Sexuality of a human being is his ability to experience erotic feelings towards other human beings. Sexual orientation of an individual is basically of three types namely heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. Majority of people around the world are heterosexual which means they have romantic feelings towards members of the opposite sex and also have sexual intercourse with the opposite sex persons. There is another word Straight that is used to refer to heterosexual people in our society. Many people remain confused between heterosexual and straight. This article attempts to find out if there are any differences between straight and heterosexual.
Heterosexual
Heterosexual is a word that is used to describe the sexual orientation of a man or a woman. It is considered natural for a man or woman to have romantic feelings or sexual desires for other members of the opposite sex. A person is called heterosexual when he or she has physical relationship with a member of the opposite sex. Sexual attraction or erotic feelings towards members of the opposite sex also qualify an individual as a heterosexual.
A heterosexual person is contrasted with people who are homosexual such as gays and lesbians as a heterosexual man will have romantic feelings towards other women whereas a heterosexual woman will have sexual relations with other men only.
Straight
Straight is something that is not crooked or devious. We know what it means as we draw a straight line, refer to a straight forward man and answer, meet a straight man who is not under the influence of drugs, and finally, a person who has sex with members of the opposite sex. In fact, the word has today come to represent people in our society who are heterosexual though it originated in the early 20th century as LGBT slang. Straight as a word became popular in informal conversations to refer to the sexual orientation of a person. The phrase to go straight meant to have sex with the opposite sex, as opposed to gays and lesbians.
What is the difference between Heterosexual and Straight?
• Heterosexual is a scientific word to describe the sexual orientation of an individual whereas straight is an informal word that times was even a slang to refer to heterosexuals.
• If morality is a straight line and engaging in sex with members of one’s own sex is immorality, then heterosexuality is certainly straight.
• People normally do not call themselves straight. It is a term used by gays and lesbians to refer to their heterosexual friends.