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Does sexuality just apply to humans or all living things?

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Mellonhead
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Does sexuality just apply to humans or all living things?

Unread post by Mellonhead »

What is required to have a sexuality? Sentience? Ability of self-awareness? Multicellularity? From a biological standpoint, do all organisms have a sexuality? Do plants have one? Angiosperms may spread their seeds by wind or by animal. Does that count as "sexuality"?
Sam W
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Re: Does sexuality just apply to humans or all living things

Unread post by Sam W »

When you say sexuality, do you mean something closer to sexual orientation? Or do you mean just "engaging in behavior that is sexual"?
And you to whom adversity has dealt the final blow/with smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go/turn to and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain/and like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again.
Mellonhead
not a newbie
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun May 10, 2015 6:03 pm
Age: 33
Awesomeness Quotient: I am a human being.
Primary language: American English
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Sexual identity: Not interested.
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Re: Does sexuality just apply to humans or all living things

Unread post by Mellonhead »

Sam W wrote:When you say sexuality, do you mean something closer to sexual orientation? Or do you mean just "engaging in behavior that is sexual"?
Wait a minute. The meaning varies? I thought I was going under the assumption of what I read on that Scarleteen article about sexuality. Now that you've mentioned it, I can totally see how the answer would vary too.

Thanks for your response.
Sam W
previous staff/volunteer
Posts: 10320
Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2014 9:06 am
Age: 33
Awesomeness Quotient: I raise carnivorous plants
Primary language: english
Pronouns: she/her
Sexual identity: queer
Location: Coast

Re: Does sexuality just apply to humans or all living things

Unread post by Sam W »

Most of us use sexuality as shorthand for sexual orientation, but not everyone does, so I wanted to clarify what definition you were using
And you to whom adversity has dealt the final blow/with smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go/turn to and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain/and like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again.
Mellonhead
not a newbie
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun May 10, 2015 6:03 pm
Age: 33
Awesomeness Quotient: I am a human being.
Primary language: American English
Pronouns: Keep guessing.
Sexual identity: Not interested.
Location: Earth

Re: Does sexuality just apply to humans or all living things

Unread post by Mellonhead »

Sam W wrote:When you say sexuality, do you mean something closer to sexual orientation? Or do you mean just "engaging in behavior that is sexual"?
Assuming the latter definition, would my assisting in the self-pollination of a fast-growing mustard plant be an expression of my sexuality or the plant's? I am asking this seriously, as it is based on a true event. I was literally helping the plant to self-pollinate. The male and female parts were part of the same individual, but an individual of a different species was facilitating the sex act intentionally.
Heather
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Re: Does sexuality just apply to humans or all living things

Unread post by Heather »

Just to be clear, sexuality is absolutely more than sexual orientation. It sounds like you've already seen this one, but in case you haven't: Sexuality: WTF Is It, Anyway?

Sexuality is WAY more than reproduction, and for humans (and, as you already know, some animals), more often than not it's not about reproduction at all. This question about your gardening is...well, I don't really know what to do with it save to say that unless you have feelings of sexual desire or excitement when you're doing that, it probably has zip to do with sexuality at all.

And just to be clear, our business here is the business of human sexuality. That's what we do, what we're equipped to ably discuss, and what we ask users here to focus on in discussions.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead
Mellonhead
not a newbie
Posts: 40
Joined: Sun May 10, 2015 6:03 pm
Age: 33
Awesomeness Quotient: I am a human being.
Primary language: American English
Pronouns: Keep guessing.
Sexual identity: Not interested.
Location: Earth

Re: Does sexuality just apply to humans or all living things

Unread post by Mellonhead »

Heather wrote:Sexuality is WAY more than reproduction, and for humans (and, as you already know, some animals), more often than not it's not about reproduction at all. This question about your gardening is...well, I don't really know what to do with it save to say that unless you have feelings of sexual desire or excitement when you're doing that, it probably has zip to do with sexuality at all.

And just to be clear, our business here is the business of human sexuality. That's what we do, what we're equipped to ably discuss, and what we ask users here to focus on in discussions.
Okay. I am going to focus on human sexuality.

As I was assisting in the self-pollination of the fast-growing mustard plant, would I be expressing my sexuality if I imagined myself as a mustard plant and became excited at the opportunity to fertilize and to be fertilized, using animal vectors? Seriously, the biology class that enabled us to grow the plants got me thinking about human reproduction the whole time. I wished that touching the pollen with my finger and sucking on my finger would make me pregnant, but that was just a sexual fantasy that would probably not become reality due to several reproductive barriers. This may be the most weirdest sexual fantasy, but that was exactly what I imagined myself doing in that biology class. Though, I wasn't really thinking of the outcome of having half-human/half-plant progeny or whether that would ever be viable.
Heather
scarleteen founder & director
Posts: 9687
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2014 11:43 am
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Location: Chicago

Re: Does sexuality just apply to humans or all living things

Unread post by Heather »

That's only for you to say for yourself! :)

But I would say that if you thought so, I assure you, people feeling sexual excitement about interaction with the natural world really is not so unusual. You might want to look into concepts of ecosexuality if that's of interest to you.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead
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