'Orchidsexual' explained as more people are coming out

It is widely accepted in contemporary research that sexual orientation is not strictly binary and exists on a spectrum.

With this belief, new terms help describe how people identify and who they’re attracted to, if anyone at all. From pansexual and asexual to graysexual and androsexual, the sexuality spectrum encompasses dozens of identities that describe the nuanced ways people experience, or do not experience, sexual attraction.

A lot of the time, these words are used to help give people the language to express themselves and their identity, or feelings that have existed for lifetimes without having a name.

So as the world evolves and research and social understanding grow alongside it, new terms emerge, including one you may have heard before that hasn’t been officially recognized just yet - orchidsexual.

It's said to be named after the orchid flower (Getty Stock Images)

What is orchidsexual?

A label that has been gaining understanding in LGBTQIA+ communities is orchidsexual. It’s a microlabel created by FANDOM user Ringotheman in 2021 and it can be traced back to its Wiki page.

The term is quickly making waves, and according to the page, which is not an official psychological resource, orchidsexual exists on the asexual spectrum.

It describes when a person feels sexual attraction for a person, but does not have any desire to act on those desires to have a sexual encounter or relationship with the person.

“Someone who identifies as orchidsexual may consider others to be sexually attractive, but they lack the desire to have, or dislike having, sexual experience and may be sex-averse or repulsed,” the page explains.

Orchidsexual people may feel sexual attraction (Getty Stock Images)

Orchidsexuality describes individuals who experience sexual attraction but do not feel a desire to engage in sexual activity.

Unlike situational abstinence, which may be rooted in celibacy because of personal or religious beliefs, feelings of sex-repulsion, body or gender dysphoria, confidence issues, or fear of getting into trouble, this lack of desire is not a conscious choice or reaction to external factors. Instead, it is understood as an intrinsic part of their sexual orientation.

Does orchidsexuality have a flag?

The flag was created by Ringotheman that includes the colors pink (to represent attraction), gray (representing the asexual spectrum), purple (as a symbol for sexual relationships), and black (symbolising the lack of desire).

It also depicts an orchid flower in the center. The orchid was chosen because the flowers are typically used as a symbol of love, sex and fertility, which is a juxtoposition for what the term orchidsexuality describes.

The orchidsexual flag (Ringotheman)

The orchidsexual debate

Some people argue that if someone experiences sexual attraction, they may not actually be on the asexual spectrum.

The Wiki page describes the tension between the orchidsexual label and whether it exists within the asexual spectrum.

“It is debated whether or not orchidssexuality should be considered under the asexual umbrella, or if it is technically better categorized as an allosexual microlabel,” it says.

On an asexuality forum on Reddit, users spoke about the existence of the orchidsexual label.

“I just don't see how orchidsexuality isn't different than celibacy and don't get it at all,” one person wrote.

However, one Redditor replied: “I don't understand fully a lot of the mircolabels. My feelings, if it is something that works for you and you find is useful to define who you are, great! If you are okay with a broader term, that is also great! We are humans, and humans are complex. We don't always have to fit 100% into a certain box, and that is okay.”

Other Reddit users reasoned that the label is actually a microlabel for people who do experience sexual attraction, referred to as allosexual, as opposed to a microlabel for asexual people.

“I was similarly confused at first until someone pointed out that Orchid is really a micro label for Allos,” another Reddit commenter said, urging for understanding and inclusion. “But because Orchids also have a very non-standard relationship with attraction, the Aces [asexuals] welcome them into the community as we understand that alienation and isolation.”