Sexual orientation is the preferred term used when referring to an individual's physical and/or emotional attraction to the same sex and/or the opposite sex. Heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual, and pansexual are all sexual orientations. An individual's gender identity and expression are distinct from their sexual orientation. Throughout life, as the individual explores the world around them, they are shaped by the unique experiences and influences imparted upon them. All people experience life subjectively, so there is no monolithic way of viewing or defining one's sexual identity, however, there are particular experiences that can shape and develop specific characteristics or tendencies that a group of people may share. Andrew Sullivan addresses this very issue in his 1995 book, Virtually Normal: An Argument about Homosexuality. In the prologue, entitled “What is a homosexual?” Sullivan reflects on what exactly makes up a homosexual life and why certain environmental factors are fundamental and exclusive to the homosexual experience. He views self-control/submission as a crucial part of all human experience, however, he views the homosexual (more broadly, LGBTQ) experience as unique in that they learn early on to make sexual/emotional distinctions out of need for survival. They learn to function within the parameters of certain social rules to blend in and eventually this becomes a sort of second nature that is hard to break. In adolescent development, socially constructed stigmas often hinder the progress of self-expression, there is an idealistic idea and commonly harsh shame that is enforced through Western social normativeness. As such, there is an inherent fear that is fueled (at least initially) by many young...... middle of paper......living, therefore marginalized and even demonized. While there has undeniably been a greater sense of acceptance towards homosexuals in recent times, there are certainly generalizations that tend to hinder the overall perspective on identity. The issue of sexual identity and gender has recently been brought to the forefront of social discourse, largely thanks to increased activism from the LGBTQ community and countless progressive institutions. Through the recognition of the gender binary one can see that there is a range of preferences for being and behaving. Rather than having to follow traditional roles, people should be able to be masculine, feminine, androgynous, aggressive, vulnerable or indifferent. The issue is not necessarily diversity, but rather openness to the possibilities of gender and the freedom to unashamedly experiment and explore the facets of one's individual expression.