Human sexuality is a topic that generates controversy and much controversy, since it involves affective issues, expected and performed roles in a society, and also behaviors. Overall, it involves four aspects.
The first is the gender, what matches the person's gender. So we have the female and male sex. We also have those who are born with sexual characteristics of both sexes: the hermaphrodites. As for these, their gender is usually considered according to the predominant physical characteristics – female or male. However, in some countries, they are adopted as a third sex.
The second aspect of human sexuality is the sexual orientation. It concerns the attraction one feels for other individuals. It usually also involves emotional issues, not just sexual ones. Thus, if the person likes individuals of the opposite sex, we say that they are heterosexual (or hetero-affective). If the attraction is to those of the same sex, your orientation is homosexual (or homoaffective). There are also those who are interested in both: the bisexual (or biaffective). Males with a homosexual orientation are often called gays; and those of the female gender, lesbians.
Some also consider asexuals, who are those individuals who do not feel sexual attraction; and pansexuals: people whose identification with the other is independent of their gender, orientation, role and sexual identity (the latter two will be explained later on). There are other sources that assume that pansexuality can also encompass sexual interest in other animals, or even other living beings and objects.
It is more appropriate to say homo-affectiveness than homosexuality; as heteroaffectiveness, replacing the term heterosexuality, and so on. This is because the suffix “-sexual” tends to understand that these relationships are reduced only to that aspect (the sexual), which cannot be used as a rule.
As for the term "homosexuality", increasingly in disuse, it is incorrect, since the suffix "ism" suggests that sexual orientation is a disease, which cannot be considered true without concrete evidence from that.
As for the third aspect, the sex role, it is related to gender behavior that the person performs in society. Thus, it involves many clichés, such as:
1- A “feminine” woman: that is, one who behaves in a manner consistent with what society generally expects of her, in this sense – if she puts on makeup, she is delicate, in short...;
2- A woman who is not vain and likes violent sports, is “masculinized”;
3- A delicate, sensitive, “effeminate” man;
4- A rude, virile man is “masculine”, “manly”;
The sexual role is not necessarily related to sexual orientation, as it might seem a priori. So, in these four examples, they can all be heterosexual. Or, for example, the “manly man” may be attracted to other men (homo, bi or pansexual orientation), although his sexual role shows otherwise.
Finally, we have the fourth aspect: a sexual identity, that would be the way the individual perceives himself in relation to the gender he has.
When a person of a certain gender feels more like a person of another gender, regardless of their sexual orientation (sometimes even their sexual role), we say that they are transsexual. Punctually speaking, a transsexual would be someone whose sexual identity is not the same as their biological sex; being usually the one who resorts to sex reassignment surgeries. Therefore, transsexuals tend to be attracted to people of the same gender as theirs (eg: male person, female sexual identity, and is attracted to male individuals), but it is worth stressing again that, when it comes to human sexuality, there are no rules. categorical.
Transsexuals and transvestites are not the same thing! The latter are those whose sexual identity is mixed, they feel they are both men and women. Thus, they tend to dress and behave as if they were of the opposite gender (sex role), “balancing their 'dual identity'”.
Observation:
On 05/05/2011, in our country, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) recognized the stable union between couples of the same sex as a family entity; allowing them to have the same rights that involve a stable union between individuals of the opposite sex.
Curiosity:
In Brazil, the acronym for sexual diversity is the LGBT, acronym for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people. This last term encompasses transvestites and transsexuals.
Now you know what each of these expressions means, don't you?
By Mariana Araguaia
Biologist, specialist in Environmental Education
Brazil School Team
Sexuality - Brazil School
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/sexualidade/orientacao-sexual.htm
