What Does It Mean To Be Polysexual? 4 Common Signs & Other FAQs

Finding words to describe your sexuality can be incredibly freeing and reassuring. Have you wondered if you might be polysexual? Or are you trying to understand what it means for a friend or loved one when they say that they're polysexual? If so, this guide can help you dig deeper into the world of polysexuality.

"Like any conversation with anyone about a label they may choose to describe their experience, it is best to ask that person what that label means to them and not assume their experience," recommends therapist Christa McCrorie, LICSW-PIP.

People of many kinds of gender turn your head when you walk down the street or when you're at a party. Your list of celebrity crushes covers a range of genders.

Perhaps you've never had a boyfriend despite crushes on men or never had a girlfriend despite crushes on women. When you think about this fact, you feel like you haven't fully explored all the depths of your sexuality. You hope that the next person you're with might be a chance for you to explore what it feels like to acknowledge the rest of your sexual identity.

When you're telling your friends about your ideal match, the gender of the person isn't really fixed. Sometimes you imagine a man, sometimes you imagine a woman, and sometimes you just think about what qualities you'd like that person to have.

Perhaps other people have tried to describe your sexuality as bisexual or pansexual, and it's left you feeling a little cold? When you read or hear about bisexuality or pansexuality, you can empathize with some of it, but you feel that they're both not quite right in capturing exactly how you feel—perhaps because unlike a pansexual person, there are one or more genders that you're not attracted to.

Bisexual, pansexual, and polysexual are all examples of non-monosexual identities (monosexual referring to attraction to just one gender, as opposed to attraction to more than one gender). The term "bi+" is often used as an "umbrella term" that covers all non-monosexual sexualities, such as pansexuality and polysexuality.

"Polyamory is the practice of and openness for being in intimate/romantic relationships with different partners at once, whereas polysexual is a sexual attraction to many but not all genders," says Jose Ramirez, LMHC, a therapist with The Psychology Group. "Polysexuals are not necessarily interested in polyamory, and people who practice polyamory do not all identify as polysexual."

People who are polysexual may be extra sensitive to suggestions that they're not to be trusted, due to these societal messages that they receive about people under the bi+ umbrella. Be mindful of this context and give your partner a secure space to vent about their frustrations.

Additionally, speak up if you hear people spreading myths about the promiscuity of polysexual and other non-monosexual people.

Labeling our sexualities can be incredibly helpful in identifying other people to start building community based on common life experiences, although some people also feel discomfort with publicly claiming a label. If you think that polysexuality might describe you, then you can always test out how it feels to start using the label. Nothing and no one can stop you if you end up feeling that it's not quite right, or if you feel that you need to add another label on top to further clarify your feelings.