Spectrasexual

Part of: Multisexual / M-spec

Sexual and/or romantic attraction to multiple or varied genders - framed as attraction across a spectrum of genders and sexes, including non-binary and intersex people.

Definition

Sexual and/or romantic attraction to multiple or varied genders - but specifically framed as attraction across a spectrum of genders and sexes, including non-binary people and intersex people. Sometimes used to describe attraction that is broad but not fully pansexual (not necessarily gender-blind).

Flag

Spectrasexual flag

Five horizontal stripes.

Colour codes: Spectrasexual flag
Stripe	HEX	RGB	CMYK	Pantone	Meaning
Black	`#000000`	0,0,0	C:0 M:0 Y:0 K:100	n/a	Asexual spectrum attraction
Dark grey	`#646464`	100,100,100	C:0 M:0 Y:0 K:61	n/a	Variable attraction across the spectrum
Grey	`#999999`	153,153,153	C:0 M:0 Y:0 K:40	n/a	Fluid attraction
White	`#FFFFFF`	255,255,255	C:0 M:0 Y:0 K:0	n/a	All gender identities
Green	`#009B55`	0,155,85	C:100 M:0 Y:45 K:39	n/a	Non-binary and gender-expansive attraction

Full flag history →

Etymology

Latin spectrum (range, appearance) + sexual. The LGBTQIA+ Wiki records the earliest known use on 16 August 2006; the word spread through online LGBTQIA+ communities in the 2010s.

History

Spread through Tumblr and online plurisexual community spaces in the 2010s as part of the proliferation of M-spec (multi-gender-attracted) identity vocabulary. Placed within the M-spec/plurisexual family alongside bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, and polysexual.

Spectrasexual circulated on Tumblr and adjacent plurisexual community blogs in the mid-2010s. The earliest known use dates from 2006, but no coiner or coining post has been identified, and no source beyond general LGBTQIA+ glossaries documents where it came from.

Common myths

"Spectrasexual is just bisexual." Spectrasexual specifically frames attraction as crossing a spectrum of genders and sexes - including intersex people and all non-binary genders.
"All these M-spec terms are unnecessary." Different M-spec labels capture meaningfully different relationships to gender in attraction.