Understanding Androsexual Attraction and Identity

Androsexual describes a person who is drawn to men, masculinity, and male-associated traits, regardless of their own gender. Gay and straight both ask you to define your own gender first and then describe your attraction in relation to it. Androsexual skips that step and names only the object of the attraction, which has made it useful for many people whose own sense of gender is settled, changing, or somewhere outside the binary. The word remains accurate even when a person’s own gender does not remain fixed.

What Androsexual Describes

Androsexual describes attraction to men or masculinity, regardless of the gender of the person experiencing it. The term focuses on the object of attraction rather than the identity of the person who feels it.

That makes it different from many orientation labels, which begin by defining who you are. An androsexual person might be a man attracted to men, a woman attracted to masculine people, a nonbinary person attracted to masculinity, or someone of any other gender.

The attraction may be sexual, romantic, physical, or aesthetic, despite what the “-sexual” ending suggests. What connects these experiences is attraction to masculinity.

For example, a transgender man attracted to other men, a cisgender woman attracted to masculine people, and a genderfluid person attracted to masculinity might all use the same label. The term groups people by what they are drawn to rather than by their own gender.

The Value of Naming Attraction, Not the Self

The value of the term becomes clear when older labels do not quite fit. A nonbinary person attracted to men may not identify with labels such as “gay” or “straight.” At the same time, someone whose understanding of their gender has changed over time may find that those labels no longer feel accurate even if their attraction has remained the same.

Androsexual approaches the question from a different angle. It describes attraction to men or masculinity without requiring a specific gender identity. That makes it useful for people who are certain of their gender, still exploring it, or prefer not to define it at all.

It can also provide language for attraction while larger questions of identity remain unresolved. For people whose attraction to masculinity is the constant, that stability is often part of the appeal.

The Difference From Gay and Straight

Gay and straight are defined in relation to the person using the label. Gay generally refers to attraction to the same gender, while straight refers to attraction to a different gender. In both cases, the meaning depends on the speaker's own gender.

Androsexual works differently. It describes attraction to men or masculinity without reference to the gender of the person experiencing that attraction. Because of that, a gay man, a straight woman, a bisexual person, or a nonbinary person might all find the term useful alongside other labels.

There can be overlap between androsexual and gay, but the terms are not interchangeable. Androsexual describes attraction to men or masculinity across genders, while gay refers to attraction to the same gender. Treating them as identical overlooks the broader range of people the term androsexual can include.

The Term’s Origins

The prefix “andro-” comes from the Greek for “man” or “male,” while the “-sexual” ending refers to attraction. A related term, “androphilia,” meaning attraction to men, has a longer history in the study of human sexuality.

Sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld used an early version of the concept more than a century ago, and psychologist Ron Langevin helped popularize androphilia and gynephilia in the 1980s. Both terms were designed to describe the object of attraction without relying on a person's own gender.

This approach helped address situations where traditional labels created confusion. Describing attraction to men directly was often clearer than trying to classify people through gender-based categories. The community term “androsexual” emerged later in online discussions during the late 1990s and continues to evolve in its use and meaning.

Related Terms and the Pride Flag

Androsexual belongs to a group of terms that describe attraction based on its focus rather than the gender of the person experiencing it. Gynesexual, sometimes written gynosexual, refers to attraction to women, femininity, or both.

Androromantic describes romantic attraction to men or masculinity, while skoliosexual refers to attraction to nonbinary, genderqueer, or trans people. Some people also use the term “masexual” instead of androsexual because they feel it places greater emphasis on masculinity than on maleness.

The androsexual pride flag features three horizontal stripes: sky blue, brown, and lavender. The colors are commonly associated with attraction to men and masculinity, stability and support, and attraction regardless of one’s own gender. The design closely resembles the gynesexual flag, which replaces the blue stripe with a pink one.

Frequent Misconceptions

A few mistakes attach themselves to the word often enough to be worth naming directly.

• One frequent error is reading it as “attracted to men only.” Some androsexual people are, but others respond to masculinity in people of any gender.
• The word points to men and masculinity, not to anatomy. Reading it as a claim about body parts misses what it describes.
• Orientation cannot be read off appearance. Androsexual is no exception there, like any other label.
• Attraction can change, which means the word is not a permanent verdict. A label that fits now can be set down later, and nothing is wrong with that.
• It overlaps with “gay” but is not a synonym. Only one of the two frees the speaker from having to name their own gender first.
• Cisgender people use it too, not only those outside the binary. The word is open to anyone whose attraction points toward masculinity.

Deciding If It Describes You

Androsexual fits if the description does, if what you notice in yourself is a steady pull toward men and masculinity, whatever your own gender happens to be. You can hold it next to another word or let it stand alone.

It can stay private, or you can say it out loud. Using it for a while, then choosing something else, is also fine. Identity words are personal, and no one else can hand you this one or take it away. The only person who needs to agree that it describes you is you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does androsexual mean?

Androsexual describes a person who is attracted to men and masculinity, regardless of their own gender. It names the object of the attraction, which is what sets it apart from labels like gay or straight that begin with the speaker’s own gender.

How do you pronounce androsexual?

It is said an-droh-SEK-shoo-uhl, with the stress on the third part. The prefix “andro-” comes from the Greek word for man or male.

Is androsexual the same as gay?

No. Gay describes attraction to the same gender as your own, which means it depends on knowing your gender first. Androsexual names only the attraction to men and masculinity, which lets people of many genders and orientations use it. The two overlap but are not interchangeable.

Is androsexual the same as bisexual or pansexual?

Not quite, though they can sit together. Bisexual and pansexual describe attraction to more than one gender or to all genders, while androsexual describes attraction to masculinity. A person can be androsexual and also bisexual or pansexual.

What is the difference between androsexual and gynesexual?

Androsexual is attraction to men and masculinity. Gynesexual, also written gynosexual, is attraction to women and femininity. Both name the object of attraction and can apply to a person of any gender.

What is the difference between androsexual and androromantic?

Androsexual points to sexual attraction to men and masculinity, while androromantic points to romantic attraction. Someone can be one, the other, or both, which helps people whose romantic and sexual attractions do not line up.

Can anyone be androsexual?

Yes. People of any gender and any other orientation can be androsexual, because the word describes who a person is drawn to and leaves their own identity open.

Does “androsexual” mean being attracted to men, or to masculinity?

It can mean either. Some androsexual people are drawn only to men, while others are drawn to masculine qualities in a person of any gender. The shared thread is the attraction to masculinity.

What are the androsexual flag colors and what do they mean?

The widely used flag has three stripes. Sky blue stands for attraction to men and masculinity, brown for stability and support, and lavender for attraction regardless of one’s own gender.

Can you be androsexual and asexual?

Yes. A person can be asexual, with little or no sexual attraction, while still being androromantic, meaning romantically drawn to men and masculinity.

How do I know if I’m androsexual?

There is no test. The label fits if the description does, namely a steady attraction to men and masculinity, whatever your own gender. You can use it for now and change your mind later.

What is the opposite of androsexual?

Its counterpart is gynesexual, the attraction to women, females, and femininity. The two are counterparts, one pointing to masculinity and the other to femininity.