A sexual minority is a group whose sexual identity, orientation or practices differ from the majority of the surrounding society. The term was coined (most likely in the late 1960s or early 1970s) by analogy to ethnic minority. Sexual identity is the sex with which a person identifies, or is identified. ... Sexual orientation refers to the direction of an individuals sexuality, normally conceived of as falling into several significant categories based around the sex or gender that the individual finds attractive. ... This article is about sexual practices (i. ... This article is about the concept of a minority. ...

Initially the term referred primarily to Lesbians and Gays. It has come to include Bisexuals and transgender people. These four categories (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) are often grouped together under the rubric LGBT. A lesbian is a woman who is romantically and sexually attracted only to other women. ... GAY can mean: Gay, a term referring to homosexual men or women The IATA code for Gaya Airport Category: ... In human sexuality, bisexuality describes a man or woman having a sexual orientation to persons of either or both sexes (a man or woman who sexually likes both sexes; people who are sexually and/or romantically attracted to both males and females). ... Transgenderism is a social movement seeking transgender rights and affirming transgender pride. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Others referred to as "sexual minorities" include fetishists and practitioners of Bondage & Discipline, Domination & Submission, and/or Sadomasochism (collectively referred to as BDSM). The term may also include people who may be strictly heterosexual and whose choice of actual sex acts may be vanilla, but whose choice of partner or partners is unusual, such as swingers, polyamorists or people in other nonmonogamous relationships, or people who strongly prefer sex partners of a disparate age. The basic idea of sexual fetishism is sexual arousal and satisfaction through an inanimate object, the fetish. ... A model in bondage cuffs with a leg spreader In the context of BDSM, bondage involves people being tied up or otherwise restrained for pleasure. ... Discipline is the use of rules and punishment to control overt behaviour in BDSM. Punishment can be pain caused physically (such as caning), humiliation caused psychologically (such as a public flagellation) or loss of freedom caused physically (such as chaining the controlee to the foot of a bed, for snoring). ... Domination and submission (also known as Dominance and submission, D&s, Ds or D/s) is a set of psychosexual behaviors, customs and rituals relating to the dominance of one individual over another. ... Flogging demonstration at Folsom Street Fair 2004. ... A collar is a common symbol in BDSM. Female bottom in bondage with leather monoglove BDSM is any of a number of related patterns of human sexual behavior. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Swinging, sometimes referred to as the swinging lifestyle, is non-monogamous sexual activity, treated much like any other social activity, that can be experienced as a couple. ... Start of polyamory contingent at San Francisco Pride 2004. ... Nonmonogamy is a blanket term covering several different types of interpersonal relationship in which some or all participants have multiple marital, sexual, and/or romantic partners. ... Sugar Daddy redirects here. ...

Usually, the term sexual minority is applied only to groups who practice consensual sex: for example, it would be unusual to refer to rapists as a sexual minority, but the term would generally include someone whose sexuality gave a major, fetishized role to consensual playing out of a rape fantasy. Also, someone who very occasionally incorporates of kink or same-sex activity into a largely vanilla, heterosexual sex life would not usually be described as a sexual minority. Informed consent is a legal condition whereby a person can be said to have given consent based upon an appreciation and understanding of the facts and implications of an action. ... It has been suggested that Rapists be merged into this article or section. ... A rape fantasy is a sexual fantasy about participating in a rape, a fictional story about a rape, or an acted-out scene of pretend rape between consenting adults. ... Kink is a term used to refer to a broad range of sexual practices such as spanking, bondage, domination and submission, sadomasochism and sexual fetishism. ...

Controversy

Some LGBT people object to using the term "sexual minorities" in relation to them, and prefer the term LGBT. Reasons for these objections may vary. For example, some LGBT people feel that the term "sexual minorities" needlessly reminds them about discrimination and about being a minority. They don't want to be a distinct "minority", but an integral and respectable part of the society. Some other LGBT people dislike the term "sexual minority" for being too inclusive, including swingers, polyamorists, BDSM people and other perceived "sexual strangers". These LGBT people want to make a larger distance between these sexual practices and bisexuality/homosexuality/transgender.

Some transsexual or transgender people dislike the term "sexual minority" for yet another reason. They argue that the phenomenon of transsexuality or transgender has nothing to do with sex, sexual practices or sexual orientation, but relates to the gender, gender dysphoria and gender-variant behavior or feelings. So they feel it is incorrect to classify them as "sexual minority", when, in fact, they are gender-variant minority. A transsexual (sometimes transexual) person establishes a permanent identity with the opposite gender to their assigned (usually at birth) sex. ... Transgender (IPA: , from trans (Latin) and gender (English) ) is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies that diverge from the normative gender role (woman or man) commonly, but not always, assigned at birth, as well as the role traditionally held by society. ... Sexual orientation refers to the direction of an individuals sexuality, normally conceived of as falling into several significant categories based around the sex or gender that the individual finds attractive. ... Gender in common usage refers to the sexual distinction between male and female. ...

Some conservative groups oppose the use of the term "sexual minority" for completely different reason. They think or feel that the term "sexual minority" inherently implies some degree of legalisation or protection for those engaged in such sexual practices, much like ethnic minorities are protected from being discriminated or persecuted in modern democratic countries. These groups prefer to call people, who belong to sexual minorities, deviant or pervert. This article deals with conservatism as a political philosophy. ... Deviant behavior is behavior that is a recognized violation of cultural norms. ... Wiktionary defines Pervert as One who has been perverted; one who has turned to error. ...