LGBT Glossary

Allosexual

Asexual or Allosexual? Judging from what we see in this photo, these people could be both Allosexual and Asexual, we cannot deduct one thing or the other.
Couple. Photo by Brian Crawford. Used under CC BY 2.0/resized and optimized.

Allosexual is a category belonging to sexual orientation (understood in a broad sense, not only to whom it is oriented, but also to how it is) that, by definition, is opposite to the concept of asexuality. An Allosexual person is one who feels sexual attraction to other people and needs sexual interaction with other people, and an asexual would be the opposite.

You might think that the term Asexual would have its opposite in the word “Sexual.” However, this pair of concepts (sexual-asexual) would not express very important nuances to understand what asexuality really is. Asexuality does not imply the lack of sexuality, but the absence of erotic attraction and the need for sexual interaction with other people.

Allosexual is a neologism created with the Greek root Alo- (ἄλλος) that would have the meaning of another. Sex with another person (with someone other than myself). Thus, asexual people can, for example, have sexual fantasies, masturbate and feel pleasure, that is, they have a sex life, but not necessarily with other people. Similarly, asexual people can have emotional relationships, sex with their partners, and kids. We are talking about attraction and need for sexual interaction, not about lacks, deviations, problems, dissatisfaction or, unhappiness.

Allosexual, it is a term that has some similarity with the expression Cisgender, which is created to designate people who are not transgender, thus avoiding the exclusionary concepts of “normal” or “majority.” Therefore, the Allosexual concept serves to be able to speak correctly of people who are not Asexual in the field of the study and diffusion of sexual diversity.