Mark Ronson, who won the Oscar for Best Original Song for “Shallow,” sung by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in 2018’s A Star Is Born, recently came out as sapiosexual. Ronson said he wasn’t aware there was a term for being attracted to intelligence, but after sitting backstage during a segment on sapiosexuality during the September 19 episode of ITV's Good Morning Britain, Ronson confirmed that he is a proud sapiosexual.

“I didn’t know that there was a word for it...I feel like I identify as sapiosexual,” Ronson, who has also worked with superstars such as Adele and Miley Cyrus, said during his sitdown with Good Morning Britain, per CNN.

The term “sapiosexual” is fairly new, yet the phenomenon it describes certainly isn’t.‍

What does “sapiosexual” mean? ‍

“A sapiosexual is someone who is primarily attracted to another person’s intelligence or mind,” Dr. Holly Richmond, a somatic psychologist and certified sex therapist tell O.school. “This is not the only element of sexual attraction, but it is typically the first point of erotic connection.”

Author Nichi Hodgson, who appeared on Good Morning Britain prior to Ronson’s segment said that sapiosexuals put intelligence first in every romantic or sexual connection.

"I have dated men, women, transmen, transwomen, and across the gender spectrum and identify now as bisexual," Hodgson said. "The thing that has linked all these people has been their brains."

Sapiosexuality is not gender-specific, and therefore, it’s not necessarily linked to the LGTBQ+ community. It’s simply “another layer within the sexual expression or preference spectrum for each individual,” as Dr. Richmond explains.

“In other words, a person can be pansexual and sapiosexual, meaning they can partner with a person who is a woman, man, transgender or non-binary in their expression, AND what they will first find attractive about that person is their intelligence,” she adds.

Since the sapiosexuality segment and Ronson’s “coming out” aired on September 19, the idea of sapiosexuality has been the subject of criticism on Twitter, with many calling it ableist and classist, due to the fact that one’s intelligence has much to do with their access to education.

And some even argue that it’s wrong to call sapiosexuality a sexuality in the first place, and in no way should someone ever feel the need to “come out” about being attracted to intelligent people.

However, despite some speaking negatively about sapiosexuality, whether or not a person wishes to identify as sapiosexual, as Mark Ronson does, is completely up to that individual. User @ftbldjohns tweeted, “Good for him,” while @BloodyJudasGaga wrote, “That’s why he works with Gaga a lot.”

If sapiosexuality speaks to you, you have every right to use it to identify your sexual preference, whether it’s the only label you use or an added layer to your identity. However, keep in mind that sapiosexuality on its own is not part of the LGBTQ+ rainbow, and shouldn’t be used to insert yourself into that community if you’re not already a member. 

But hey, if intelligence turns you on, then you may just be a sapiosexual (that is if you choose to adopt the term).‍