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Sexual Orientation
term specifying the sex of those to whom a person is primarily romantically, emotionally, and sexually attracted.
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Heterosexual
a person who is attracted romantically and sexually primarily to persons of the opposite sex
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homosexual
a person who is attracted romantically and sexually primarily to persons of ones own sex
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gay
homosexual; often applied to both men and women
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lesbian
a female with a homosexual orientation
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bisexual
a person who is attracted romantically and sexually to members of both sexes
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heterocentric
the assumption of a "universal" heterosexual orientation
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domestic partnership
a legal contract between two members of the same sex that imparts all or most of the legal benefits of marriage but is not socially or religiously equated with heterosexual marriage
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civil union
another term used for domestic partnership
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exotic becomes erotic (EBE) theory
Psychologist Daryl Bem's explanation for the interaction of biology and environment in determining a person's sexual orientation
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gender-conforming behavior
behavior that is consistent with traditional cultural expectations for a child's sex
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gender-nonconforming behavior
behavior that is inconsistent with traditional cultural expectations for a child's sex and considered more appropriate for children of the other sex
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AIDS stigma
prejudice and discrimination against nonheterosexual individuals based on the erroneous belief that gay individuals are solely to blame for the AIDS epidemic and are the primary threat for the continuing spread of the disease
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protected classes
specific groups of people protected under federal and state antidiscrimination laws, identified by race, religion, sex, age, or other characteristics
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sodomy laws
laws prohibiting specific sexual activities between adults, even in private and with their consent
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homophobia
extreme fear, discomfort, or hatred of nonheterosexual individuals
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gay bashing
criminal acts or violence motivated by homophobia and committed against nonheterosexual individuals
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hate crimes
violent crimes motivated by prejudice and discrimination, targeting specific groups of individuals
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hate crimes laws
laws prescribing more stringent penalties for crimes motivated by bias or prejudice
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psychological defense mechanism
originally suggested by Freud, a psychological distortion of personally unacceptable thoughts or urges
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reaction formation
a type of defense mechanism in which a person engages in exaggerated behaviors in the opposite direction of internal urges felt to be unacceptable or intolerable
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penile plethysmograph
an electronic device that records blood flow into the penis to detect sexual arousal
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