer to experiences nonbinary individuals have: for example, a nonbinary individual may describe themselves as male-aligned, because of the experiences they have with being male.

Ambisexual has had two meanings in parlance, relating to either sexuality or gender identity. However, the sexual identity is now more prevalent.

Ambisexual – in sexuality – means someone of an ambiguous sexuality, meaning, somebody who is bisexual+.

In gender identity, it is someone of an ambiguous gender; for example, someone who is androgynous.

Alternative term for androsexual.

an individual who is romantically, but not necessarily sexually attracted, to men, male-aligned people and/or masculinity (e.g. masculine expression). An androromantic person may not necessarily be androsexual.

Androromantic individuals may not consider themselves to be homoromantic or heteroromantic, as it may be an attraction to masculinity regardless of gender identity, or describe a nonbinary person’s attraction to masculinity where homo/hetero labels may not be applicable. 

An individual who is primarily attracted – sexually, romantically and/or emotionally – to masculinity, male-align people, masculine expression and/or men, regardless of gender identity or whether they were assigned male at birth, and without reference to one’s own gender identity: as such androsexual people may not be heterosexual or homosexual; for example, an androsexual person may be nonbinary, or attracted to those who are on the “masculine spectrum”, regardless of gender and sex.

Androsexuality is often used as alternative to homosexual/heterosexual in the attraction spectrum, where femininity (gynesexuality) is on one end, masculinity (androsexuality) on the other, and bisexuality inbetween. Androsexuality is also sometimes included in the bisexual+ umbrella.

a young or recently out bisexual person.

a young or recently out Queer person.

abbreviation of bisexual.

the idea that bisexual+ people should be excluded from Queer spaces and venues, typically due to them not being “gay enough”, typically, but not exclusively, when they are currently in an opposite-sex couple – or a coupling that people perceive as heterosexual.

Such biphobic discourse has also included the idea that the visibility and acceptance of bisexual individuals are a threat to gay and lesbian identity, and can often be found among trans-exclusionary radical feminists and their allies.

It’s a form of discrimination, biphobia and bisexual erasure that sadly isn’t rare in the Queer community, and an example of Queer gatekeeping.

a modern Queer slang term that is the bisexual equivalent of gaydar: that is, the intuitive ability to spot a bisexual+ person.

gay slang for an iconic bisexual+ individual.

a person who is experiencing an interest in relationships, romance or sexual experiences with a person of the same gender or sex. Typically used to describe heterosexual people considering or interested in experiences with people of the same gender/sex for the first time (although not exclusively). Sometimes spelt bi-curious.

in Queer contexts, this usually refers to the gender binary; but this can also refer to related notions regarding various spectrums within Queer identities, either as extreme points or as the belief that such spectrums do not exist.

Such an example would be the sexuality spectrum; where both binary points would be homosexuality and heterosexuality on either end, with bisexuality and the various bisexual+ identities occupying the space in between. However, a binary belief would be that people are either heterosexual or homosexual.

The range of negative attitudes, intolerance and resentment of bisexual+ individuals, that results in the erasure and invisibility of bisexuals (bisexual erasure).

Biphobia is sadly not restricted to heterosexual people, as bisexual+ individuals have also experienced biphobia from members of the LGBT+ community, such as negative and intolerant attitudes towards bisexuals from gay men and lesbians.

Somebody who possesses biphobia can be described as biphobic.

an individual who possesses biphobia; an adjective describing attitudes and behaviours that are hostile or negative towards bisexual+ people.

a person who experiences romantic, but not necessarily sexual, attractions to multiple or all genders. A biromantic person may not necessarily be bisexual.

a person who experiences romantic/sexual (or exclusively sexual when used with an -romantic qualifier) to multiple or all genders; somebody who is neither monosexual or asexual.

An increasingly common misconception is that bisexuality is an attraction to men and women exclusively, to the exclusion of nonbinary or transgender people, due to the prefix “bi”, meaning “two”, referring to the two extreme points of the gender binary. This has been fiercely rejected by the bisexual community; many of whom are transgender or nonbinary themselves.

The definition of bisexuality has also referred to being simultaneously heterosexual and homosexual in varying degrees (“homo-” meaning same, “hetero-” meaning different).

Bisexuality can also be seen as the middle spectrum between androsexuality and gynesexuality, or as being simultaneously androsexual and gynesexual. 

