As stated on my Sexuality & Personality page, I do not believe that people's sexuality is a one dimentional item that can instantly be classified with a simple label, but that I believe in the individual characteristics that make up a person's unique sexuality.

I soon discovered that not only was this my opinion, but also the opinion of a very large scientific organization that studies human personality and sexuality. They have written a study describing the various characteristics of sexuality, and how they interact with each other. This document takes the definitions from their study, adds my personal opinion on the topic, and displays it in a simple to read format for the reader.

A lot of the content here was taken from Creative Technology Group's Sexuality & Psychology homepage, therefore is not just the opinion of myself being an individual, but that of a professional psychology organization made up of PhD Psychiatrists who have studied human sexuality for many years. I agree with most of the definitions given here, and my opinions are posted in red text below the CTG text.
NEW: Updated text added after my initial posting is in blue text to show that is is new.

Contents

Human sexuality is not a single concept, but is actually made up of several aspects, most of which can be broken down into 4 major categories: Identity, Response, Preference, and Expression.

The four main categories listed here are each made up of many various characteristics. Each of those characteristics may be split into different variables also, because of this, and because not all people conform to the definitions on this page, the opinion of the editor (myself) is that all people have their own unique sexuality detirmined by the elements of these characteristics. Therefore one cannot just through a simple label onto someone because of one similar characteristic, but must recognize the uniqueness of every person's sexuality, which is intricatly linked with personality.

Sexual Identity

Sexual identity refers to the issues of who you are sexually. There are several aspects to sexual identity, including Gender Identity, Primary Sexual Orientation, and Identification. Each of these is a separate issue, requiring separate consideration.

Sexual identity is the part of human sexuality most closely connected with personality. For sexual identity is actually just an extension of personal identity, which is one of the most important elements of personality. Your identity reflects who you are, not only to others, but more importantly to yourself. All other aspects of sexuality are influenced by your sexual identity.

Gender Identity would seem to be the simplest of the aspects. The two most common gender identities are Male and Female. Less common gender identities include the transsexuals (male-in-a-female-body, and female- in-a-male-body), asexuals (neither male nor female), and hermaphrodites (male AND female combined). This element of self-concept is most often closely tied to physical appearance.

Gender identity while seeming to be a pretty straightforward element of sexuality can sometimes become one of the most confusing aspects, for one must remember that your Gender Identity does not always reflect your actual physical gender. Someone born into a female body who has a male Gender Identity, or vice versa, will feel out of place and confused about who they are. Common stories of people being "trapped" in the body of the opposite gender are caused by the mental identity being different than the physical identity.

Primary Sexual Orientation would also seem to be a simple aspect. The three most common primary sexual orientations among adults are heterosexual (only capable of forming primary relationships with members of the opposite gender), bisexual (capable of forming primary relationships with members of either gender), and homosexual (only capable of forming primary relationships with members of the same gender). Young children and a very few adolescents and adults may have an asexual primary sexual orientation (incapable of forming primary relationships with members of either gender). According to most sexuality researchers (from Kinsey on) The vast majority of adults are bisexual to some extent, with smaller numbers heterosexual, homosexual, and (fewest of all) asexual.

That same research has shown that primary sexual orientation is in no way a matter of choice. It appears to be imposed by a combination of biological predisposition and experiental/environmental effects.

Sexual Orientation. This has become one of the hottest topics of modern society. The flaming debates over what is right and what is wrong. Once again I ask you who are you to judge others? Orientation, like almost all sexual traits, is something you are born with, not something you choose. Some members of the establishment try to twist this around and say that those with non-conformitory orientations have chosen to be that way. Do you choose to have blond hair? Do you chose to have a quick temper? Do you chose to be male or female? My question to the establishment is, what is non-conformatory? Isn't that like non-normal, which is a non-existant concept since there is no such thing as normal? I say that there are a lot of people out there who are scared of what they do not understand, and they express their fear through hatred and oppression. Maybe it's time for those people to wake up, accept themselves, then accept others on the basis of their character and not on something that cannot understand. Maybe if they accepted those who scared them, they could learn from them and begin to understand them. Understanding comes from trust, but lack of understanding and trust brings fear and hatred. I think it's time to stop the circle of hate and start the process of understanding.
Sexual orientation is one of the most common elements of sexuality to be misunderstood by many people. When talking about sexual orientations, many people mistakingly place paraphilias into the category of orientation. However as stated here, there are only four possible orientations. Heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, and asexual. All other "sexualities" that are commonly mistaken for orientations are actually paraphilias, which are defined in the responce section.

