Heteroflexibility: Understanding the orientation
The language of sexual and gender identity has dramatically changed and expanded over time, reflecting how these are extremely personal journeys unique to the person experiencing them.
Because of this, many “micro-identities” and niche sexualities have emerged and made their way into mainstream discourse.One such micro-identity is “heteroflexible”, a hotly contested term that has its fair share of advocates and critics.
But what is “heteroflexible”, and does it apply to you? Keep reading to find out!RELATED: All About the Trixic Pride Flag and Being TrixicHeteroflexibility refers to a type of sexual orientation where the person primarily experiences romantic and/or sexual attraction to persons who identify as the opposite sex but may occasionally experience romantic and/or sexual attraction to persons of the same sex.Heteroflexible’s definition can generally be summed up as “mostly straight” or, as sociologist Hector Carillo put it, “straight with a pinch of bi.”The word “heteroflexible” has a counterpart in the term “homoflexible”, which describes a person who primarily experiences romantic and/or sexual attraction to individuals of the same sex but may occasionally experience romantic and/or sexual attraction to persons of the opposite sex.There is no known definite origin for the terms “heteroflexible” or “heteroflexibility”.
However, the word “heteroflexible” is recorded to have appeared in media as far back as the ‘90s. In 1997, the LGBTQ humor glossary When Drag is Not a Car Race defined “heteroflexibility” as “bisexual, or at least open to sexual experimentation.”The word gained some traction at the beginning of the millennium.
