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YEROC.US
Searching for Order in this World of Entropy

A Continuous Spectrum

Human sexuality spans a quite expansive spectrum, yet we continue to pigeonhole and stereotype, leading to confusion and distress.

DISCLAIMER: This article discusses material which is considered to be taboo in most of the world. There is no pornography or erotica in the article, and I have made every attempt at providing factual information, but several concepts which are discussed may be foreign to readers and possibly offensive. My recommendation would be to acknowledge the existence of the concepts, get to know the facts, and realize that not everyone likes the same things before deciding to pass judgement. Everyone has a right to their own personal opinion, so long as it is an informed opinion. Then again, ignorance is bliss.

Two options exist: 1) Keep reading. 2) Close your web browser window.

There is one thing, however, that we will never be able to completely quantify: our own sexuality.

With the recent discussions across the country concerning the marriage of same-sex couples, sexuality issues are quite prominent today as alternatives to heteronormativity are recognized more widely. As part of our natural instinct to quantify, we have come up with categories in which people are placed based upon their sexual preferences - we split what is essentially a continuous spectrum into discrete "colors". These quick and easy labels work great for statistics, but they do little justice to the true situation.

Remember having the box in elementary school with only eight crayons in it? I know that for me it was frustrating having only eight colors to work with, when in reality the spectrum is practically infinite! All of us are aware of at least one category in the sexuality spectrum. The vast majority are aware of another, though possibly vaguely and in a distorted context. These represent just the tip of the iceberg.

Approximate Human Sexuality Spectrum
HUMAN SEXUALITY CONTINUUM. BY NO MEANS ALL-INCLUSIVE.

This article was written as an informative, though somewhat comedic and futile, overview of the above noted spectrum/continuum.

The Short List

Heterosexuality

We'll start with the mainstream side of the spectrum - the heterosexual (so-called "straight") side. Heterosexuality is considered to be the norm of human sexuality, as it fosters reproduction. The vast majority of the world's population is heterosexual, therefore it dominates culture. Because it is the norm, there is little to discuss.

In North America, heterosexual male stereotypes usually involve "manly" men who dress in unrevealing clothing, watch football, drive large vehicles, drink large amounts of beer from the three major brewers, care little about personal appearance, and are connoisseurs of the female body. Deviate in the slightest and you will be questioned as being gay.

Fact: Religious Fundamentalists selectively quote and interpret religious texts in order to suppress non-traditional (and usually non-heterosexual) sexualities and status of such people in society. "God loves homosexuals (LGBT people), but they are still disgusting, sinning sodomites who are the single greatest threat to society today!" - Did God come and tell you that?

It is easy to interpret religious verses and passages in such a way when the interpreter has a preexisting prejudice.

Such fundamentalists seem to approach non-heteronormativity as a communicable disease which will spread to all of society and wipe out nuclear families and eventually reproduction. I have yet to hear of a single person who, upon learning about the existence of non-heteronormativity suddenly decided that they were queer.

It is not something that one learns about. It comes naturally.

Bisexuality and Pansexuality

There are then the bisexuals - people who are attracted to both genders. "Bi" = "two", as in "binary". This is one of the most hotly debated areas of the spectrum, and the attempts at quantifying sexuality have resulted in the problem of bisexuals having to prove that they even exist. Bisexual men are often called off as gay and bisexual women dismissed as promiscuous and greedy (Though straight men seem to love them; straight men and even gay men often find offense with bisexual men. How is that for a double standard?).

There are then the less known parts of the spectrum, which don't quite fit in as nicely but certainly exist. We have, of course, attempted to quantify them. Pansexuality is a more broad version of bisexuality which reaches beyond just the two genders - it can include attraction to people whose gender is not well defined within male or female. Pansexuals do not desire to limit themselves to the binary male/female gender possibilities.

A misconception seems to be that bisexual or pansexual means equal attraction to all genders. This is not the case. A 60 M / 40 F attraction could exist, or a 20 M / 80 F attraction. Just because one has two (or more) objects in their hands does not mean that they weigh the same, or are the same size! As can be imagined, this extensively opens up the spectrum as essentially makes everyone bi/pansexual.

Homosexuality

Next comes the homosexual side of the spectrum, where "homo" means "similar"/"same". This prefix is shared with words such as homogeneous and homophone.

In general these people are attracted to their own gender, though just as on the heterosexual side of the spectrum there is a whole swath of red-purple where most of the gay/lesbian people are going to find themselves. Again, I do not think there will be many pure reds just as I don't think there will be many pure blues.

The macho-men (due to the quantification of sexuality) try to label guys who make even just a slight hint at same-sex attraction as a 100% pure homosexual, as if they are insulting them or something. The football players who whip each other with towels and smack each other's bottoms in the locker room - oh no they are straight as a board ;-)!

I find it comedic how "gay" has such a feminine aura. This might have to do with the fact that those who hold said stereotype to be universally true believe that a woman is so necessary that one of the men in a gay relationship takes on the role of the woman. Of course heterosexual sex is necessary for reproduction, but reproduction is certainly not something that we urgently need, as all pro-life and abstinence-only supporters are well aware.

Men who have sex with men (MSM)

MSM is a clinical term which was developed in the study of sexually transmitted infections. MSM encompasses all men who have sex with men, no matter where they fall on the spectrum (including straight).

"Down Low" behavior involves men who have sex with men who identify as straight and would like to keep this aspect of their lives low-key (usually secret from their female partners), hence "down low". Wikipedia Article.

This is often cited as a cultural choice - many of the men reject the popular gay culture and would like to be able to have sex with men but remain a part of "hetero" culture, apparently anticipating alienation if they were to identify as bisexual.

