A sexual minority—the term is most commonly used in the plural, sexual minorities— is a group whose sexual orientation or practices differ from the majority of the surrounding society. The term was coined (most likely in the late 1960s or early 1970s) by analogy to ethnic minority.

Initially the term referred primarily to Lesbians and Gays. It has come to include Bisexuals and the spectrum of transgendered people; these four categories are often grouped together under the rubric LGBT. Others referred to as "sexual minorities" include fetishists and practitioners of Bondage & Discipline, Domination & Submission, and/or Sadomasochism (collectively referred to as BDSM). The term may also include people who may be strictly heterosexual and whose choice of actual sex acts may be vanilla, but whose choice of partner or partners is unusual, such as swingers, polyamorists or people in other poly relationships, or people who strongly prefer sex partners of a disparate age.

Usually, the term sexual minority is applied only to groups who practice consensual sex: for example, it would be unusual to refer to rapists as a sexual minority, but the term would generally include someone whose sexuality gave a major, fetishized role to consensual playing out of a rape fantasy. Also, someone who very occasionally incorporates of kink or same-sex activity into a largely vanilla, heterosexual sex life would not usually be described as a sexual minority.

Sexuality and society | Social groups

性的少数派 | Mniejszość seksualna | Сексуальные меньшинства