What Does It Mean To Be A Biromantic Heterosexual?

While some people have a romantic orientation that is the same as their sexual orientation, this is not always the case. There are a variety of different sexual and romantic orientations, and there can be many different combinations of the two, and for some people, they may not be identical. So, one example could be someone who identifies as biromantic and heterosexual. In this article, we’ll break down what exactly this means.

What does “biromantic” mean?

While many people may be most familiar with three sexual orientations (homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual), the sexuality spectrum is large, diverse, and contains many more possibilities than these three. 

The term “biromantic” describes someone who experiences romantic feelings for people of multiple genders. Romantic feelings are feelings rooted in romance and emotion. Romantic attraction also involves the desire to create a close, intimate relationship with someone and the desire to turn to a specific person when in need of love, comfort, and acceptance. Romantic attraction is what can be at play a person wants to develop a long-term romantic relationship with someone.

For many, romantic attraction lies along the same line as their sexual attraction, but this is not always the case. Someone could be biromantic and have romantic feelings for people of multiple genders, but they may or may not have sexual attraction to those genders as well. For instance, someone could biromantic and heterosexual, biromantic and homosexual, biromantic and bisexual, etc.

Romantic attraction versus sexual attraction

Although romantic attraction and sexual attraction are often conflated, the two are different in how they are expressed and their effect on a person. If you are sexually attracted to someone, you are interested in having sex with that person. Conversely, a romantic attraction is an attraction involving emotion. Usually, your romantic attraction yields feelings of love, devotion, or affection. 

For some people, their romantic attraction and sexual attraction are identical; for example, someone could be both romantically and sexually attracted only to their own gender. Still, the two do not necessarily need to live in tandem for many others. For example, someone might identify as biromantic while being firmly heterosexual. 

What avenues of sexuality does “heterosexual” cover?

Within the orientation of “heterosexual,” other aspects of the sexuality spectrum can be at play here too. Someone may be heterosexual, but biromantic, just as someone can be both heterosexual and aromantic, or uninterested in pursuing a romantic relationship. 

Heterosexuality can also be paired with heteroromantic, meaning that someone is only attracted to the “opposite” binary gender for both sex and romantic relationships. However, someone who identifies as heterosexual could also identify as homoromantic and experience romantic attraction to individuals of the same gender. This is known as a “cross-orientation,” or “mixed-orientation,” as it contains two opposing forms of attraction within the same body.

Understanding sexuality and attraction as existing on a broad spectrum can be important because it demonstrates the enormous diversity present in relationships. Understanding diversity can relieve much of the stigma surrounding sexual and romantic orientations and how they are expressed, and it can allow people of all orientations and genders to come to their unique expressions of themselves without fear, limitation, or confusion.

Biromantic heterosexual versus heteroromantic bisexual

Although the two may initially be easy to confuse, the orientations of “biromantic heterosexual” and “heteroromantic bisexual” are quite different. An individual who identifies as a biromantic heterosexual feels sexual attraction only to the “opposite” binary gender but might experience romantic attraction to two or more genders. 

Conversely, someone who identifies as heteroromantic only experiences romantic attraction to individuals of the “opposite” binary gender. If a woman is heteroromantic, for instance, she will only experience romantic attraction to men. If a man is heteroromantic, he will only experience attraction to women. However, a heteroromantic bisexual woman may only experience romantic attraction to men but can experience sexual attraction to people of two or more genders.

Have questions? Help is available

Although you do not have to perfectly understand your sexuality or discover the exact label that describes what you feel romantically and sexually, for some people, it can be liberating to determine labels for what you feel and experience, particularly if you feel isolated or alone in your experiences. Cultivating a gender, romantic, and sexual identity is not a prerequisite for a happy or fulfilled life. Still, some people find that it can help them cultivate a greater sense of self-awareness and community and help them navigate their dating and romantic life with greater confidence and comfort.

Having a sexual orientation that is less common can bring with it a range of unique stressors. Experts recognize that people with sexual minority status can face various types of stigma, discrimination, and other stressors that, as the American Psychological Association notes, “can result in reduced psychological well-being.”

Some of these adverse effects, such as depression and anxiety, may make it feel difficult to leave the house and seek help. This is where online therapy may be helpful. With online therapy, you can meet with a therapist wherever you have internet—including the comfort of home. 

And, a growing body of research has demonstrated the effectiveness of online therapy for a range of psychiatric disorders including depression, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety, and more. 

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Takeaway

Some people may have a romantic orientation that is not identical to their sexual orientation. For someone who identifies as biromantic heterosexual, this means that they are romantically attracted to people of multiple genders, and they are sexually attracted to the “opposite” binary gender. Sexuality can be complex and can bring up a lot of questions; if you’d like further support, an online therapist can help.