allosexuality

Allosexuality is the ability to experience sexual attraction. The term is often used to describe persons who are not asexual, or the lack of identification with asexuality.{{Cite web |date=2020-07-30 |title=What Does It Mean To Be Allosexual? |url=https://www.dictionary.com/e/gender-sexuality/allosexual/ |access-date=2023-08-18 |website=Dictionary.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Jalili |first=Candice |date=2020-10-23 |title=Allosexual |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sexopedia/a34464498/allosexual-definition/ |access-date=2023-08-18 |website=Cosmopolitan |language=en-US}}{{Cite journal |last1=Clark |first1=Alyssa N. |last2=Lefkowitz |first2=Eva S. |last3=Zimmerman |first3=Corinne |date=2023-02-12 |title=Sexual and Affectionate Behaviors in Asexual and Allosexual Adults |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00224499.2022.2051161 |journal=The Journal of Sex Research |language=en |volume=60 |issue=2 |pages=242–252 |doi=10.1080/00224499.2022.2051161 |pmid=35316105 |s2cid=247615390 |issn=0022-4499}}{{Cite journal |last1=Clark |first1=Alyssa N. |last2=Zimmerman |first2=Corinne |date=2022-05-01 |title=Concordance Between Romantic Orientations and Sexual Attitudes: Comparing Allosexual and Asexual Adults |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-02194-3 |journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior |language=en |volume=51 |issue=4 |pages=2147–2157 |doi=10.1007/s10508-021-02194-3 |pmid=35380311 |s2cid=247955047 |issn=1573-2800}} Someone who experiences allosexuality is allosexual, sometimes shortened to allo. Other terms to describe non-asexual people include zedsexual,{{Cite book |last=Dyer |first=Harriet |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qs5EEAAAQBAJ&dq=zedsexual&pg=PT96 |title=The Little Book of LGBTQ+: An A-Z of Gender and Sexual Identities |date=2022-05-31 |publisher=Cleis Press |isbn=978-1-62778-536-5 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Decker |first=Julie Sondra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vTSCDwAAQBAJ&dq=zedsexual&pg=PT150 |title=The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality * Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner in LGBT * |date=2015-10-13 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-5107-0064-2 |language=en}} or simply sexual.{{Cite web |title=General FAQ |url=https://www.asexuality.org/?q=general.html |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=The Asexual Visibility and Education Network}}

The term does not indicate the target of sexual attraction, meaning allosexual could describe someone who is heterosexual, gay, bisexual, or pansexual, for example. It also does not indicate how often an individual experiences sexual attraction or participates in sex or sexual encounters.

Terminology

The prefix allo- comes from the Greek word Állos, meaning "other", "different", or "atypical".{{Cite web |title=Definition of ALLO- |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allo- |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}{{Cite journal |last=Stepanyan |first=Araksya |date=2023-07-11 |title=English Neologisms of Ancient Greek and Latin Origin in the Field of Psychology |url=https://journals.ysu.am/index.php/foreign-lang/article/download/vol27_no1_2023_pp016_033/pdf |journal=Foreign Languages in Higher Education |publisher=Yerevan State University |volume=27 |issue=1 (34) |pages=16–33 |doi=10.46991/FLHE/2023.27.1.016 |issn=1829-2453|doi-access=free }} It was attached to the suffix 'sexual' to create a term meaning "a person who experiences sexual attraction towards others". The structure parallels other sexuality terms such as homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, etc.

History

In a medicalized context, allosexual has been used in contrast to autosexual to describe sexual attraction towards others or sexual behavior between multiple people.{{Cite journal |last1=Burleson |first1=Mary H |last2=Trevathan |first2=Wenda R |last3=Gregory |first3=W.Larry |date=May 2002 |title=Sexual behavior in lesbian and heterosexual women: relations with menstrual cycle phase and partner availability |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S030645300100066X |journal=Psychoneuroendocrinology |language=en |volume=27 |issue=4 |pages=489–503 |doi=10.1016/S0306-4530(01)00066-X|pmid=11912001 |s2cid=24519130 }} The term was coined by the asexual community as a way to name and discuss the experiences of non-asexual people. It is used to normalize asexuality and provide a term that can be used in conjunction with ace terminology. Allosexuality makes asexuality one sexuality among others, rather than being a deviation from what is simply 'normal'.{{Cite book |last1=Mollet |first1=Amanda L. |title=Encyclopedia of Queer Studies in Education |last2=Lackman |first2=Brian |pages=26–30 |chapter=Chapter 6 Allonormativity and Compulsory Sexuality |doi=10.1163/9789004506725_006 |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004506725_006}}

Society and culture

Asexuals are estimated to make up 1% or less of the total population and about 1.7% of the LGBT population.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=1.7% of sexual minority adults identify as asexual |url=https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/sm-asexuals-press-release/ |access-date=2023-11-27 |website=Williams Institute |language=en-US}} Since the majority of people would be classified as allosexual, it is viewed by some as the natural way of being and asexuality as a deviation from this norm.{{Cite journal |last1=MacInnis |first1=Cara C. |last2=Hodson |first2=Gordon |date=November 2012 |title=Intergroup bias toward "Group X": Evidence of prejudice, dehumanization, avoidance, and discrimination against asexuals |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1368430212442419 |journal=Group Processes & Intergroup Relations |language=en |volume=15 |issue=6 |pages=725–743 |doi=10.1177/1368430212442419 |s2cid=3056711 |issn=1368-4302}} Physical intimacy is considered an essential part of romantic relationships among allosexuals, which can complicate relationships between asexual and allosexual individuals. Allonormativity, or the concept that all humans experience sexual attraction or desire a sexual relationship, can lead to the isolation and marginalization of asexual individuals.{{Cite book |last=Popova |first=Milena |url=https://direct.mit.edu/books/book/4304/Sexual-Consent |title=Sexual Consent |date=2019-05-07 |publisher=The MIT Press |isbn=978-0-262-35359-5 |language=en |doi=10.7551/mitpress/12108.001.0001}}

References

External links

Category:21st-century neologisms

Category:Asexuality

Category:Sexuality and society