What is skoliosexual? Meaning explained
SKOLIOSEXUAL is a relatively new term used by people to describe their sexual orientation.
But what exactly does it mean and why is the term considered controversial?
What is skoliosexual?
A skoliosexual is defined as a person who is attracted to transgender or nonbinary people.
People who are transgender, identify as a gender different from the one they were born with.
They may identify as a man, a woman, or neither.
Nonbinary are those who don’t identify as either a man or a woman.
They may feel like both or like something in between and some don’t relate to gender at all.
Reece Malone, a Canada-based certified sex therapist and sexologist told that "for some people, especially those who are trans and gender non-conforming themselves, there’s a feeling of safety and comfort knowing that there are shared or relatable experiences".
Why is the term controversial?
While the term skoliosexual has been widely used by the LGBTQ+ community, it has sparked controversy as it is often debated whether it is the correct term to be used.
The reason for that is because it comes from the ancient Greek work "skolio" which means "bent" or "crooked".
That could imply that nonbinary or transgender individuals are "wrong".
Many prefer the term "ceterosexual" which comes from the Latin word for "other" and has less of a negative undertone.
Stephanie Buehler, Psy.D, a certified sex therapist and founder of The Buehler Institute told : "Labeling transgender and gender non-conforming people as 'crooked' is stigmatizing because the word 'crooked' has multiple meanings, some of which are distinctly negative."
What's the difference between skoliosexual and pansexual?
Many often confuse skoliosexuality with pansexuality but there are distinct differences.
While pansexuals are attracted to people regardless of their gender, skoliosexuals are attracted to others because of their gender.
A pansexual is likely to be attracted to people of any gender identity.
A skoliosexual is likely to be attracted to someone because they identify as a gender they were not assigned at birth.