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Sexual Orientation vs Sexual Preference

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Jared, Oct 9, 2012.

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Sexual Orientation or Sexual Preference

  1. Sexual Orientation

    100 vote(s)
    95.2%

  2. Sexual Prefernece

    5 vote(s)
    4.8%
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  1. Jared

    Jared
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    Which term do you like better? Personally I don't like it when people say sexual preference, to me it implies that they think it's a choice.
     
    #1 Jared, Oct 9, 2012
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2012
  2. IllusiveRannoch

    IllusiveRannoch
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    i like orientation better. there's more science behind it than preference.
     
    #2 IllusiveRannoch, Oct 9, 2012
  3. O_Negative

    O_Negative
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    In my head, orientation = what you are attracted to sexually, physically, and mentally/emotionally. Preference is what you lean towards more, whether you are attracted to others or not.
     
    #3 O_Negative, Oct 9, 2012
  4. MichaelB

    MichaelB
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    Sexual Orientation for the same reasons you listed. :slight_smile:
     
    #4 MichaelB, Oct 9, 2012
  5. RainDreamer

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    Well depends on context. If you are talking about fetishes, then preference is more correct. But if you talking about to who you can only have desire too, then it is orientation.
     
    #5 RainDreamer, Oct 9, 2012
  6. Ticklish Fish

    Ticklish Fish
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    imho
    sex ori- which gender(s) you want to be with
    sex pref- how you want you do it :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
     
    #6 Ticklish Fish, Oct 9, 2012
  7. awesomeyodais

    awesomeyodais
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    Gender:
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    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    I voted "orientation" since I'm 100% (so far anyway) attracted to guys and it's not a choice I made. I can see bi-sexual people voting "preference" tho...
     
    #7 awesomeyodais, Oct 9, 2012
  8. SkyDiver

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    I definately don't prefer guys over girls. I'm not attracted to girls that way at all.
     
    #8 SkyDiver, Oct 9, 2012
  9. BradThePug

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    I think that preference make it sound like this is something that we choose, so I voted orientation.
     
    #9 BradThePug, Oct 9, 2012
  10. IanGallagher

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    Sexual orientation - bisexual, or possibly polysexual depends on the person lol. BUT sexual preference - girls. I just see them as two different things really...
     
    #10 IanGallagher, Oct 9, 2012
  11. Chip

    Chip
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    The terms are actually different. In a handful of cases, such as some people who have been sexually abused, they may have attractions that aren't in keeping with what their hardwired orientation is, and those attractions are identified by some in the field as sexual preference, because it is just that... a preference and not an orientation. But the underlying feelings, which comprise the orientation, are always still there.

    So if you're talking about what we commonly talk about at EC, the hardwired attraction to another sex, that would be sexual orientation.
     
    #11 Chip, Oct 9, 2012
  12. Fiddledeedee

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    My sexual orientation is about who I'm fundamentally attracted to -- girls and guys and possibly others. My sexual preferences would be related to how I like having sex, what I look for in someone, etc., and I don't know what they are.
     
    #12 Fiddledeedee, Oct 9, 2012
  13. Linthras

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    This. Gay men do not prefer men over women, they only like men.
     
    #13 Linthras, Oct 9, 2012
  14. Night Rain

    Night Rain
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    I have always thought that sexual orientation means gay/straight/etc. and sexual preference means male/female/pan/white/masculine/feminine/ or whatever you like.
     
    #14 Night Rain, Oct 9, 2012
  15. Linthras

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    Pansexuality is a sexual orientation.
     
    #15 Linthras, Oct 9, 2012
  16. Pret Allez

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    My sexual orientation is multisexual. My sexual preference is often.
     
    #16 Pret Allez, Oct 9, 2012
  17. Jinkies

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    I chose orientation because it sounds more fancy.
     
    #17 Jinkies, Oct 9, 2012
  18. Night Rain

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    It also means that you are attracted to all sexual identities, which sounds like preference to me.

    OK, it's a little confusing... It'd be something like this:

    I'm gay so:

    Orientation: gay
    Preference: male (not necessarily gay here :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:)

    Wait, so for pansexuality, the orientation would be "pansexual" and the preference is "everything"... OK.
     
    #18 Night Rain, Oct 9, 2012
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2012
  19. Lewis

    Lewis
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    Orientation, I don't have a preference. I don't prefer men over women, I'm simply attracted to men only.
     
    #19 Lewis, Oct 9, 2012
  20. TheUndiscovered

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    Preference is definitely sounds like a choice more than something you're born with. Food is a preference. A type of car or a favorite sports team is a preference but sexual orientation has nothing to do with personal choices.
     
    #20 TheUndiscovered, Oct 9, 2012
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