Chapter 141: Appendix I: Glossary of Ace/Sexual Terms

ace (adj.) identifying as somewhere on the asexual spectrum ace of clubs (n) ace slang referring to an asexual who identifies as gray-romantic and/or gray-asexual ace of diamonds (n) ace slang referring to an asexual who identifies as demiromantic and/or demisexual ace of hearts (n) ace slang referring to an asexual who identifies as alloromantic ace of spades (n) ace slang referring to someone who identifies as both aromantic and asexual Examples of Aspec Orientations Please note: This is not an exhaustive list. There are endless variations. This list also applies to aspec (asexual and/or aromantic) orientations. Just replace 'sexual' with 'romantic' in each instance. aceflux (adj) someone whose asexuality remains fluid asexual (n/adj) someone who experiences little to no sexual attraction autosexual (n/adj) someone sexually attracted to themselves cupiosexual (n/adj) an asexual who still has the desire to engage in sexual behavior or to have a sexual relationship demisexual (n/adj) an asexual who only experiences sexual attraction after building a close romantic or emotional bond with someone; contrast with fraysexual fraysexual (n/adj) an asexual who can experience sexual attraction only with strangers; contrast with demisexual graysexual/gray-asexual (n/adj) an asexual who experiences sexual attraction but not at the same level and/or frequency as an allosexual lithrosexual (n/adj) an asexual whose sexual attraction fades once it is reciprocated; contrast with reciprosexual placiosexual (n/adj) an asexual who can experience sexual attraction when performing sexual acts but may lose that same sexual attraction if/when the acts are reciprocated reciprosexual (n/adj) an asexual who can experience sexual attraction only once it is reciprocated; contrast with lithrosexual Ace Spectrum Sexual Preferences sex-favorable/sex-positive: having positive feelings towards sex despite a lack of sexual attraction sex-indifferent/sex-neutral: having neutral feelings towards sex despite a lack of sexual attraction sex-repulsed/sex-averse: having an extreme disinterest in/being repulsed by sex in addition to a lack of sexual attraction alloromantic (n/adj) a person who experiences romantic attraction or romantic desire in a clear, consistent, and frequent enough manner to have no relationship to the aromantic spectrum allosexual (n/adj) a person who experiences sexual attraction or sexual desire in a clear, consistent, and frequent enough manner to have no relationship to the ace spectrum aromantic (n/adj) a person who experiences little to no romantic attraction asexual (n/adj) someone who experiences little to no sexual attraction attraction (n) a pull, allure, or interest in another person fostered by specific characteristics Types of attraction Please note: one may experience different types of attraction for different genders platonic attraction (n) an emotion in which a person experiences a pull, allure, or interest that comes from the desire to hang out as friends or to share close companionship (Please note: queerplatonic partnerships fall under this category as well even though they are deeper relationships than 'just friends'.) aesthetic attraction (n) an emotion in which a person experiences a pull, allure, or interest that comes from the desire to observe and appreciate physical or external characteristics emotional attraction (n) an emotion in which a person experiences a pull, allure, or interest that comes from the desire to form a close emotional bond with another person intellectual attraction (n) an emotion in which a person experiences a pull, allure, or interest that comes from the desire to connect with another person on an intellectual level romantic attraction (n) an emotion in which a person experiences a pull, allure, or interest that comes from the desire to engage in a romantic relationship (which includes, but is not limited to, marriage and/or civil partnership); contrast with sexual attraction sensual attraction (n) an emotion in which a person experiences a pull, allure, or interest that comes from the desire to touch another person in a way that is not sexual in nature sexual attraction (n) an emotion in which a person experiences a pull, allure, or interest that comes from the desire to engage in sexual activities with a particular person without an ulterior motive (such as procreation, [intellectual] curiosity, boredom, etc.); contrast with romantic attraction gender: an identity based on sociocultural differences rather than biological sex polyamory: a consensual form of non-monogamy that focuses on forming emotional connections among multiple partners (consensual among all partners); contrast with polysexual romantic orientation: a means to identify whether or not a person experiences romantic attraction and if so with what genders and/or sexes Examples of Romantic Orientations Please note: This is not an exhaustive list. There are endless variations. aromantic: little to no romantic attraction biromantic: romantic attraction directed towards people who identify as men or women homoromantic: romantic attraction directed towards people of two separate/different gender identities heteroromantic: romantic attraction directed towards people who identify as a different gender omniromantic: romantic attraction directed towards people who identify as any gender panromantic: romantic attraction that doesn't favor any gender over another sexuality: capacity for sexual attraction sexual orientation: a means to identify whether or not a person experiences sexual attraction and if so with what genders and/or sexes Examples of Sexual Orientations Please note: This is not an exhaustive list. There are endless variations. abrosexual (n/adj) someone whose sexuality remains fluid asexuality: little to no sexual attraction bisexuality: sexual attraction directed towards people of two separate/different gender identities homosexuality: sexual attraction directed towards people who identify as the same gender heterosexuality: sexual attraction directed towards people who identify as a different gender omnisexual: sexual attraction directed towards people who identify as any gender pansexuality: sexual attraction that doesn't favor any gender over another polysexuality: sexual attraction direct towards a wide range, though perhaps not all, genders; contrast with polyamory pomosexuality: people who actively refuse to identify with any label sapiosexuality: sexual attraction based on level of intelligence alone skoliosexuality: sexual attraction directed towards people who don't identify as cisgender transgender: someone whose birth sex/gender differs from the sex/gender with which they identify