Sexual orientation

Sexual orientation is a series of behavior patterns centered around an attraction to a person of a particular sex. There are usually three types of orientations -- heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual -- with asexuality (a lack of attraction toward either sex) as a possible fourth.

In mainstream Smurfs media, the Smurfs and most of the characters they interact with are heterosexual in their behaviors. However, the character of Vanity Smurf is often suspect of being homosexual due to his effeminate behaviors despite showing more interest in himself than in anyone else as a romantic partner. Overall, though, it is a topic that is (or at least was) generally avoided in the comic books and the cartoon show since the stories were written for children.

Empath: The Luckiest Smurf stories
The Smurf characters in the EMPATH: The Luckiest Smurf story series are generally heterosexual, although there are some male Smurfs who struggle with sexual identity such as Empath, who himself was raised mostly among the asexual community of the Psyches bonded to Polaris Psyche in a same-sex relationship. Empath's behaviors are for the most part heterosexual, though he considers his relationship with Polaris Psyche to be "intimate" due to their interactions in dream sharing. Tapper, who is a Christian believer, thinks that God created all creatures to be heterosexual and that any other form of sexual behavior is against His intended purpose for creation and humanity. The general opinion of the Smurfs as well as that of Mother Nature are also along the same lines of thought, with Hefty probably being the most militant as he considers his masculinity to be his most valuable personal asset.