People on Reddit are calling themselves “berris**ual,” so here’s what that means.
New words are still being made up in gay online forums to describe all kinds of desire.
For a lot of people, finding a name that describes their experience can be a relief, like finding a missing piece of a puzzle.
One of those words, “berris**ual,” has become more popular lately.
Berris**ual is still not very well known compared to terms like bis**ual or pans**ual, but it is steadily becoming more popular on sites like Reddit, Tumblr, and L*BTQ+ wikis, where people are celebrating the name and what it means.
People on Reddit have talked about the identification with both amusement and pride. A member on r/bis**ual joked about what the “berris**ual flag as a person” may look like in one post. They added pride emojis to the amusing description.
People have been more open about how excited they are in r/lgbt.
“Berris**ual representation!” said one user. Another added, “Many people don’t know about berris**ual, and we need more representation!”
If you don’t feel that the usual terms like “bis**ual” or “omnis**ual” fit your experience, having a fresh word that does might be empowering.
Other forums also talk about the feeling of being recognised. In r/omnis**ual, one person said they had a hard time choosing between being omnis**ual or neptunic, but then they decided that berris**ual was more realistic.
They wrote, “Now I don’t have to choose because berri fits like a glove.”
Another person said that even though they identify as berris**ual, they sometimes tell people they are omnis**ual since it is easier to explain.
The label has also become popular on other sites.
“A berris**ual is someone who is attracted to women and feminine genders and androgynous genders, but very rarely attracted to men and masculine genders,” according to one of the earliest crowdsourced definitions on the Urban Dictionary.
On Tumblr, some have added to this by saying that the word fits persons who are “usually only attracted to women/feminine-aligned genders and nonbinary/androgynous-aligned genders, but sometimes feel little attraction to men/masculine-aligned genders.”
The main point across all sources is the same: people of all genders can be attracted to each other, although attraction to men or masculine persons is usually lighter, less frequent, or secondary.
Since the concept is relatively new, people are confused and curious about what it means.
There have already been concerns on L*BTQ+ sites regarding whether or not berris**uals can date men or if the name completely excludes them.
But the community’s answer is clear: yes, they can.
A contributor to the L*BTQIA+ Fandom site said, “Berris**uality is about being attracted to all genders…you can always date a man.” The term doesn’t mean closing doors; it means making the texture and direction of attraction clearer.
For a lot of people, terms like bi, pan, or omnis**ual work just well. But for some people, those words could seem overly vague or wide.
People can talk about their s**ual orientation in ways that feel real, distinct, and positive with microlabels like Berris**ual.
Having a word that says, “Yes, I’m open to being attracted to anyone, but I mostly feel that way about women and nonbinary people,” can make it easier to communicate that nuance over and over again.
It can also help people connect with others who feel attracted to the same things.
So, what does the word “berris**ual” really mean? Berris**uality, also known as Laurian, is like pans**uality or omnis**uality in that it means that someone can be attracted to people of all genders.
The main difference is that those who are attracted to men or masculine-aligned people are less likely to be attracted to women or nonbinary or androgynous people.
The masculine version of the word is occasionally dubbed “almonds**ual.” Berris**ual may be a fringe identity now, yet it represents the bigger picture of L*BTQ+ life: S**uality is complicated, changeable, and needs clear words.