Sexual orientation

Sexual orientation refers to the sex or gender of people who are the focus of a person's amorous or erotic desires, fantasies, and spontaneous feelings, the gender(s) toward which one is primarily "oriented". The alternative terms sexual preference and sexual inclination have similar meanings. Clinicians and those who believe sexuality is fixed early in life tend to use the former term; those believing sexuality is fluid and reflects preference and choice tend towards the latter terms.

A much wider definition of sexual orientation

Typically a person may be identified as primarily Heterosexual (the focus is primarily people of the opposite sex/gender), Homosexual (people of the same sex/gender), Bisexual (potentially both or either sexes/gender), or Asexual (no sexual attraction for either sex/gender).

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There is sometimes an overlap of opinion as to whether a person is straight/bisexual or gay/bisexual because such a person is technically bisexual (sexually and romantically attracted to both sexes/genders), but also fits a looser, un-official definition of homosexual (gay/lesbian) or straight/heterosexual as being primarily attracted to the same or opposite sex/gender.

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However this simplistic categorization ignores many issues of individuality and culture, and sexuality itself has many different facets, and therefore even when it seems obvious, identifying sexual orientation is often not as simple as it seems.

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