Sexuality - LGBTQ+

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Your sexuality is personal to you, and you may not feel it necessarily fits into a box or category. Some people identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual, whereas others feel that no specific label applies to them and how you identify can also change over time.

Sexuality is the way to describe your preferences for romantic and/or sexual partners.

Sexuality is different to gender identity. A transgender person is someone whose gender identity does not necessarily match the gender they were assigned with at birth. These people may choose to live as a man, a woman, or as non-binary. Again, some people don't feel that any label in particular describes them, and their identity can be fluid and changing.

A person who identifies as 'trans' has the same capacity to be fluid or fixed with their sexuality as someone who isn't trans. People who are not trans are often referred to as 'cis' gendered, meaning they identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. People can also be born intersex, who are individuals born with any of several underlying genetic conditions that cause abnormal development of sex characteristics.

People in these groups are broadly referred to under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

Support

If you face problems such as acceptance from your family or bullying, Stonewall is a charity that supports LGBT+ people, with advice on coming out.

Pride

Will you join us at Pride?

Stonewall will be at 22 Pride events across Britain this summer. That's more than ever before, reaching far across the country, because we want to meet as many people as we can.

Over the Pride season we want to celebrate all the people who've been #ByYourSide through good times and bad.

Find your local Pride

London Friend and Galop also provide help, and there are lots of social groups for the LGBT community in central London.

Sexual health

Terrance Higgins Trust Information about HIV, other sexually transmitted infections and how to maintain good sexual health.

Page last reviewed: 06/06/2024

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