heterosexualism: other-sex contact, either as a genital act or as a long term sexuoerotic status [from Greek,
heteros, other + sex]. It is analogous to right-handedness in being in conformity with the norm and, therefore, not pathological in itself, though subject to other pathology. A heterosexual person is able to fall in love with, and become the pairbonded sexuoerotic partner of only a person of the other morphologic sex. Paraphilias occur predominantly in association with heterosexual pairing.
Synonym,
heterosexuality.
Dictionary of Sexology Project: Main Index