Demisexuality is used to describe a person who only likes someone if they feel an emotional connection to feel a sexual attraction, according to a report by The Independent.
Asexual Visibility and Education Network first coined the term in 2008. However, recently more and more people are identifying with it.
On Reddit, one person who identifies as demisexual said she felt like a "freak" until she learned of this meaning.
“I always recoiled and quickly withdrew from socialising altogether out of fear of being pressured into anything romantic or sexual with others, but as soon as I got home and in my own bedroom, I found myself longing for a relationship with someone, and indulging my sexual feelings with myself (which is pretty normal for a hormonal 13-14 year old), but the severe anxiety I felt whenever someone expressed any romantic interest in me kept me from dating anyone or even flirting back when it did happen,” she is quoted as saying by The Independent.
For many it has nothing to with sex, but about being sexually attracted to somebody. "When I was younger, my friends would talk about how hot celebrities were, and I just couldn’t understand how you could be attracted to someone you haven’t even met,” another person wrote on Reddit.
For demisexuals, looks don't play a role in their attraction for someone, how they connect is important.
