Sexuality is a very complex issue, influenced by a multitude of personal and external factors. Acceptance or rejection of sexual identity and sexual practice varies across cultures and has changed throughout history. African countries like Uganda,Kenya and Zimbabwe been amongst some of the most homophobic countries in African.
Sexuality refers to those attributes, desires, roles and identities that are concerned with sexual activity and behavior. It can also refer to an orientation towards,or preference for,particular forms of sexual activity. While biology determines sex, society, religion and culture shapes sexuality.
Biology sex refers to whether people are genetically male or female, gender identity is socially and culturally constructed. While the genetic sex of a person determines male or female physical identity, gender is a different concept, determined by social, religious and cultural influences.
Sexual identity describes how people think of themselves, who they are sexually and romantically attracted to, and how others think of them. Often referred to as a person’s sexual orientation,we can classify this as heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual. However, it is important to recognise that these identities do not necessarily dictate sexual behaviour.
Types of sexuality:
(a) Straight attracted mostly to people of the opposite sex or gender
(b) Gay attracted mostly to people of the same sex or gender (used by guys,and often girls too)
(c) Lesbian attracted mostly to people of the same sex or gender (used by women)
(c) Bisexual attracted to both men and women. Some people use terms like pan or pansexual to say they’re attracted to different kinds of people,regardless of their gender.
(d) Asexual not really sexually attracted to anyone
(e) Polysexuality is the sexual attraction to more than one gender but do not wish to be known as bisexual. N.B Do not confuse this with pansexuality (pan meaning all) (poly meaning many)
(f) Transsexuals is when a person identifies themselves with a physical sex that is different to their own biological one. A person may be born male and is uncomfortable with their gender as a male and changes to female.
Understand that sexuality is as wide as the sea. Understand that your morality is not law. Understand that we are you. Understand that if we decide to have sex whether safe, safer, or unsafe, it is our decision and you have no rights in our lovemaking.