Furthur research into this topic has shown that Primary Sexual Orientation is actually much more variable than described above. Instead of Heterosexual, Homosexual, and Bisexual, the new research points towards a scale. This scale has been measured in various methods, one of them being between 0 and 6. 0 Being completely heterosexual, 6 being completely homosexual. According to the statistics using this scale the average heterosexual actually has a rating somewhere between 1 and 2. Those who we call bisexual have an average rating between 2-4. The average homosexual having a rating between 4-5. 0s and 6s are by far the most rare ranges on the scale. It is very uncommon to have someone who has a constant 0 or 6, without any fluxuation.

Identification includes a wide variety of other issues, when those aspects are promoted to "self concept" statements. For instance, if someone thinks about his excitement at the sight of feet in terms of "I get excited when I see sexxy feet," it is a Response. If he thinks in terms of "I am a Foot Fetishist," it is an Identification (a statement about who/what he is). When such an issue operates as a part of Identity, it has a more profound effect on the person, touching many parts of his or her life.

As stated above, identification is almost like self evaluation and self understanding. To integrate a part of your sexual responce into your sexual identity not only effects your sexuality, but your entire personality. Many people take fetishes and paraphilias and focus upon them, making them a part of their identification. No longer are they just influences on their sexuality, but now they have become conscious parts of the person's personality and lifestyle.

Sexual Responses

Sexual response refers to the issues of what arouses you sexually. There are several aspects to sexual response, including Range, Fetishes, and Paraphilias. While each of these is a separate issue requiring separate consideration, these issues may overlap and interact with each other.

Sexual responce goes beyond your orientation and focuses upon what you find sexually and emotionally attractive. This is the part of sexuality that is the overall most misunderstood, for while sexual orientation is a hot topic, the aspects of sexual responce are totally disputed, fought over, and questioned every day. The most common reason for the oppression and hatred towards people with "non-conformatory" sexual responces is misinformation. Like sexual orientation, people do not understand uncommon sexual responces and their lack of understanding creates fear, which they express as hatred. However, like sexual orientation, sexual responce is something you are born with, and trying to change any part of your sexuality is like trying to change the colur of your hair, or eyes, you can cover up the natural colour, but you cannot get rid of it, and it will always be there, more powerful than you're temporary disguise. The best way to solve the problems of sexual repression, is to try to understand those who we find are different than ourselves. We cannot chance them, they cannot be bent to the will of the establishment, they can only be kept in the darkness of oppression which does not heal wounds, but creates anger. The circle of anger and fear grows larger and stronger, and the only way to finally stop it is to break the chains of bondage (and no I am not refering to bondage in a sexual way, that can wait until the sexual expression category.)

Range involves the question of how wide a variety of sexual stimuli you respond to. This includes such things as age, race, weight, intellegence, and other characteristics of potential partners as well as setting, set, and activities. In some cases, a wide range can resemble a paraphilia; for instance, a wide "age" range can resemble pedophilia.

Range is not a commonly discussed or even known about concept in itself, however is a very common trait. Everyone has a range, even if they are devoid of noticable fetishes or paraphilias. Range is a pretty simple concept to grasp, because it deals with everyday personal traits as a basis of your sexual or emotional attraction. There is not too much to say about range in particular because of all of the sexual traits, it's the easiest to grasp. Of the traits, it's also the only one that does not have too much contreversy or oppression circling it.

Fetishes are non-sexual (in the traditional sense) stimuli which produce a sexual response. Virtually anything, real or imaginary, can be the stimulus. There is some overlap among fetishes, paraphilias, and unusual sexual ranges, especially in popular perception. The essential difference in this case is that fetishes are not generally connected with the rest of your sexuality, unless it becomes a part of your Sexual Identification.

While [CTG's] techniques deal quickly and easily with fetishes, they should in no way be taken as indicating that fetishes are "choices" or failures of moral fiber. Any more than birthmarks, polyps, and other physical features which can be easily changed with physical treatment.

Fetishes. Oh now here is a topic that can bring goosebumps onto almost anyone's arms. What non-sexual thing turns you on in a sexual way? It can be an erotic turn on, or a morbid fasination resulting in erotic stimulus, or even just an unconscious stimuli that sparks sexual responces. Almost anything can act as a fetish, and what is one person's fetish might be another person's nightmare. This has in the past and still somewhat in the present created conflicts and contreversy over differences in what is acceptable and what is not acceptable as fetishes. Questioning that question, what is acceptable prejudice? The establishment answer that question by saying that anything that is non-conformatory to their definition of normal, can be prejudiced acceptably. Wrong. In the Ablenist term equality, Equal means EQUAL!

