Monosexuality
Encyclopedia
A monosexual person is someone who is sexually attracted
to one sex
(or gender
) only, monosexuality being the corresponding sexual orientation
. A monosexual could be, for example, heterosexual or homosexual.
The term is fairly uncommon, mostly used in discussions of bisexuality
to denote everyone other than polysexuals (bisexuals, pansexuals
, and polysexuals), with the exception of asexuals, who are not sexually attracted to any gender. It was likely adopted in place of unisexual, which is already used in biology and would produce confusion. It is sometimes considered derogatory by the people to whom it is applied, though more often used simply as contrast to polysexuality
. It is not in common use as a self-label by either straight or gay people.
The proportion of people who fit into the category depends on how one uses the word. If the term is used to mean exclusively monosexual in behavior, then according to Alfred Kinsey
's controversial studies
, 63% of men and 87% of women are what may now be termed "monosexual" as determined by experiences leading to orgasm
. If the term is used to describe emotional response, the proportion is lower for men, 58%.
Freud thought that no one was born monosexual and that it had to be taught by parents or society though most people appear to believe that monosexuals are in fact the majority and identify as such.
Music critic and analyst
Fred Maus compares the criticism of Béla Bartók
's works for their use of tonality
and nontonal
methods unique to each piece to the bias towards monosexuality and against bisexuality (see biphobia
).
men and lesbian
s who are familiar with this term, it is widely considered to be an ideologically loaded word intended to privilege
bisexuality over other sexual orientations. Some in the bisexual community also avoid using the term for this reason.
In the early 1990s a Usenet
flame war raged for many months on the groups soc.bi and soc.motss over whether this term was heterophobic
/ homophobic
, or whether it was simply the justified bisexual response to a frequently biphobic gay and lesbian culture.
. By contrast, a polysexual person is someone who desires or fantasizes about sexual relations with more than one partner, whether or not the person actually has such relations. Both monosexuals and polysexuals can be homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual. The important distinction is whether they desire only one partner or more than one. People seem to be born with a genetic predisposition toward monosexuality, polysexuality, or asexuality.
Sexual attraction
Sexual attractiveness or sex appeal refers to an individual's ability to attract the sexual or erotic interest of another person, and is a factor in sexual selection or mate choice. The attraction can be to the physical or other qualities or traits of a person, or to such qualities in the context...
to one sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
(or gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
) only, monosexuality being the corresponding sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
. A monosexual could be, for example, heterosexual or homosexual.
The term is fairly uncommon, mostly used in discussions of bisexuality
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
to denote everyone other than polysexuals (bisexuals, pansexuals
Pansexuality
Pansexuality refers to the potential for sexual attractions, sexual desire, romantic love, or emotional attraction, towards people of all gender identities and biological sexes...
, and polysexuals), with the exception of asexuals, who are not sexually attracted to any gender. It was likely adopted in place of unisexual, which is already used in biology and would produce confusion. It is sometimes considered derogatory by the people to whom it is applied, though more often used simply as contrast to polysexuality
Polysexuality
Polysexuality is the attraction to more than one gender or sex. It should not be confused with polyamory, the ability to be romantically involved with more than one person at once.-Gender definition:...
. It is not in common use as a self-label by either straight or gay people.
The proportion of people who fit into the category depends on how one uses the word. If the term is used to mean exclusively monosexual in behavior, then according to Alfred Kinsey
Alfred Kinsey
Alfred Charles Kinsey was an American biologist and professor of entomology and zoology, who in 1947 founded the Institute for Sex Research at Indiana University, now known as the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, as well as producing the Kinsey Reports and the Kinsey...
's controversial studies
Kinsey Reports
The Kinsey Reports are two books on human sexual behavior, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male and Sexual Behavior in the Human Female , by Dr. Alfred Kinsey, Wardell Pomeroy and others and published by Saunders...
, 63% of men and 87% of women are what may now be termed "monosexual" as determined by experiences leading to orgasm
Orgasm
Orgasm is the peak of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, characterized by an intense sensation of pleasure...
. If the term is used to describe emotional response, the proportion is lower for men, 58%.
Freud thought that no one was born monosexual and that it had to be taught by parents or society though most people appear to believe that monosexuals are in fact the majority and identify as such.
Music critic and analyst
Musical analysis
Musical analysis is the attempt to answer the question how does this music work?. The method employed to answer this question, and indeed exactly what is meant by the question, differs from analyst to analyst, and according to the purpose of the analysis. According to Ian Bent , analysis is "an...
Fred Maus compares the criticism of Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
's works for their use of tonality
Tonality
Tonality is a system of music in which specific hierarchical pitch relationships are based on a key "center", or tonic. The term tonalité originated with Alexandre-Étienne Choron and was borrowed by François-Joseph Fétis in 1840...
and nontonal
Atonality
Atonality in its broadest sense describes music that lacks a tonal center, or key. Atonality in this sense usually describes compositions written from about 1908 to the present day where a hierarchy of pitches focusing on a single, central tone is not used, and the notes of the chromatic scale...
methods unique to each piece to the bias towards monosexuality and against bisexuality (see biphobia
Biphobia
Biphobia is a term used to describe aversion felt toward bisexuality and bisexuals as a social group or as individuals. People of any sexual orientation can experience such feelings of aversion...
).
Controversy
Among those gayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
men and lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
s who are familiar with this term, it is widely considered to be an ideologically loaded word intended to privilege
Privilege (social inequality)
Privilege is a way of framing issues surrounding social inequality, focusing as much on the advantages that one group accrues from society as on the disadvantages that another group experiences.- Group role :...
bisexuality over other sexual orientations. Some in the bisexual community also avoid using the term for this reason.
In the early 1990s a Usenet
Usenet
Usenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It developed from the general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name.Duke University graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979 and it was established in 1980...
flame war raged for many months on the groups soc.bi and soc.motss over whether this term was heterophobic
Heterophobia
Heterophobia describes reverse discrimination based on sexual orientation and implies an irrational fear of, aversion toward, or discrimination againist heterosexual people and institutions...
/ homophobic
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
, or whether it was simply the justified bisexual response to a frequently biphobic gay and lesbian culture.
Alternative definition
The term "monosexuality" has been used to describe the condition of desiring to have sexual intercourse only with one significant otherSignificant other
Significant other is colloquially used as a gender-blind term for a person's partner in an intimate relationship without disclosing or presuming anything about marital status, relationship status, or sexual orientation, as it is vague enough to avoid offense by using a term that an individual...
. By contrast, a polysexual person is someone who desires or fantasizes about sexual relations with more than one partner, whether or not the person actually has such relations. Both monosexuals and polysexuals can be homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual. The important distinction is whether they desire only one partner or more than one. People seem to be born with a genetic predisposition toward monosexuality, polysexuality, or asexuality.