Third Sex.

A definition for the term "third sex," with reference to homosexuality is presented. The relative popularity of the term is closely connected to its use by some of the prominent representatives of the early homosexual rights movement in Germany. In the nineteenth century, the term covered a broader semantic field than its present-day usage. In a letter of September 22, 1862 addressed to his sister, German scholar Karl Heinrich Ulrichs used the term to refer to homosexuals.