Navigating the Ever-Evolving Landscape of Sexual Identity

Hinge’s Categories got me lost when all I aspire to was peace… and sex!

Disclaimer : I believe this article has valuable arguments, however, it’s also a humoristic piece, so please understand that my heart means well. I hope that, whoever you are, you won’t feel offended by my words; a lot of this is me processing to understand and I’d love to encourage an open dialogue towards a greater compassion and tolerance for all.

Screenshot of the Google page’s result for ‘what are the different types of sexuality’ — captured by the author

Not long ago, I changed my phone number and though I vouched not to do online dating again, I got bored which eventually led me to create a new profile on Hinge. Last time I did so was four years ago. As I recreated my dating profile from scratch, I filled in again my basics (height: 5’5, age: 39, and so on), my ‘relationship goals’ (scoring a man for more than a few weeks would be a high win at this point!) and also sexuality type. I didn’t anticipate this latest category to give me trouble… and yet!

Last time I registered my profile on the app, I don’t remember more than a few basic options — like straight, gay or bi. If there was any possibly-confusing term in someone’s bio, it might have been ‘sapiosexual’, which I quickly learnt meant to be attracted by someone’s brain, more than their physical appearance or gender. A term that…