We independently assess all our recommendations. Purchases through our links may earn us a commission.
In this article:
- Queersexual is a term that refers to people who are attracted to anyone who is queer, that is, a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
- Queersexuals can be only sexually attracted to other queer people or only romantically attracted to queer people, depending on their specific romantic/sexual orientation.
- Figuring out what does queersexual mean, especially on a personal level, can be confusing and even frustrating and that’s okay.
What does queersexual mean?
With so many sexual identities and orientations being defined in the past few years, it’s no surprise that it’s become difficult for many of us to keep track of them.
Aside from the more popular terms such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans, you might recall that there’s a Q in LGBTQ+. This stands for queer, an umbrella term that covers all non-cisgender and non-heteronormative identities as a whole.
This is a little similar in concept to, but not the same as, what it means to be queersexual, let’s start with the basics before moving on to how it differs from other identities.
What Does Queersexual Mean and How Does It Differ From Other Sexualities?
So, what does queersexual mean? Queersexual is a term that refers to a sexual/and or romantic attraction to people who are part of the queer community. If someone identifies as queersexual, they’re saying they are either sexually and/or romantically attracted to anyone who isn’t cishet, meaning cisgender and heterosexual.
That’s the short and simple definition, but understanding what does queersexual mean entails understanding what all the other words mean in relation to each other. After all, understanding a concept makes the difference between knowing what it means versus knowing what it’s defined as.
Let’s start with the queer in queersexual. Queer is a loose umbrella term used to refer to all members of the LGBTQ+ community. Being gay doesn’t make you a lesbian, but it does make you queer and vice versa.
Maybe you’re a transgender or transsexual person attracted to people of the opposite sex. Depending on who you ask, this makes a person heterosexual yet queer because they’re still transgender and, again, queer refers to orientations that aren’t straight and/or cisgender.
Now let’s move on to the sexual in queersexual. Terms referring to sexual attraction often include romantic attraction simply because most people experience romance and sexuality as inexplicably tied to each other.
However, aromantic and asexual people make a distinction between the two because to them, sexual attraction isn’t the exact same thing as romantic attraction nor are they mutually inclusive of each other.
So, while most queersexuals can fall in love and be sexually attracted to anyone who is queer, it can also be true that they are only sexually attracted or only romantically attracted to people who are queer.
Queersexual is not to be confused with genderqueer since genderqueer specifically refers to gender identity while the former deals more with who you’re attracted to.
Queersexual Is an Umbrella Term
Anyone who is queer can be queersexual. This is because it’s an umbrella term meant to describe anyone who is romantically and/or sexually attracted to a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
You can imagine it in this way. Think of a jar filled with gumballs. Each of those gumballs is a sexual orientation and/or a gender identity. The jar is queersexuality and you can want any of the gumballs in it.
Are You Queersexual?
If you’re reading this, there’s a chance you know someone who identifies as queersexual or you’re trying to learn more about it because you’re considering the possibility that you’re queersexual.
If it’s the latter and you’re starting to feel frustrated and confused, it’s okay. Discovering yourself is a personal journey that you might need a lot of time to explore. As overwhelming as it is, you don’t have to feel pressured to identify as one thing or the other, right here and now.
Or maybe you’ve already decided you’re queersexual. In that case, what does queersexual mean to you and what is it like? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments below.
