Heterosexual, non-binary, pansexual, cisgender…. These are terms that continue to be misunderstood by many people, despite the popularization of gender freedom. It must be said that these categorizations are sometimes unfamiliar to the LGBT world itself. However, there is a category of people who manage to pull the cart. They have a good culture in the matter, they know the terms mentioned, but they are unable to place them in their respective contexts. Yes, gender identity and sexual orientation are different concepts, even though both refer to freedom. It is time to shed some light on all this. Here are the differences between gender identity and sexual orientation.
What is gender identity?
Understanding gender identity
The question of gender identity continues to fuel sexuality forums and even sites specializing in adult content. It is, therefore, an important aspect of understanding gender. Simply put, gender identity is a person’s sense of being female, male, or neither. If we start from this basis, things will begin to become clearer in our minds. But let’s go a step further and move away from classical theories of existence. Gender is not linked to sex at all. When a person is born, he or she is anatomically endowed with physical characteristics that define him or her from the very beginning. These are mainly the reproductive system and, as the years go by, the voice, hair and breasts. These different organs and changes represent only a tiny part of your true identity.
This may or may not be linked to the natural predispositions mentioned above. That said, the sex you are born with is determined by assignment and you are free to identify with it or not. Therefore, gender identity goes beyond science and nature; it is up to you. Your gender is determined by how you feel about yourself. You control who you really are. And no one knows you better than you know yourself. Thus, the different genders are transgender, cisgender, non-binary and agender.
The different genders
Transgender people, the gender that more and more people are identifying with, are those who do not match their birth sex with their gender. In other words, a person can be female and identify as male. Cisgender people identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. Then there are non-binary people, such as Nemo, the winner of Eurovision 2024. This category includes people who feel neither strictly female nor strictly male. As a result, these people identify with all genders without being exclusively male or female. Agender people come full circle and, as the name implies, do not identify with any gender.
What is sexual orientation?
Definition of the term
The question of sexual orientation is not necessarily linked to sex, let alone gender. This is where the confusion arises. Sexual orientation is the emotional and/or sexual attraction that one person feels for another. Therefore, it is possible to be emotionally attracted to someone without having physical relations. It should be noted that sexual orientation is not fixed over time; it can change depending on the individual’s life span. Even more surprisingly, it can be uncontrolled. A woman who identifies as cisgender may be attracted to other women without being homosexual. Sexual orientation, unlike gender identity, is sometimes beyond our control.
As for how it evolves, for some people nothing changes throughout their lives. On the other hand, you will see others change their orientation at a certain age. This change can also evolve depending on the person’s attraction. As an example, your food and music preferences evolve as you make new discoveries. This is how sexual orientation works for some people. This was the case for Gloria Carter, mother of American artist Jay-Z. She married her partner after discovering a new sexual orientation. That said, the attraction a person expresses at 17 is not always the same as the one he or she will feel at 45 or 50. One thing is for sure: the final decision to come out is yours, regardless of external pressures.
Types of sexual orientation
There are many different sexual orientations in the world, as each person has a different nature of attraction. But, generally speaking, there are five main orientations. The first is heterosexuality. Heterosexuals are those who show sexual and/or emotional attraction to people of the opposite sex. In contrast, homosexuals, the second category, are sexually and/or emotionally attracted to people of the same sex. In third place is bisexuality, a sexual orientation that is expressed by a sexual and/or emotional attraction to persons of both the opposite sex and the same sex.
Pansexuality is the fourth major orientation. A pansexual person is most attracted to personality. Therefore, they may love someone regardless of their sex or gender. Lastly, there is asexuality, a sexual orientation that continues to be debated. While most consider it an orientation in its own right, some see it more as a matter of course. An asexual individual feels no sexual attraction whatsoever, regardless of gender or sex. However, sexual orientation is, in essence, a manifestation of attraction, whatever its type and nature. At the moment, asexuality is considered the fifth major sexual orientation, and so much the better for those who identify with it.
Gender identity and sexual orientation: all the gray areas surrounding these two terminologies have finally been clarified. Sexuality is a personal matter, so it is up to you to know your preferences and adjust to them without restrictions. The most important thing is to feel in tune with your approach.
