Andro- from Greek andros (man) + sexual; Gyne- from Greek gynē (woman) + sexual.
Conventional orientation labels like "gay," "straight," or "lesbian" are defined relative to both the attracted person's gender and their attraction target. For non-binary people, these labels can be awkward or inaccurate. Androsexual and gynesexual describe only the target of attraction, not its relationship to the attracted person's own gender - making them particularly useful in non-binary contexts.
Common myths
"Androsexual and gynesexual are just complicated ways of saying straight or gay." For binary-gendered people they may overlap with straight/gay, but for non-binary people they are genuinely distinct - describing target without implying anything about the attracted person's own gender.
"These terms are unnecessary." For non-binary people, "gay" and "straight" carry binary gender assumptions that don't apply to their experience. These terms fill a real gap.