Paraphilias are a secondary sexual orientation towards a nontraditional partner. This could include anything from children to very old people, from dead people to animals. They are different than fetishes, in that they are a significant part of the person's sexuality and because they most often include a relational element. In many cases, the depth of feeling is such that the parpahilics consider it their primary sexual orientation.

Paraphilias, quite often misinterpreted as sexual orientations, are actually just an element of one's sexuality. All paraphiliacs no matter how strong their paraphilia, still must have a primary sexual orientation that is either heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. Paraphilias are the most contreversial of sexual attributes, even more so than primary sexual orientation or fetishes. The contreversy of non-conformatory paraphilias is not one that is about to end any time soon either. Due to some of the extremes that paraphilias can extend to, most people just cannot bring themselves to even try to comprehend or understand them. The misunderstanding and hatred expressed towards many of these people does not help but creates a vicious circle effect. The more the paraphiliacs are oppressed, the more they will grow frustrated and will act out, the more they act out the more society will oppress them. People find it hard to accept what they cannot understand, paraphilias are the most misunderstood areas of human sexuality.

Being that paraphilias blend into areas such as fetish and preference, it is often hard to actually diagnose a paraphilia. However like I mentioned earlier, sexuality and personality are not things that can be easily categorized. Many crossovers do exist within the defined categories, especially paraphilias. The two most common occurances with paraphiliacs are Denial and Over Identifying. These two problems are on opposite ends of the personality spectrum, but each can cause equally as frustrating and dangerous side effects. Those living in denial of their paraphiliac responces will either obtain a terrible guilt complex, making it hard for them to cope with life, or they will disguise their paraphilia as something completely different, hiding it away, and allowing it to consume their subconsciousness. This masking of the issue leads to a psychosis that can drive the paraphiliac to unspeakable acts. On the other end, over identifying themselves with their paraphilia makes them assume that not only is the paraphilia their primary orientation, but that it is their life. This can lead to depression and suicide, or can built up terrible ammounts of uncontrolable emotion into their Id. This emotional buildup can result in similar events as masked denial. Either way it is not healthy for a paraphiliac to either deny their sexuality, or over identify with it. However in a society that oppresses and condemns this part of human sexuality, it may be hard for a paraphiliac to deal with their issue without having social problems or persecution.

Sexual Preferences

are the "fine tuning" of sexuality. They are also among the most malleable aspects of sexuality. For instance, most bisexuals have a preference for opposite-gender partners. Some heterosexuals (and heterosexual-preference bisexuals) prefer Nordic Blondes between 17 and 22 years old. People with wide response ranges generally develop preferences within those ranges - preferences which may be mistaken for paraphilias, secondary sexual orientations, or even fetishes.

Sexual Preferences are rather simple things to understand. Everyone has some kind of taste for their sexual partners. Blonds, brunettes, red heds, etc. Green eyes, blue eyes, brown eyes, etc. The list goes on forever, if there is a physical or personality trait existant in a person, it can also become a part of someone's sexual preference.

Sexual Expression

is the one area of sexuality which has (in many cases) responded to more traditional approaches. Sexual expression includes such things as "accpetable" sexplay, systematic preferential activity (such as S&M/B&D), and even acting out (rape, exhibitionism, etc.). Such expressions are often closely tied to other relevant aspects of your sexuality.

Sexual Expression. Seems like a simple enough concept, but it's often clouded with contreversy and mystery. Society has always set guidelines to what are conformatory sexual expressions, however there have always been those who have gone against the grain. BDSM (bondage, domination, and sado-masochism) is always looked down upon as being from the darker sides of our human nature, when in fact things like that are but an extention of our personality traits into the sexual realm, and how we express our sexuality is completely a personal thing. Non-conformatory sexual expressions are considered wrong by society because they appear to be dark and evil, however if both parties involved in the sexual act are consenting and enjoying the expression methods than there is nothing wrong with what they are doing. However the boundries of this issue are very blurry and it is hard to deal with in a society, so often the establishment pushes the topic under the carpet and ignores any attempts to bring it up again. However the oppression against non-conformatory sexual expression is not very high, and is diminishing every year.