People on Reddit are identifying as ‘berris**ual’ – so here’s what the term means.
Across queer communities online, new language continues to emerge to describe the full spectrum of attraction.
For many, discovering a word that captures their experience can feel like a relief, almost like finding a missing puzzle piece.
In recent months, one of those words has been gaining traction: berris**ual.
While still relatively unknown compared to terms like bis**ual or pans**ual, berris**ual is slowly making its way into conversations on platforms such as Reddit, Tumblr, and LGBTQ+ wikis, where users are celebrating the label and what it represents.
On Reddit, the identity has been introduced with both humor and pride. In one post on r/bis**ual, a user joked about what the ‘berris**ual flag as a person’ might look like, pairing the lighthearted description with pride emojis.
Elsewhere, in r/lgbt, people have been more direct about their enthusiasm.
One user wrote: “Berris**ual representation! 💙🩵🤍💜💜,” while another added: “Many people don’t know about berris**ual, and we need more representation!”
For those who feel that traditional labels like bis**ual or omnis**ual don’t quite capture their experience, having a new term that resonates can be empowering.
The sense of recognition is echoed across other threads. In r/omnis**ual, one poster explained how they had struggled to decide between calling themselves omnis**ual or neptunic, but then found that berris**ual felt more accurate.
“Now I don’t have to pick because berri fits like a glove,” they wrote.
Another user admitted that while they identify as berris**ual, they sometimes tell people they are omnis**ual because it is simpler to explain.
The label has also gained traction on other platforms.
On Urban Dictionary, one of the earliest crowd-sourced definitions describes a berris**ual as ‘someone attracted to women and feminine genders and androgynous genders, but also very rarely attracted to men and masculine genders.’
On Tumblr, users have expanded on this, describing the term as fitting people who are ‘usually only attracted to women/feminine-aligned genders and nonbinary/androgynous-aligned genders, but occasionally feel little attraction to men/masculine-aligned genders.’
Across sources, the emphasis is the same: attraction across all genders is possible, but attraction to men or masculine people tends to be lighter, less frequent, or secondary.
As the term is still gaining visibility, there is some confusion and curiosity about its boundaries.
In fact, questions about whether berris**uals can date men or if the label excludes them entirely have already been raised on LGBTQ+ forums.
The response from the community, however, is clear: of course they can.
As one contributor on the LGBTQIA+ Fandom site put it: “Berris**uality is about attraction to all genders… you can always date a man.” Rather than closing doors, the term is about clarifying the texture and direction of attraction.
For many, labels like bi, pan, or omnis**ual work perfectly well. But for others, those words may feel too broad or imprecise.
Microlabels like Berris**ual allow people to describe their orientation in ways that feel authentic, specific, and affirming.
Having a word that says: “Yes, I am open to attraction to anyone, but in reality my feelings are mostly toward women and nonbinary people,” can relieve the tension of trying to explain that nuance over and over.
It can also help people find community with others who experience attraction in similar ways.
So what does berris**ual mean, exactly? According to resources like Queerdom Wiki, Berris**uality – sometimes also called Laurian – is similar to pans**uality or omnis**uality in that someone can be attracted to all genders.
The key distinction is that attraction to men or masculine-aligned people is lighter, rarer, or less frequent compared to attraction toward women and nonbinary or androgynous people.
The male counterpart to the term is sometimes called almonds**ual. While it may be a niche identity today, Berris**ual reflects the broader truth of LGBTQ+ life: s**uality is complex, fluid, and worthy of precise language.
