People who identify as symbiosual often describe themselves as outgoing, emotionally open, and not the jealous type. Many of them crave closeness and connection. One even said they have a strong “desire to be desired.”
But what does being symbiosual actually mean? Let’s break it down.
So, for someone who identifies this way, the attraction isn’t necessarily about one person. Instead, it’s about couples – whether they’re married, long-term partners, or part of a multi-person relationship. It’s the bond and interaction between them that’s appealing.
Rather than being attracted to a specific gender or type of person, symbiosuals are pulled in by the connection, chemistry, and dynamics that are already flowing between two or more people in a relationship.
“It is the attraction to the relationship and/or energy shared between people that makes symbios**uality distinct from pluris**ualities such as bis**uality or pans**uality.” according to a recent study by suality researcher Dr. Sally W. Johnston, which was published in the Archives of Sual Behaviour.
The same study also explains: “Symbios**uality is also distinct from an interest in or preference for relationship structures involving three or more people, as this interest does not necessarily imply an experience of attraction to relationship dynamics between people (pre-existing or not).”
“Some people said they were attracted to just the love and the secure attachment.” shared Wendy Walsh, a relationship expert and psychology professor, in an interview with USA Today.
“Some were attracted to their aesthetic, like the two people as a couple, just looked really cool together. Some people were attracted to how they played with gender roles.”
One participant said what really drew them in was how connected and in sync the couples seemed.
“You feed off their energy, their attraction to each other… there’s an interplay between the couple.” she explained.
The research showed that people who identify as symbiosual come from all kinds of backgrounds. They span a wide range of ages, genders, and ethnicities.
Still, Dr. Johnston pointed out that we need more research to fully understand how people interpret their attraction to couples. Especially when it comes to how that fits into their wider sual orientation and the cultural messages they’ve received throughout life about suality and relationships.
And it’s not the only new identity people are talking about. In fact, another individual recently went viral for identifying as trigender.
This TikTok creator openly shared that they identify with three distinct genders—male, female, and non-binary—sparking a wave of conversation and support.
“All the time. It doesn’t ever shift or change, or I feel one gender more strongly than the other like gender-fluid tends to be.”