This subject has an article on LGBTQIA+ Wiki for informational purposes as terminology relevant to learning more about the LGBTQIA+ community, rather than being an identity that is part of it. Heterosexual people may or may not be LGBTQIA+ due to other identifiers.
Heterosexual, or straight, refers to the sexual orientation of an individual is attracted to people of a different gender or sex than their own,[1][2] commonly meaning a woman attracted to men or a man attracted to women.[2] This is often phrased as the "opposite" gender or sex[3][4][5] based on the gender binary: the assumption that people can only be one of two genders.[4][5]
A person who is both cisgender and heterosexual is sometimes referred to as "cishet".[1] Within the Split Attraction Model that separates sexual attraction from romantic attraction, its romantic equivalent is heteroromantic.[6]
As people began defining sexual orientations and pathologies, "heterosexuality" emerged in the 1890s in contrast with "homosexuality", meaning attraction to the same sex.[3] The slang word "straight" emerged as a synonym in the 1940s, framing heterosexuality as normal and non-heterosexuality as crooked, skewed, or abnormal.[7]
A flag design with six horizontal stripes in alternating black and white was documented on the website Flags of the World in 2001 by someone who had observed it. In 2005, another user uploaded an image representing that design. According to people documenting its emergence, this and similar proposals seemed to be motivated by anti-gay sentiments.[8] The now-defunct Gay Star News saw this flag as a mockery of Gilbert Baker's rainbow flag.[9] (While six black and white stripes were incorporated into a Straight Ally flag, they instead represent straight people supporting LGBTQIA+ people.)[8][9] Another design has five stripes (three black and two white) instead with interlocking female and male signs (⚤) in the center; others have different colors or symbols. These various designs have flown at "Straight Pride" events held in opposition to same-sex marriage or in mockery of Pride celebrations.[8]
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- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "National Glossary of Terms" by PFLAG on <pflag.org>. (Archived on 2024-02-20)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Heterosexual" on <vocabulary.com>. (Archived on 2024-11-19)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The A-Z of Gender and Sexuality: From Ace to Ze by Morgan Lev Edward Holleb. Published 2019 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. heterosexual, heterosexuality: "Someone who is attracted to the opposite gender from their own. Heterosexual is interchangeable with 'straight.' Heterosexuality rests on the assumption that the gender of the subject is known, that their gender has an 'opposite,' and that the gender of the desired person is also known and is in fact 'opposite' to the subject's. Heterosexuality is a relatively new identity category. It emerged along with other 'sexual orientations' in the 1890s, as a 'normal' contrast to homosexuality, which was newly invented as a label and pathology." ISBN 9781785923425 (paperback), ISBN 9781784506636 (eBook)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The ABC's of LGBT+ by Ash Hardell. Published 2016 by Mango Media. ISBN 9781633534087. Ash Hardell: "You will note I used the word 'other,' rather than 'opposite.' I'm noting this to emphasize that language like 'opposite' perpetuates the binary. There are no 'opposite' genders, even in the binary. Men and women are not opposites, simply two members of the binary."
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Queens' English: The LGBTQIA+ Dictionary of Lingo and Colloquial Phrases by Chloe O. Davis. Published 2021 by Clarkson Potter/Publishers. heterosexual: "Sexually attracted to people of 'the opposite sex.' This term relies on the gender binary and assumes there are only two genders: male and female. This term can be abbreviated as 'het,' 'hetty,' or 'hetero.'" ISBN 9780593135006, ISBN 9780593135013 (Ebook)
- ↑ "Split Attraction Model (SAM)" by The Trans Language Primer on The Trans Language Primer. (Archived on 2021-12-08)
- ↑ The A-Z of Gender and Sexuality: From Ace to Ze by Morgan Lev Edward Holleb. Published 2019 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. straight: "A heteronormative word for heterosexual. Straight positions heterosexual as normal, as though anything not-straight is crooked, skewed, abnormal, wrong. Straight emerged as a slang word for heterosexual in the 1940s." ISBN 9781785923425 (paperback), ISBN 9781784506636 (eBook)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Heterosexual Flags" on Flags of the World. (Archived on 2024-06-01)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Pride flags: The biggest guide to LGBT+ rainbow flags and what they all mean" (original link down) on Gay Star News. (Archived on 2022-08-07)