Reflection About Sexual Identity

. People struggle to fathom ʻSexual Identityʻ to itʻs full extent because it is so multi-dimensional, varying, and complex. In order to merely understand what sexual identity is, one must understand the fundamentals of the term itself. Gender identity, sexual orientaion, and sex/gender roles formulate a personʻs sexual identity. Each of these aspects are very interconnected but distinctly different. Gender identity is a self assigned gender and may be the same or different than the sex that they were assigned at birth. Gender identities can be male, female, both, neither. Gender identities are fluid and can change over time. Some commonly discussed gender identities are cisgender, transgender, or asexual. The most complete definition of sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attactions to men, women, or both sexes. What makes sexual identity complex is that a person can be attracted to a varying combination of things. For example, Charity can be attracted to a Delilah. Charity is a biological female and self identifies as a female. Charity knows that Delilah is biological male that self-identitfies as female. Delilah has had emotional, romantic, and or sexual attraction to individuals that were biologically male and self identifies as female. Charity could have similar attractions to Luke who is biologically male and self identify as male. Charity could

Since I consider my sexual identity unconventional, I think my personal example would help to shine some light on where sexual identity plays a role in society. I have not known much about my sexual identity until recently. I attribute much of the confusion on my sexual identity to the gender roles in society. Gender roles are some of the cultural norms that convey to otherʻs that an individual is male or female. However, the presence of gender roles in society transend to how indivduals choose to accept, reject, and percieve their sexual orientation and gender