What Does It Mean to Be Allosexual?
Anyone who feels sexual attraction for other people is considered allosexual, while people who rarely or never experience sexual attraction are considered graysexual or asexual.
Allosexual people may have any sexual orientation. The word was coined by the asexual community to help reduce the assumption that feeling sexual attraction is “normal” and asexuality is “abnormal.”
What Is the Difference Between Allosexuality, Demisexuality, Graysexuality, and Asexuality?
Some people who rarely feel sexual attraction may identify as “gray-asexual” or “graysexual” instead of asexual or allosexual.
Allosexual vs. asexual
Allosexuality and asexuality are largely considered to be opposites. Allosexual people feel sexual attraction to others, while asexual people don't. It’s possible for both allo- and asexual people to feel romantic attraction, which is not the same thing as sexual attraction.
For example, an allosexual person may feel both romantic and sexual attraction to someone, generally meaning that they want to be in a relationship and perform sexual acts with them. On the other hand, an asexual person may only want to be in a relationship with someone because of their romantic attraction but feel no desire to perform any sexual acts with their partner.
Allosexual vs. demisexual
Demisexuality refers to being attracted to someone only after forming a strong emotional connection with them. Allosexuality is any kind of sexual attraction to another person.
Allosexual vs. graysexual
Graysexual people feel slight sexual attraction or only feel sexual attraction on occasion. The majority of the time, they do not experience sexual attraction. As a result, they may identify as graysexual, asexual, or allosexual.
Myths and Misconceptions about Allosexuality
The term allosexual was coined to help counter the idea that feeling sexual attraction is “normal” and that a lack of sexual attraction needs to be “fixed” or makes someone “broken.” Being allosexual has nothing to do with how often someone engages in sexual activity, or to whom they feel attracted.
Takeaways
Allosexuality is any kind of sexual attraction for another person. The term was coined by the asexual community to normalize asexuality, an orientation where you don't feel sexual attraction for others. You can identify as allosexual regardless of your sexual orientation.
Allosexual FAQs
What is the difference between being allosexual and graysexual?
If you're allosexual, you feel sexual attraction to another person, while graysexual people rarely experience sexual attraction for others.