When a Reddit user asked the members of r/bisexual whether anyone else was ‘ridiculously attracted to’ androgynous people, they received a huge flurry of responses.
‘I just had a serious AH-HA! moment,’ wrote one commenter. ‘This is exactly what I’m into and I never realised.’
Another added: ‘Dude yes. So much… You’re definitely not alone there.’
Over the years, numerous posts have cropped up from people wondering what to call this specific orientation — with many finding that androgynosexual is the term they most closely relate to.
And according to a new report by dating app Feeld, it was the fastest-growing sexuality of 2024, with use of the label up by over 250%.
So what is androgynosexuality, and why is it seemingly on the rise?
The LGBTQIA+ Wiki defines an androgynosexual (which may also be spelled androgynesexual) as ‘a person who has sexual attraction exclusively towards androgynous individuals or androgynes.’
Like linsexual, it can also refer to ‘someone who is attracted to both men and women, particularly those with an androgynous appearance.’
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Androgyny – a combination of the Ancient Greek ‘andro’, meaning man, and ‘gyne’, meaning woman – describes the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics.
Although androgynosexual attraction can encompass identities like bigender, gender neutral, and non-binary, ‘the exact limits of what is “androgynous in nature” can be decided by the user.’
As with any orientation, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ policy, and you can distinguish yourself with whatever term you think suits. Some find it easier to use broader descriptors like queer, bi or pan, while others prefer to communicate their specific preference — it’s really up to you.
This open-minded, liberated approach to relationships may actually be part of why androgynosexuality is rising in popularity.
Dr Luke Brunning, lecturers in Applied Ethics at the University of Leeds, comments: ‘We desire what is visible, so greater acceptance of non-binary, transgender, and gender non-conforming people may also increase the representation of androgyny, which may in turn shape sexual preferences.’
Additionally, in Feeld’s research, LGBTQ+ rights was the fastest-growing interest among Gen Z. And given more than three times as many Gen Zs identify as LGBTQ+ than boomers and Gen X, there could be a generational element at play, where young people are exploring their sexualities and working out how best to define themselves.
‘As names become available, people are better able to recognise, understand and articulate their desires,’ adds Dr Brunning.
‘Sexual attraction to androgynous or gender-ambiguous people may have been common but is now more visible, and communicable, due to the term “androgynosexual”.’
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