The American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the National Association of Social Workers identify sexual orientation as "not merely a personal characteristic that can be defined in isolation.
미국 심리학회(The American Psychological Association), 정신의학회(the American Psychiatric Association), 그리고 사회사업가협회(the National Association of Social Workers)는 성적 지향을 "그저 개인의 특징이 아니며, 단독으로 정의될 수 없다.