Re: Is it sensible to think that "sexuality" actually exists
Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 4:36 pm
As someone who has a passing familiarity with the queer community, I would say that sexuality is a fairly amorphous concept.
First of all, I'll quickly clarify that in common parlance, "sex" is the actual physical characteristics (XX or XY chromosome), "gender" is the identity and set of social characteristics (and stereotypes) that a person can choose. Sexuality is also different, as it refers to preferences about who they are sexually attracted, or their sexual practices themselves (it's a very complex and amorphous concept). All of these are distinct from one another. Thus, I would disqualify your concepts of "Literal" or "Air-Quote Transsexual" (generally people identify as Transgender, regardless of whether or not they have had a sex change operation; this is a gender identity, not a sexuality. There are trans women who are attracted to other women, for example).
As for homosexuality, bisexuality, and heterosexuality, as you're already aware, this tends to exist on a spectrum.
As for asexuality, this can mean anything from not attracted to either gender, to attraction to people of either gender but low interest in actual sex, to solely interested in romantic love with one gender, etc. This is a very broad term (google it).
Pansexuality is considered to be attraction to people of all gender identities.
I would also consider love to be separate from sexuality.
Is sexuality a fact or a theory? Well, it's a lens through which people experience (or don't experience) the world; I'd consider it a fact the way a rock is a fact. There are plenty of theories on what it means, but that doesn't mean it's not real.
Is all the moral and legal bullshit and hoopla over sexuality worth it? The crap about one-man-one-woman, it's-Adam-and-Eve-not-Adam-and-Steve ain't, but issues of consensual sex are.
First of all, I'll quickly clarify that in common parlance, "sex" is the actual physical characteristics (XX or XY chromosome), "gender" is the identity and set of social characteristics (and stereotypes) that a person can choose. Sexuality is also different, as it refers to preferences about who they are sexually attracted, or their sexual practices themselves (it's a very complex and amorphous concept). All of these are distinct from one another. Thus, I would disqualify your concepts of "Literal" or "Air-Quote Transsexual" (generally people identify as Transgender, regardless of whether or not they have had a sex change operation; this is a gender identity, not a sexuality. There are trans women who are attracted to other women, for example).
As for homosexuality, bisexuality, and heterosexuality, as you're already aware, this tends to exist on a spectrum.
As for asexuality, this can mean anything from not attracted to either gender, to attraction to people of either gender but low interest in actual sex, to solely interested in romantic love with one gender, etc. This is a very broad term (google it).
Pansexuality is considered to be attraction to people of all gender identities.
I would also consider love to be separate from sexuality.
Is sexuality a fact or a theory? Well, it's a lens through which people experience (or don't experience) the world; I'd consider it a fact the way a rock is a fact. There are plenty of theories on what it means, but that doesn't mean it's not real.
Is all the moral and legal bullshit and hoopla over sexuality worth it? The crap about one-man-one-woman, it's-Adam-and-Eve-not-Adam-and-Steve ain't, but issues of consensual sex are.