Sexual Orientation Identity

Sexual orientation identity is about self-perception — how we choose to understand and express our sexual attraction to others, which may include social and cultural factors. It’s how we do/don’t identify, or choose not to identify, with our sexual orientation. Someone who experiences unwanted sexual attraction may choose to disidentify with a sexual minority identity, which creates a different sexual orientation identity from their actual sexual orientation. Sexual orientation identity, but not sexual orientation, can change through psychotherapy, support groups, and life events. We may come to accept an LGB identity, develop a heterosexual identity, reject an LGB identity while choosing to identify as ex-gay, or refrain from specifying a sexual identity. An example of sexual orientation identity is a gay person who chooses to identify as bisexual when talking about their sexuality with others.