Glossary

to make others aware of one’s gender, romantic or sexual orientation. It is often assumed one is heterosexual or cisgender, as a majority of people are attracted to members of the opposite gender and identify with the gender assigned to them at birth.

the belief that there are only two ways of being: male or female. Men and women- or boys and girls- have expected behaviors and ways of presenting themselves in the world. Enforcement of this belief on other people, especially people who cannot neatly fit into these categories, harms more than just LGBTQ+ people. Biology is a lot more complicated than once thought. Read more about gender essentialism from Healthline.

this term expresses the expectation of same-sex attraction as the default way of being. This expectation can negatively impact the experiences and outcomes of non-heteronormative individuals with medical professionals, romantic and sexual partners, employers, friends, family and more.

individuals who have atypical reproductive organs for a male or female. This could be differences in external genitalia, internal reproductive organs, and/or sex chromosomes. Not every intersex person identifies as LGBTQ+, but it is important to recognize they do not often conform to binary understandings of gender expression because of their biological differences. This causes them to face prejudices not unlike those experienced by LGBTQ+ people. Learn more about intersex identity from the Intersex Society of North America.

a person or group of people of Latin American descent. These terms came into use to challenge the masculinization of nouns to refer to groups of people. Nouns in Spanish are either female (-a) or male (-o) and these terms seek to provide a gender-inclusive option. Adoption of -x versus -e is a point of contention within the community. Learn more about what Latinx means from professors at Georgetown University.

This acronym recognizes the first identities to enter our vernacular: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (or questioning). The “+” acknowledges that there are hundreds of other genders and orientations and to include all of them would create a very, very long acronym.

Popularized by Black people to describe their sexual orientation without relying on terms or symbols that are very white-centric. Read more about the history of this term from the National Black Justice Coalition’s LGBTQ/SGL Cultural Competency Training.

Once considered a derogatory slur, the LGBTQ+ community has made efforts to normalize the use of this term. Depending on the context, it could be used to refer to:

• A person who identifies outside traditional norms of attraction or sexuality- be it heterosexual or homosexual norms- that prefer not to be categorized by single labels.
• Non-heteronormative in nature or by intention (e.g. a work of art or group of people)

Exercise caution when this term if you are referring to the LGBTQ+ community or for anyone who has not described their identity as being queer as it may cause unintended harm. While reclaimed by members of the community and popularized in the mainstream media, some individuals still have negative experiences or connotations with the term as a pejorative.

Lack of physical attraction to others. People who are asexual may experience no attraction to others, very little attraction to others or experience attraction to people only after developing a connection. An asexual/aromantic person may still have healthy, intimate relationships with people that do not ascribe to traditional relationship styles and mannerisms. Learn more about the ace spectrum of attraction from Reconciling Works.

When we are talking about attraction, the prefix (i.e. hetero-, bi-) denotes the type of attraction. Appending -sexual or -romantic specifies the attraction. Some people may be sexually attracted to people they are not romantically interested in, hence the differentiation. E.g. a man who is sexually attracted to both men and women with no romantic attraction may describe himself as a bisexual aromantic man.

attraction to two or more genders.

binary gender attraction to someone of the opposite gender.

attraction to someone of the same gender.

attraction to people regardless of gender.

one’s attraction (or lack thereof) for romantic/emotional partners.

one’s attraction (or lack thereof) to sexual partners.

gender identity matches the gender assigned to one at birth based on the appearance of one’s genitalia.

an unpleasant experience characterized by a feeling of discomfort with one’s body, specifically as that body relates to their gender identity. This can have social aspects as well if people fail to recognize or acknowledge someone’s reported or expressed gender identity. Gender affirming care seeks to alleviate dysphoria.

any act or item that leads one to feel comfortable with their body and gender identity. Transition is a gender affirming experience and reduces feelings of gender dysphoria. Get the facts on gender affirming care from the Human Rights Campaign.

how one chooses to express their gender identity. This can be mannerisms, clothing, speech and other expressions of self.

how one describes their experiences with their gender.

a word used in substitution of a noun. Conventionally, pronouns are gendered when referring to people (He, she or they).

our expanding understanding of gender expression has encouraged people to popularize unconventional pronouns to inform others of how they experience their gender. Here are some neo-pronouns (fae/faer & ze/zir) compared to their conventional counterparts:

Learning new pronouns may be confusing or sound unusual at first. As with any language, practice makes perfect!

a gender identity that exists outside the traditional conventions of male or female. There are numerous non-binary gender identities as people find new ways of understanding themselves and how they relate to others. Learn more about non-binary identities from the National Center for Transgender Equality.

an umbrella term to describe people whose gender identity does not match the one assigned to them at birth. This can be transgender people, gender non-conforming people, non-binary people or similar.

describes someone who does not identify with the gender assigned to them at birth. Learn more about transgender people and transgender identity from the American Psychological Association (available in multiple languages).

the act of outwardly changing one’s gender. This is not a requirement for transgender people; some people will transition very little or not at all, but transition is considered gender affirming care.

encompasses several actions, such as changing one’s name, pronouns, and/or way of dressing. E.g. someone who wishes to appear masculine may cut their hair short and choose a more masculine name for themselves.

involves the use of synthetic hormones and surgeries to change their physical body to be congruent with how they understand themselves. With the approval and supervision of a doctor, these treatments can drastically increase the comfort of a transgender person. E.g. someone who identifies as a transgender woman may undergo a breast augmentation to have a fuller chest.

when a transgender person is assumed to be cisgender based on how they express and present their gender. This term is favored over “passing,” as passing for trans people implies to appear cisgender is the end goal or outcome for one’s gender transition; not every transgender person wants to appear cisgender.

a name previously assigned to a person that they no longer identify with.

another way of referring to the name a person receives from their parents. They may not go by this name anymore.

when an LGBTQ+ person manages their identity expression as to appear heteronormative. This could be a gay person changing their dress and mannerisms to appear heterosexual or a transgender person appearing as the gender assigned to them at birth. LGBTQ+ people often change their expression in this manner, anticipating hostility.

concealing one’s gender transition to others as to appear cisgender.