Fact: HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. Anyone can contract HIV. Certain types of sex can make HIV transmission easier, not sexual orientations. A heterosexual man infected with HIV performing anal sex with a woman can pass the virus to her just as easily as if he were performing anal sex with a man, assuming that no protection was used in either case.

Information about HIV

A growing number of heterosexual men have anal sex with their female partners, and many gay male couples do not even have anal sex.

See the CDC report from 2005. 34% of all males age 15 to 44 surveyed have had anal sex with a female partner. 33% of females age 18 to 44 surveyed report having had anal sex with a male partner.

BDSM

BDSM, also known as "S & M", means Bondage, Discipline/Dominance, Submission/Sadomasochism.. It encompasses a wide array of physical, mental, and social aspects.

Bondage encompasses physical restraint - being "tied up", though various devices and methods can be used, with police handcuffs being an infamous but impractical example. The rationale behind bondage is often the loss of control and power exchange, or possibly the rush of being in what would typically be a dangerous situation. Some enjoy the aesthetics of the restraints, such as in Kinbaku/Shibari rope work.

Discipline is the enjoyment of punishment for sexual purposes. Corporal punishment (hitting, whipping) is common as is humiliation. Again, the body releases certain hormones (for example Epinephrine - Adrenaline) when in such situations, producing a "rush" that some people enjoy.

Dominance and Submission is a popular theme along with "dom" and "sub" roles. Usually in a BDSM context, the sub is in bondage, the masochist, or receiving the discipline. The sub may also be a bottom (penetrated during sex - see Top, bottom, and versatile). In heterosexual context, the female is usually the sub bottom but femdom (female dominance) does exist as do sex toys which allow the female to "top" a male. The labels top/bottom and Dom/sub are popular but not everyone fits so nicely into these categories.

Sadists derive pleasure from the infliction of pain and suffering on others. Masochists derive pleasure by experiencing pain and suffering.

BDSM is practiced because people enjoy it. If they did not enjoy it, they would not be doing it. No one is forced to do anything or made to experience anything outside of their limits. If this happens, it is no longer BDSM - it is real torture and subject to all applicable laws.

Importance in Sexuality

While BDSM is an activity with a strong subculture and not a sexual orientation, the physical sexual acts of some people are highly centered around it or even completely shaped by it. People across the entire spectrum of sexual orientations may enjoy BDSM activities as a supplement to traditional sex or not at all.

Non-sexual

BDSM usually refers to a sexual context, but BDSM is practiced for its own sake and healthy sadomasochistic relationships which do not involve sex exist as well, such as between friends. The possibility for BDSM is thus extended to asexual individuals as well.

A BDSM culture exists for those who enjoy the activities and codes of conduct - some people take on labels such as "Master", "slave", "pup", etc.) and live their lives according to these labels.

Fetishism

A sexual fetish is sexual arousal brought about upon the thought or presence of a specific activity, object, material, or personal quality (e.g. English accent fetish, blonde hair fetish) not normally considered to be sexual in nature.

Fetishism usually goes along with BDSM, but it is possible for one to have a fetish and not be interested in BDSM. Clothing made of specific materials is probably one of the most common fetishes, with leather, rubber, synthetic plastcs, and lycra spandex topping the list. The tightness and smooth look of these materials enhances bodily features and gives a restraining (bondage) look and feel.

Besides clothing, there are fetishes associated with certain activities such as tickling. These may or may not have a BDSM element to them. Fetishes for a certain culture of people (e.g. people of Asian descent) exist but this would likely fall outside the realm of "kinky". The same holds true for garter belts and high heels. These often-fetishished articles have been brought into the mainstream by men's publications, movies, and other media. See how complicated this can get?

There are many exotic fetishes, in one instance a man had a fetish for automobile exhaust pipes.

Paraphilia

Exotic fetishes and BDSM activities are classified as paraphilia. Most of the dangerous and exotic ones are quite rare. The consumption of urine and feces falls into this category as does paedophilia. Generally fetishes and paraphilia are harmless unless they cause distress to any involved parties. In the case of paedophilia, for example, children are being distressed, making this paraphilia problematic. In the case of olfactophilia (arousal due to smells), however, there is no danger unless the substance being smelled is dangerous. As with more common BDSM preferences and fetishes, paraphilia appear across the entire spectrum of sexual orientations. They are NOT limited to non-heterosexual persons.

Transgender

Identifying with a gender other than one's biological one. A male/female brain in a female/male body may be the simplest way to describe this. Transgender is not a sexual oreientation, it is a gender identity. For example, a transgender person who identifies as male but was female at birth may be attracted to women, men, or any combination thereof. See Transgender sexuality.

Asexuality

Asexuality is somewhat outside of the spectrum, as asexuals do not experience sexual attraction. Asexuality is NOT the same thing as celibacy. Asexuals lack desire. A more complete spectrum would probably include a triangular extension of asexuality into the spectrum, as we all know some people are more horny than others.

An asexual person in modern Western society would likely be classified as a closeted gay person. I know that among American men, when another guy does not openly talk about women and the virtues of their "hardware", the "gay question" arises in the mind.

Questioning

"Questioning" spans the whole spectrum. These are people who have not yet found their place and/or questioning their existing place.

There are probably things that I missed, since I am not a sexologist or expert on the quantification of human sexuality. My point, however, is that it is never just black and white. It should not matter where we fall on the spectrum, as love is just that - love, whether it is toward our own gender, the opposite, or both! In addition, it seems foolish to be ashamed of and repress our most innate behavior. Everyone has their place on this wonderful continuous spectrum - continuum, and it is a little bit different in each one of us!

 

Last Modified: 01/20/2010
Created: 12/21/2009