Sexual Diversity: sexual orientations and gender identities

In recent years, sexual diversity has become a topic of great relevance and a generator of multiple debates. Understanding and accepting different and diverse sexual orientations and gender identities is critical for the construction of an inclusive, diverse and respectful society.

Sexual diversity has a significant impact on our society, mainly due to its direct relationship with human rights and social justice. All people deserve equal rights, legal protection and respect; regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The acceptance and inclusion of sexual diversity has a very positive impact on health and well-being of LGBTQ+ people, while discrimination and stigma affect their mental health and emotional.

It is important to talk about sexual diversity and include it in our conversations because understanding and promoting the realities of the people who star in it is the only way to move towards a more just and respectful society with everyone. In this article we are going to focus on what sexual orientation and gender identities are, doing a historical review of the concepts and commenting on related terms.

• We recommend you read: "LGBTI movement: what is it, what is its history and what struggles does it bring together"

The history of the LGTBQ+ movement

Sexual diversity spans centuries of evolution and changes in social and cultural attitudes towards sexuality and gender. Throughout different times and cultures, there have been diverse conceptions and expressions of sexuality and gender identity. In Antiquity, some societies such as the Greek or the Roman had a broader and more fluid understanding of sexuality, acknowledging and accepting a diversity of sexual orientations and practices that might seem surprising even today from today.

However, during the Middle Ages and as a consequence of religious and moral influence, a paradigm of heterosexuality was established as the norm and other forms of sexual expression were condemned. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, there was an important development of medical and scientific ideas that classified and pathologized non-heterosexual sexual orientations. In the 19th century, the terms homosexuality and heterosexuality were coined, establishing a distinction between them and giving the former a quality of disease.

Sexual diversity began to gain recognition and visibility during the 20th century, gaining recognition and visibility through the formation of movements with the objective of obtaining and respecting rights LGBTQ+. A pivotal moment for this development was the Stonewall uprising between June 28 and July 3, 1969. This consisted of a series of spontaneous and violent demonstrations before a police raid on the Stonewall Inn pub, frequented by people from the collective. This was a milestone in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States, which soon spread globally.

Today, significant advances have been made and little by little, in the collective imaginaries of people the appearance and understanding of concepts related to diversity is more common sexual. However, much remains to be done, and one of the first steps must come hand in hand with social education; society should be oriented towards diversity.

sexual orientations

Sexual orientations are an intrinsic manifestation of sexual diversity which we have been talking about throughout this article. They encompass a wide range of ways in which people experience emotional, romantic, and sexual attraction to other people. Below, we are going to explore some of the most common sexual orientations and demystify misconceptions or misconceptions and prejudices associated with each of them.

It is important to keep in mind that these are just some of the existing sexual orientations; but sexual diversity encompasses many more identities and experiences. Celebrating sexual diversity means rejecting the stereotypes and prejudices associated with different sexual orientations and recognizing and respecting the authenticity of each of these experiences.

1. heterosexuality

Heterosexuality refers to romantic, emotional, and/or sexual attraction to people of the opposite gender.; that is, the attraction to a man if you are a woman, and to a woman if you are a man (based on purely binary concepts and as part of the heteronormative binomial). This is the normative sexual orientation in our society (and most societies), and it is widely accepted and recognized in the vast majority of cultures.

2. Homosexuality

Homosexuality refers to romantic, emotional, and/or sexual attraction to people of the same gender.; that is, the attraction for a man if you are a man, and for a woman if you are a woman. Homosexual people have faced a lot of discrimination and stigma throughout history in most societies. As previously mentioned, homosexuality was considered a pathology, and it was not until 1990 that the WHO stopped considering it a mental illness, 33 years ago.

3. bisexuality

Bisexuality is characterized by romantic, emotional, and/or sexual attraction to people of both genders.; They may be attracted to people of the same gender as well as people of the opposite gender. The stereotypes that these people mostly face are the belief that they are promiscuous or undecided, and above all the false perception that bisexuality is a temporary phase between heterosexuality and homosexuality. Bisexual people experience a lack of social representation that generates their invisibility.

gender identities

Gender identity also forms a fundamental part of sexual diversity. It refers to the ways in which each person perceives and identifies in terms of their gender.. Gender identities are diverse in themselves and each person has the right to define their own gender identity and be respected in it.

Understanding and support for gender identities are essential for the creation of inclusive, respectful and safe spaces for these people. The acceptance of gender identities promotes equality and respect for all people, regardless of their identification in terms of gender. We are going to comment on the three most well-known gender identities, but again it is important to emphasize the existence of many more and the freedom to live and express the genre in an individual and differentiated; Let each person do what feels right for them.

1. cisgender

Being cisgender implies that a person's gender identity aligns with the sex assigned at birth.. That is, if a person assigned as a woman at birth identifies and expresses as a woman, then we would speak of a cisgender person. Cisgender people have the social privilege that their gender identity is normal and mostly coincides with society's expectations in relation to it. A different topic is the expression of this genre; a person can be cisgender but express themselves socially in a more fluid way that does not fit into the social expectations of others.

2. Transgender

Transgender people are those whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth.. Transgender people may identify as the opposite gender of the sex assigned at birth, or they may experiencing a gender identity that does not strictly conform to the binary categories of masculine-feminine or man-woman.

According to data from a study carried out in 2020, 70% of trans people in Spain are insulted on a regular basis, and one in ten are victims of threats or mistreatment throughout their lives. Despite these figures, only 6% denounce these facts, mainly due to fear or impotence derived from the social exclusion that they usually experience.

3. non-binary gender

Non-binary people are those who experience a gender identity that does not fit exclusively into the categories of masculine or feminine. They can be identified as a mix of genre, as something more fluid, or as something else entirely. Each person is free to make, experience and feel their own gender in the way they please. These identities challenge all traditional conceptions of gender and give importance and relevance to the respect and validation of a whole range of gender-related experiences.

Sexual diversity enriches us

To conclude, sexual diversity is a fundamental aspect of the human condition that deserves to be recognized, respected, and celebrated in our society. Throughout history and time, significant changes have been generated in the understanding and acceptance of sexual diversity, from the imposition of rigid norms to the fight for rights and the inclusion of people LGBTQ+.

All sexual orientations and gender identities are valid and deserve respect and rights. Overcoming stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination is an ongoing challenge, but essential to build an inclusive and equitable society. In short, sexual diversity enriches our culture, our creativity and our understanding of the world, and it is everyone's responsibility, all seek information and resources to help us support all people who may feel different from the norm in these aspects.