What is Sexual Orientation?

Answer 1

Sexual orientation is the categorization of sexual attraction based on the gender of the people they are attracted to. Sexual orientation categories include (but are not limited to) heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, and asexuality. Some people have reported being aware of their sexual orientation early in life other have reported discovering their sexual orientation later.

A number of people believe sexual orientation is something an individual chooses. However, there is much scientific evidence that indicates one is born with a certain orientation which one later learns about and discovers as one matures and becomes interested in dating and relationships. While many are forced to hide their sexual orientation, often because of religion or culture, "coming out" as homosexual, bisexual, or any other orientation does not indicate a "change" in the person, but rather a disclosure or discovery.

Breaking down the terms:

Heterosexuality is the sexual attraction towards the opposite sex.

Homosexuality is the sexual attraction towards the same sex.

Bisexuality is the sexual attraction towards both sexes.

Asexuality is the non-sexual attraction to either sex.

The concept of sexual orientation and labels is shrouded in some amount of controversy. Some people have criticized the notion of categorizing people based on the gender they are attracted to. They feel these labels have lead to people being stereotyped or identified solely by orientation. Further, sexual orientation can be fluid: some people have difficulty fitting in any of the above categories. Sexual orientation is considered an identity, meaning it is considered an essential or fixed element of a person. This can be empowering, and has allowed the gay rights movement to organize around advocating for gay rights. However, it can also be problematic, as it originally stemmed from scientists and psychologists in the late 19th century trying to categorize a group of people they considered "ill" or "disabled" or "abnormal" in a negative way.

One should not confuse sexual orientation with gender identity. One may be feminine but a lesbian or masculine and a gay man. Transsexual, which describes people who do not identify with the gender they were assigned to, is not the same as homosexuality or bisexuality (although they can go together: i.e. a person born a man who becomes a woman who prefers women would be a gay transwoman.)

Because all the different terms can be confusing or restrictive, some people prefer the term "queer" over all these labels as it denotes an atypical or creative approach to sexuality, and can refer to all the terms above, including transsexual. A number of queer artists, such as Genet, Tony Kushner, Gertrude Stein, Walt Whitman, Tchaikovsky, Yukio Mishima and many others, have rethought normative ways of conceiving of culture, tradition, sexuality, narrative, and morality from a queer perspective.
It means that you are either: Straight (Heterosexual), Homosexual, Lesbian, or finally bisexual.