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Also see the essay "Words Can
Never Hurt Me"
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asexual- adjective describing lack of sexual attraction to
either gender. This may be the result of biological or sociological
factors.
- bisexual
- adjective describing emotional and erotic attraction
to both males and females. (See "Bi-sexual
- Somewhere in the Middle") Someone truly bisexual never
knows from what direction his attraction will come -- whether from the
curvy girl in front of him in the check-out line or from the muscular
man who is bagging his groceries. True bisexuality appears to be far
more rare than a homosexual orientation.
- celibacy (n.)
- abstinence from sexual intercourse.
- celibate (adj.)
- adjective referring to someone who abstains from sexual intercourse,
especially for religious reasons. (A person may be celibate while
enjoying warm personal relationships, including loving touching,
hugging, etc., without sexual overtones.)
- chaste (adj.)
- term properly used to refer to confining the practice of sex to a
heterosexual marriage relationship. Thus, both single and married
people may be said to live lives of chastity (noun). The term
also implies purity of thought, which would exclude off-color jokes
and sexual fantasies, and that is the biblical ideal. (Unfortunately,
in the day community, the term 'chastity' has taken on a wholly
different meaning, referring to a pattern of sexual practices.)
- cross dressing
- refers to practice of dressing in clothing typically
associated with the opposite gender -- generally men dressing in
women's clothing, since in our culture women often dress in clothing
practically indistinguishable from men's wear.
- This is sometimes practiced by heterosexual men for
sexual stimulation. Such behavior may be rooted in early life
experiences. It is also practiced by transsexuals
because they feel more comfortable in such clothing. (To them the
clothing of their own apparent gender feels "wrong.")
- gay
- term used instead of homosexual
by most homosexually oriented persons as an adjective describing
emotional and erotic attraction to persons of one's own gender, as in
"I've come to the conclusion that I'm gay."
This term seems to mean different things to different people. We have
noted that lately this term has been used by ex-gay ministries to
refer to politically active homosexual individuals, and that puts a
wholly different connotation on the term.
- gay lifestyle
- term may be used to refer to a lifestyle that includes the
frequenting of gay bars and clubs and promiscuous sex. Gay people who
are in a monogamous relationship object to this term being applied to
them.
- heterosexual
- 1. adjective describing a person emotionally and
erotically attracted to persons of the opposite gender. According to
the biblical account, this was God's original design for humanity
- 2. noun describing persons emotionally and erotically
attracted to the opposite gender, whether or not they engage in
sexual acts.
- homophobia (noun)
- 1. term that describes the fear of homosexuality. Perhaps a better
term than "fear" is the feeling of revulsion that
heterosexually oriented Adventists are likely to feel towards the
subject of homosexuality, with that revulsion being extended towards
brothers or sisters in the faith who may have a homosexual
orientation. (The Bible makes a clear distinction between sin and
sinners; so should we. Also see "Love
the Sinner, Hate the Sin.")
2. This term is sometimes incorrectly used to label any moral judgment
of same-gender sexual practices.
- homophopic (adjective)
- 1. an adjective that describes someone who is so revolted by the
thought of homosexuality that s/he cannot relate to homosexually
oriented persons as brothers and sisters in Christ. (This type of
thing has driven many homosexually oriented Adventists out of the
church in despair.)
2. incorrectly applied to Adventists or other Christians who
understand that the God invented sex for the particular enjoyment of
persons bound together for life in the holy covenant of
marriage.
- homosexual
- 1. adjective describing emotional and erotic
attraction to persons of one's own sex, as in "homosexual
orientation."
2. noun describing persons emotionally and erotically attracted to
their own sex, whether or not they engage in sexual acts.
- 3. (principally conservative Christian definition)
adjective describing a person who engages in same-gender sex;
adjective describing anything related to same-gender sex
- 4. (principally conservative Christian) noun
describing a person who engages in same-gender sex
- Editor's comment: The fact that most of the world
uses Definitions 1 & 2 while conservative Christians use
definitions 3 & 4 causes much mis-communication.
- homosexual lifestyle
- euphemism often used by Adventists and other
conservative Christians to refer to same-gender sexual activity. There
is no actual "lifestyle" that is common to all homosexually
oriented persons. It would be better to refer to "homosexual
sex" if that is what is meant.
- homosexuality (n.)
- 1. condition of being emotionally and erotically
attracted to persons of one's own sex, whether or not this
attraction is acted out sexually.
The causes of homosexuality are not known, but appear to have
different roots in different people. There is a body of evidence
indicating that it may result from a complex interaction of biological
and sociological factors whose influence is felt so early in life that
most persons affected feel that they have been born that way.
2. sexual activity between persons of the same sex. This usage is
no longer used by society at large but is common among conservative
Christians, including Adventists, who make no distinction between sexual orientation and
sexual behavior.
- intersexuality (n.) intersexual (adj)
- condition in which biological sex not immediately
identifiable as male or female. Individuals affected may have
combination of genitalia (penis and ovaries), lack
"corresponding" organs (penis but no testes, ovaries but no
vagina), or have genitals cosmetically out of the norm (enlarged
clitoris). This term encompasses what used to be called a
hermaphroditic condition as well as other conditions which prevent
clear expression of sexuality as either male or female. While in the
past, surgery was performed in order to make an infant’s body
conform to an assigned sex -- male or female -- opinion regarding the
advantages of such surgery is now sharply divided.
- lesbian
- adjective or noun used to refer to a woman with a homosexual
orientation, as in "Marie feels has concluded that she has a
lesbian orientation."
- same-sex-attracted (SSA)
- adjective often preferred by Christians instead of "gay." It means being attracted to the same sex, whether or not this is
acted out.
- same-sex attraction (SSA)
- noun used by conservative Christians instead of "gay" to refer to
attraction to the same sex. Stanton Jones and Mark Yarhouse made a
"three-tier distinction between same-sex attraction, a homosexual
orientation, and a gay identity." (Reference)
The terminology is currently (2010) becoming more popular.
- same-gender-attracted (SGA)
- term used by some instead of "same-sex-attracted." The
term was popularized by the
Bridges-Across-the-Divide website. Currently (2010), SSA is more
popular than SGA.
- sexual orientation
- describes the gender to which a person is oriented,
such as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or asexual. Most persons
are not aware of ever having chosen their sexual orientation.
- transgender
- adjective sometimes applied to practices or
individuals who transgress accepted sexual norms, as in
"transgender community," which comprises, gay, lesbian,
bisexual, transsexual and intersexual persons.
- transsexual
- 1. adjective describing persons who feel that
their inner selves are the opposite of their physical sex and
therefore behave and dress like a member of that sex. This may or may
not be related to biological factors.
2. adjective describing persons who have had a sex change
- transvestite
- a person who habitually cross
dresses. The Bible includes specific prohibitions against this
practice which, in countries bordering Israel and Juday, was often
associated with temple prostitutes.
- virgin
- a man or woman who has never engaged in sexual intercourse.
Biblically, it is always a positive term, such as "pure,
unsullied, untouched." However, in modern society, it
unfortunately often has negative connotations because our society
idolizes sex, in spite of the obvious fact that sex does not bring
happiness.
Also see "Words Can Never Hurt Me" |
