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Definition of Sexual Orientation
Terminology and Definitions
What Causes Sexual Orientation?
Can Sexual Orientation Be Changed?
Is Homosexualilty a Mental Illness or Emotional Problem?
On Coming Out
Consideration For Professionals
References
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
TERMINOLOGY AND DEFINITIONS
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In discussions around sexual orientation the following words are often used, and not always clearly understood:
Straight – a heterosexual person [2].
Gay - a man who is emotionally and sexually attracted to men; sometimes used to refer inclusively to both gay men and lesbian women [2].
Lesbian – a woman who is emotionally and sexually attracted to women [2].
Queer, moffie, etc. – slang words for gay people, once derogatory, but now often used by gay people themselves [2]. Often used by and in reference to gay men.
Dyke – slang word for a lesbian that tends to be more masculine.
Fem– slang word for a lesbian that tends to be more feminine.
Queen – slang word for a gay man that tends to be more feminine.
Butch – slang word used to describe both gay men and lesbian women that tends to be more masculine.
Heterosexism – According to Germond [2] heterosexism refers to “..a reasoned system of bias regarding sexual orientation. It denotes prejudice in favour of heterosexual people and connotes prejudice against homosexual people”. Heterosexism is not grounded primarily in emotional fears, hatreds, or other visceral responses to homosexuality. Instead it is rooted in a largely cognitive constellation of beliefs about human sexuality.” In the light of this description, any orientation other than heterosexuality would be viewed as wrong or abnormal. Heterosexism implies thus a very clear prejudism against homosexual- or bisexual- sexual partnerships [2]. Heterosexim often results in homophobia.
Homophobia & Bi-phobia – Clark [6] refers to George Weinberg, a psychologist that first used and described the word Homophobia, in his book Society and the Healthy Homosexual: “It suggests a phobic, irrational fear of people who are gay or primarily homosexual in orientation and indeed, of anything having to do with homosexuality”. The fundamental description of Homophobia as set out can be used to describe Bi-phobia. Bi-phobia would thus refer to a phobic, irrational fear of people who are primarily bisexual in orientation and of anything about bisexuality.
Transsexual and transgender – A transsexual or transgender person is either a male born (trapped) in a female body or a female born (trapped) in a male body [6].
Transvestites – According to Clark [6] transvestites are “simply women who like to dress in men’s clothing or men who like to dress in women’s clothing and it has nothing to do with their sexual orientation. Most transvestites are heterosexual in orientation.”
In the closet – This term is often used to describe a homosexual person that is aware of his or her homosexual desires, while still pretending that such desires do not exist [6]. Recently bisexuals that are also aware of their desires and are still pretending that such desires do not exist also use this terminology.
Out of the closet – In the light of the above description of “in the closet”, this term will be used to describe an awareness of desires alongside the openly acknowledgement of such desires.
