We have been a welcoming faith. Unitarian Universalism does not simply start its doorways to individuals of all intimate orientations and gender identities—we value variety of sex and sex and find out this variety as being a profound religious present.
« Discovering The Right Words »
Language about intimate orientation and sex identification changes and modifications: brand new terms are created; other words change definitions. Learning exactly exactly exactly how each person utilize language to create meaning is important, as it is making use of language that is inclusive. In discussion with several people and communities, we’ve developed some working definitions. Do not stop by using these definitions, though–see the base of this site for next actions to deepn your understanding.
Fundamental Definitions
Intimate Orientation
We affirm the inherent worth and dignity each and every individual. Intimate orientation is a central section of whom we are—being true to ourselves and honoring each other’s facts are a religious imperative.
Intimate orientation defines the pattern of a person’s attractions that are sexual on sex. Intimate attraction and attraction that is romantic frequently lumped together as though these are the same. That isn’t constantly the situation. Affectional orientation defines the pattern of a person’s romantic attraction, or the sex regarding the individuals a individual falls in deep love with or really wants to mate with.
You can find three fundamental kinds of intimate orientations: Monosexual, polysexual, and asexual.
Same-Sex Orientation
Many people are exclusively interested in people of only 1 sex. Intimate orientation labels utilized by folks of the exact same intercourse include:
- Gay: generally relates to a person that is drawn to males. Often relates to all people that are interested in folks of the sex that is same sometimes « homosexual » can be used with this additionally, even though this label sometimes appears by many people today as a medical term which should be resigned from typical usage.
- Lesbian: a female that is interested in ladies. Often additionally or alternatively « same gender-loving woman » or « woman loving girl. »
- Directly: a guy that is solely drawn to females or a female that is solely interested in males; additionally often generally speaking used to individuals whoever sexualities are societally normative. Alternately described as “heterosexual.”
Polysexual Orientation
Many people are interested in people in multiple genders. Intimate orientation labels utilized by polysexual people consist of:
- Bisexual: interested in individuals of a person’s very very own sex and individuals of other gender(s). Also known as « bi. » See Bisexuality 101 for more information.
- Pansexual: drawn to people no matter sex. Sometimes additionally or alternatively « omnisexual. »
- Queer: just like pansexual, queer is an identity label and thus a individual is drawn to individuals of numerous genders; nevertheless, queer is a multi-faceted term with several meaning and make use of, and it is considered unpleasant by some individuals. See Queer 101 to find out more.
Asexual Orientation
Some individuals usually do not experience attraction that is sexual. A lot of people this relates to determine as asexual.
- Asexual: maybe perhaps not intimately drawn to anyone and/or maybe maybe not performing on attraction to anybody. Will not suggest sexless. Asexual people often do experience affectional (romantic) attraction.See Asexuality 101 for more information.
Aside from the above, some individuals don’t like and don’t usage labels. https://www.yourbrides.us Other folks identify as Questioning: a phrase utilized to describe somebody who is not sure of or checking out their intimate orientation and/or sex identification.
Gender Identity and Expression
We affirm each person’s ability to guage in the way that is most authentic to their soul for themselves who they are and express themselves. We honor the diversity of truths that exists inside our communities.
Gender is multi-faceted and complex. In North American tradition several distinct areas of ourselves have lumped together whenever we talk about “gender”:
- Biological Intercourse: attributes such as for instance structure, chromosomes, and hormones this is certainly usually assigned at inform and birth whether an individual is male, feminine, or intersex.
- Gender identification: An individual’s sense that is internal of a guy, a lady, neither of those, both, and so on—it is one’s internal feeling of being and one’s own comprehension of how one pertains to the gender binary. Apart from agender individuals, whom frequently would not have a sense that is internal of, many people have sex identification.
- Gender Expression: the ways that a individual manifests masculinity, femininity, both, or neither through look, behavior, gown, message patterns, choices, and much more.
The social expectation is the fact that one’s biological sex, sex identification, and sex phrase will align in stereotypical means: that a person who is male will identify being a boy/man and now have a masculine sex phrase, as an example. This expectation will not provide our diverse globe and also the array experiences of self which exist.
For lots more definitions about sex identification and phrase, see Transgender 101. We likewise have resources for Queer and Trans Youth.
Going Deeper
Definitions can’t ever encompass whom we have been as full beings that are human. The religious invite is to get a cross divides of huge difference and simply just simply take dangers by authentically deciding to get acquainted with each other. Labels may be tools of liberation or oppression—it’s all in just exactly how we utilize them. Therefore do not stop with just learning definitions. Listed here are three steps that are next certainly deepening your understanding.
- Explore your sense that is own of: just exactly What perform some definitions above talk about for your needs? Just exactly just What language can you used to describe your sense that is own of?
- Communicate with people you trust about intimate gender and orientation identification. Question them respectfully what’s real that you are curious about for them and talk about the things that confuse you or.
- Develop relationships with individuals who possess various intimate orientations and sex identities from your. Be respectful of every person’s straight to privacy by asking questions that are open-ended find out more about how they feel the globe.