As a result, bisexuality – in the theoretical sense – encompasses a wide variety of other identities, such as polysexual, pansexual, bicurious, multisexual, omnisexual, etc. Together, these form what is known as the bisexual+ umbrella.

As such, bisexual people may also identify alongside other identities such as polysexual, omnisexual or pansexual, and it’s also important to note that pan, poly, omni, etc, people may not necessarily identify as bi as well.

Bisexuals may not necessarily experience attraction to every gender in similar amounts; for example, somebody who identifies as bisexual may be primarily more attracted to one gender more than another.

the acts and attitudes of ignoring, removing or falsifying bisexual/bisexual+ people and bisexual identity. In its most extreme form, this could be the belief that bisexuality doesn’t exist – a belief that had long been traditionally held by straight and gay people alike (“you’re either gay or straight”).

In more subtle forms, this could be misconceptions such as that bisexual people are merely undecided, not fully out-of-the-closet, hypersexual, in a phase, following a fad, or the acceptance of bisexuality in women but not men. Another common form of bisexual erasure is in media where people and characters are designated as gay or straight respectively, depending on the sex/gender of their partner, which ignores a large part of their identity and agency.

Bisexual Erasure is often the result of biphobia, although it does not always involve overt antagonism. Bisexual Erasure and Invisibility has been shown to have a detrimental effect on bisexual individual’s health and well-being.

an alternative term for bisexual erasure.

an umbrella term encompassing sexualities that are not monosexual or asexual in nature; an umbrella term for bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, omnisexual, etc identities.

An alternative umbrella term for bisexual+ is multisexual.

the romantic and/or sexual attraction and behaviour related to bisexual+ individuals; topics related to bisexual people, distinct from discussions related to homosexuality.

simply put, consent is the act of giving permission, voluntarily, to the proposals or desires of another human being. A primary example of consent is the permission given between two or more individuals to engage in physically intimate behaviour with each other. Without consent, such acts are rape.

Both legally, and morally, consent can be subject to outside influences and legislation; for example, although a person under a certain age may give their permission, the law may determine that they are too young to consent (as they have not yet reached the age of consent). It is important to note, too, that permission given after coercion (that is by force or threat, or through manipulation or emotional blackmail), is not consent.

In Queer contexts, consent has an important role in Queer history and modern-day rights issues facing the Queer community.

Particularly in regards to sexuality, the age of consent has been a pressing LGBTQIA+ rights issue, as many countries and states have differing ages of consent for heterosexual and homosexual acts.

Various acts related to “conversion therapy“, particularly those performed on people under the age of eighteen who may be homosexual, bisexual+, asexual or transgender, have also come into the spotlight as a human rights issue, particularly as individuals may be there against their will or due to coercion (that is, without consent).

Consent is a particularly prevalent rights issue regarding intersex individuals, as often infants with an intersex variation may have been victim to “corrective surgery” – where no consent from the individual themselves could possibly have been given for surgery that is cosmetic or unnecessarily, rather than medically required.

Consent laws, particularly surrounding age, have become issues regarding to transgender youth, as seeking medical therapies to navigate their transgender identity may be subject to the permission of their parents, leading to discussions about what ages are appropriate for certain medical, non-surgical therapies (e.g. hormone therapy).

Informed consent is also an important factor to consent: that is, for consent to be given, one must be fully informed of the circumstances, consequences and conditions of the activity in which consent is given. This is particularly pertinent when it comes to accessing medical treatments.

An alternative to gynesexual.

an individual who is romantically, but not necessarily sexually attracted, to women and/or femininity. A gyneromantic person may not necessarily be gynesexual.

Gyneromantic individuals may not consider themselves to be homoromantic or heteroromantic, as it may be an attraction to femininity regardless of gender identity, or describe a nonbinary person’s attraction to femininity where homo/hetero labels may not be applicable. 

an individual who is primarily attracted – sexually, romantically and/or emotionally – to femininity, feminine expression and/or women, regardless of gender identity or whether they were assigned female at birth, and without reference to one’s own gender identity: as such androsexual people may not be heterosexual or homosexual; for example, an androsexual person may be nonbinary, or attracted to those who are on the “masculine spectrum”, regardless of gender and sex.

Gynesexuality is often used as alternative in the attraction spectrum, where femininity is one end, masculinity on the other, and bisexuality inbetween. Gynesexuality is also sometimes included in the bisexual+ umbrella.

