Sexual Orientation

Sexual orientation typically describes an individual's emotional and/or physical attraction to others with respect to sex or gender. Generally accepted to refer to an individual's exclusive attraction to men, women, or both, academic studies often reflect that sexual orientation is better represented as a dynamic continuum in which individuals may be attracted to a particular person in a given situation regardless of gender. Women who date and/or have sex exclusively with other women often identify as “lesbian,” although sometimes the more general “gay” is used. Women who are attracted to both men and women consider themselves [Page 1320]“bisexual,” although they may also identify themselves as straight or lesbian, depending on the situation.

Ideas regarding female sexual orientation vary around the world. There's also a greater ...