Ceterosexual is a term that has recently emerged. Although the term may be growing in usage, and is significant and well-sourced enough to warrant inclusion on this wiki, it may still be relatively unknown outside of the platform or community where it originated. The exact definition and name may not have stabilized, and may change significantly as more people identify with it.
Ceterosexual,[1] also known as skoliosexual[1][3][2] or allotroposexual,[4] refers to sexual attraction to non-binary[1][3][2] and/or potentially binary transgender people,[2][4] sometimes exclusively.[1] People who are ceterosexual may or may not be attracted to cisgender individuals, especially those who break gender roles, though this definition is disputed.[4][5]
Etymology[]
The prefix skolio- means "crooked" or "bent".[1]
The cetero– in ceterosexual is based on the Latin ceterus, meaning "the other, the rest". The sense of "other" in ceterosexual is meant to include people whose gender identity does not fit into the male/female binary.[6]
The allotropo- in allotroposexual is based on the Greek words for "different" and "mode of life."[4]
Community[]
History[]
The term "skoliosexual" was coined by DeviantArt user Nelde.[7] Mentions of cetero as an alternative to skolio began to emerge in 2015, due to the origin of the prefix skolio-.[8]
Flag[]

Old flag with heart
Several flags have been proposed. The first proposed flag was created by DeviantArt user SavvyRed on October 14, 2013. Yellow represents being non-binary or the attraction to non-binary people, green represents other genders such as bigender and genderqueer, and both white and black represents "neutral genderlessness", such as agender or a questioning gender identity. The lavender heart represents "love outside the gender norms".[9]
However, due to an aversion, the most popular alternative removes the heart.[8]
Distinction[]
Bisexuality[]
- Main article: Bisexual
Bisexuality is the sexual attraction to two or more genders, but it does not necessarily entail attraction to non-binary people. However, a bisexual person can be attracted to non-binary and to cisgender people. People can primarily identify as ceterosexual as well as bisexual, and vice versa.[5]
Controversy[]
The term "skoliosexual" was derived from a word meaning bent or crooked. People who prefer "ceterosexual" believe the use of the prefix skolio- implies skoliosexuals, non-binary individuals, or both are wrong or "twisted".[1]
Some trans people have said the term is[3] or may become[1] a fetishizing term[1][3] that is interchangeable with "chaser", and that it is only positive when non-binary people use it themselves.[3] A related belief is that only non-binary people should identify themselves with this term.[1] Others dispute this and say that the term involves both sexual and romantic attraction, while a fetish is less likely to involve wholistic attraction to the person rather than only sexual.[10]
Some people consider the term's inclusion of attraction to binary trans people as othering, as it defines trans men and women by them being trans, instead of as their gender.[4]
Perceptions and discrimination[]
Because of the concern that cisgender people may identify with this label to fetishize trans individuals, the term is often considered restricted to non-binary people.[8]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 The ABC's of LGBT+ by Ash Hardell. Published 2016 by Mango Media. ISBN 9781633534087.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Little Book of LGBTQ+: An A-Z of Gender and Sexual Identities by Dyer, Harriet. Published 2021 by Summersdale Publishers. ISBN 9781787839748.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 The A-Z of Gender and Sexuality: From Ace to Ze by Morgan Lev Edward Holleb. Published 2019 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ISBN 9781785923425 (paperback), ISBN 9781784506636 (eBook)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "6 Things to Know About the Term Skoliosexual" on <healthline.com>. (no backup information provided)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "What is Ceterosexuality?" on <webmd.com>. (no backup information provided)
- ↑ "Ceterosexual" on <dictionary.com>. (Archived on 2021-10-20)
- ↑ "skoliosexual" on <dictionary.com>. Published 2019-09-19. (no backup information provided)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Cetero" on <orientando.org>. (no backup information provided)
- ↑ "Proposed Skoliosexual Flag" by SavvyRed on <deviantart.com>. Published October 14, 2013. (no backup information provided)
- ↑ "What is Skoliosexuality?" on <webmd.com>. (no backup information provided)