Alternative: gynephilic.

Related: androsexual

a bisexual+ identity in which an individual is primarily/mostly heterosexual, but occasionally or rarely experiences some same-gender attraction.

a bisexual+ identity in which an individual is primarily/mostly attracted to people of the same gender, but rarely or occasionally experiences attraction to people of a different gender.

a term used to describe bisexual males; used in the late 19th century based on a term used at Oxford amongst Lord Byron and his compatriots.

shorthand for the multisexual spectrum, or multi-gender attraction spectrum, describing the wide variety of bisexual+ identities.

the assumption that people are monosexual: that is, solely attracted to one gender; the assumption that people are either gay or straight until shown otherwise.

an umbrella term for non-monosexual sexualities; an alternative to bisexual+.

the spectrum of bisexual+ identities; the spectrum of multiple-gender attraction.

a person who experiences romantic, but not necessarily sexual, attractions to all genders. An omniromantic person may not necessarily be omnisexual.

depending on definition, it is either synonymous with pansexual – that is, an attraction to all genders – or, alternatively, it is described as being different to pansexual in that pansexuality is gender-blind attraction to all genders, whereas omnisexuality is gender-conscious attraction to all genders.

Part of the bisexual+ umbrella.

a person who experiences romantic, but not necessarily sexual, attractions to all genders. A panromantic person may not necessarily by pansexual.

A sexual orientation where an individual is attracted to ‘all’ genders, or regardless of gender.

Sometimes synonymous with omnisexual, although a distinction is often drawn that pansexuality is a “gender-blind” attraction to all genders, whereas omnisexuality is a “gender conscious” attraction to all genders.

Some proponents of the term suggest that pansexual is more inclusive than bisexual, because it encompasses, by its definition of “all”, an attraction to transgender and nonbinary people – although this may wrongly suggest that bisexual people’s attractions are limited to cisgender men and women.

Such a distinction is fiercely disputed by many members of the bisexual community, who insist that bisexuality in itself has always been inclusive of nonbinary and transgender people; especially as that before the pansexual identity became prevalent in common parlance, gender non-conforming, nonbinary and transgender people have also identified as bisexual and have been in relationships with bisexual-identified people.

Essentially, it is a personal preference to identify as pansexual or bisexual, and many bisexuals and pansexuals will use the terms interchangeably. Pansexuality falls under the bisexual+ umbrella.

a person who experiences romantic, but not necessarily sexual, attractions to multiple, but not all genders. A panromantic person may not necessarily be polysexual.

A polysexual person is an individual who is attracted to multiple, but not all genders.

Polysexuality falls under the bisexual+ umbrella; and as a result, some bisexuals may further identify as polysexual. Such examples may be individuals who are attracted to nonbinary people and women/femininity, but not men/masculinity.

Within the bisexual+ umbrella, polysexual may describe the distinction between pansexual and non-pansexual bisexuals.

an umbrella term for individuals who attracted in some way to people of the same gender. Including, but not limited to, gay and lesbian people, bisexual+ people, and those on the asexual spectrum who are romantically attracted to people of the same gender, e.g. homoromantic, biromantic.

An alternative to same-sex attracted.

an umbrella term for same-gender loving women or woman-aligned people, such as lesbians and bisexual+ women; an alternative to terms such as women who have sex with women, and used to describe the topics, activities and ideas around it: for example, sapphic relations, sapphic people, sapphic literature. 

initialism of same-gender loving, used as an umbrella term for individuals/communities that are homosexual, bisexual+, homo/biromantic, etc; essentially, those who are Queer in sexuality, and may or may not include asexual people.

the imagery of the unicorn has been closely associated with Queer culture for a long time, particularly unicorns with rainbow manes and tails.

In Queer slang, a unicorn is also a bisexual person – typically female – that is willing to join an existing couple (predominantly an opposite-sex couple) for sex and fun (either together, or both singularly) without causing any inconvenience to, or having demands of, their relationship. So-called because they “do not, or rarely, exist”. Couples who seek unicorns are known as unicorn hunters.

Queer slang for predominantly opposite-sex couples who seek out bisexuals (typically women) that will engage in sexual activity with both partners, together and/or both singularly, without placing any demands or inconvenience on the relationship.

So called “unicorn hunters” because, apparently, such bisexuals are mythical or rare (like unicorns).