Being skoliosexual means feeling sexual or romantic attraction specifically to people who are non-binary, genderqueer, genderfluid, or otherwise outside the traditional gender binary. It is not defined by the skoliosexual person’s own gender, but by who they are drawn to—those whose gender identity doesn’t fit within strictly male or female categories.
What skoliosexuality means in practice
People who identify as skoliosexual are attracted to individuals whose gender exists beyond the binary. This includes identities like agender, bigender, or androgyne. The attraction is rooted in the person’s gender identity, not their appearance, expression, or body. It reflects a meaningful connection to how someone experiences and moves through the world as non-binary.
Origin and evolution of the term
The term 'skoliosexual' comes from the Greek word 'skolios,' meaning bent or crooked. This etymology has drawn criticism for implying that non-binary identities are deviations from a 'straight' norm. As a result, some have adopted the term 'ceterosexual,' from the Latin 'cetero' meaning 'other,' to describe the same orientation in a way that avoids pathologizing language. While 'skoliosexual' is still used, especially online, the shift reflects a broader effort to use inclusive and respectful terminology.
How it differs from pansexuality and bisexuality
Pansexuality is often described as attraction regardless of gender, where gender plays little or no role. Skoliosexuality is the opposite—gender is central. It is a focused, exclusive attraction to non-binary people, not an attraction that includes them among others. Bisexuality, as broadly understood today, can include attraction to multiple genders, including non-binary people, but does not exclude binary genders. Skoliosexuality specifically excludes attraction to cisgender men and women.
Respectful attraction vs. fetishization
A key concern is the line between genuine orientation and fetishization. Real skoliosexuality involves seeing and respecting the full person, including their identity and lived experience. Fetishization, in contrast, treats non-binary people as exotic or novel, often ignoring their pronouns or emotional needs. Many non-binary individuals report feeling objectified when someone claims to be attracted only to them based on their gender identity, especially if that interest feels clinical or voyeuristic.
Who can identify as skoliosexual?
The label describes the target of attraction, not the gender of the person using it. A cisgender woman, a transgender man, or an agender person could all be skoliosexual. The orientation is about who you are drawn to, not who you are. This challenges traditional frameworks that assume attraction must align with binary identities, and highlights the complexity of human desire in a world expanding beyond old categories.