02/24/2024
LGBTQ+ Glossary
Agender:
Describes a person who identifies as having no gender.
Ally:
A person who supports and stands up for the rights of LGBT people.
Androgyne:
A person with physical traits of male and female
Aromantic:
An orientation that describes a person who experiences little or no romantic attraction to others and/or a lack of interest in forming romantic relationships.
As*xual:
A s*xual orientation generally characterized by not feeling s*xual attraction or a desire for partnered s*xuality. As*xuality is distinct from celibacy, which is the deliberate abstention from s*xual activity. Some as*xual people do have s*x. There are many diverse ways of being as*xual.
Assigned s*x at birth:
The s*x (male or female) assigned to a child at birth, most often based on the child’s external anatomy. Also referred to as birth s*x, natal s*x, biological s*x, or s*x.
Bigender:
Having two genders, exhibiting cultural characteristics of masculine and feminine roles
Bis*xual:
A person whose primary s*xual and affectional orientation is toward people of the same and other genders, or towards people regardless of their gender.
Bottom surgery:
Colloquial way of describing gender affirming ge***al surgery.
Cisgender:
A gender identity, or performance in a gender role, that society deems to match the person’s assigned s*x at birth. The prefix cis- means "on this side of" or "not across." A term used to call attention to the privilege of people who are not transgender.
Cross Dresser (CD):
A word to describe a person who dresses, at least partially, as a member of a gender other than their assigned s*x; carries no implications of s*xual orientation. Has replaced “Transvestite”
Cross-s*x hormone therapy:
The administration of hormones for those who wish to match their physical secondary s*x characteristics to their gender identity.
Demis*xual:
Demis*xuality is a s*xual orientation in which someone feels s*xual attraction only to people with whom they have an emotional bond. Most demis*xuals feel s*xual attraction rarely compared to the general population, and some have little to no interest in s*xual activity. Demis*xuals are considered to be on the as*xual spectrum, meaning they are closely aligned with as*xuality.
Disorders of S*x Development (DSD):
Group of rare conditions where the reproductive organs and ge***als do not develop as expected. Some DSDs include Klinefelter Syndrome and Androgen Sensitivity Syndrome: Sometimes called differences of s*x development. Some people prefer to use the term inters*x.
Gay:
A s*xual and affectional orientation toward people of the same gender; can be used as an umbrella term for men and women.
Gender:
A social construct used to classify a person as a man, woman, or some other identity.
Gender affirming surgery (GAS):
Surgeries used to modify one’s body to be more congruent with one’s gender identity. Also referred to as s*x reassignment surgery (SRS) or gender confirming surgery (GCS).
Gender binary:
The idea that there are only two genders, male and female, and that a person must strictly fit into one category or the other.
Gender dysphoria:
Distress experienced by some individuals whose gender identity does not correspond with their assigned s*x at birth. Manifests itself as clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) includes gender dysphoria as a diagnosis.
Gender Expression:
How one expresses oneself, in terms of dress and/or behaviors that society characterizes as "masculine,” “feminine,” or “androgynous.” Gender expression does not necessarily correspond to assigned s*x at birth or gender identity.
Gender fluid:
Describes a person whose gender identity is not fixed. A person who is gender fluid may always feel like a mix of the two traditional genders, but may feel more one gender some days, and another gender other days.
Gender identity:
A person’s internal sense of being a man/male, woman/female, both, neither, or another gender.
Gender Outlaw:
A person who refuses to be defined by conventional definitions of male and female.
Gender Non-conforming (GNC):
People who do not subscribe to gender expressions or roles expected of them by society.
Gender role:
A set of societal norms dictating what types of behaviors are generally considered acceptable, appropriate or desirable for a person based on their actual or perceived s*x.
Gender Q***r:
A person whose gender identity and/or gender expression falls outside of the dominant societal norm for their assigned s*x, is beyond genders, or is some combination of them.
Gender Variant:
A person who varies from the expected characteristics of the assigned gender.
Heteros*xuality:
A s*xual orientation in which a person feels physically and emotionally attracted to people of a gender other than their own.
Homos*xual/Homos*xuality:
An outdated term to describe a s*xual orientation in which a person feels physically and emotionally attracted to people of the same gender. Historically, it was a term used to pathologize gay and le***an people.
Inters*x:
People who naturally (that is, without any medical intervention) develop primary or secondary s*x characteristics that do not fit neatly into society's definitions of male or female. Many visibly Inters*x people are mutilated in infancy and early childhood by doctors to make the individual’s s*x characteristics conform to society’s idea of what normal bodies should look like. Inters*x people are relatively common, although the society's denial of their existence has allowed very little room for inters*x issues to be discussed publicly. Hermaphrodite is an outdated and inaccurate term that has been used to describe inters*x people in the past.
Le***an:
A woman whose primary s*xual and affectional orientation is toward people of the same gender.
Men who have s*x with men/Women who have s*x with women (MSM/WSW):
Categories that are often used in research and public health settings to collectively describe those who engage in same-s*x s*xual behavior, regardless of their s*xual orientation. However, people rarely use the terms MSM or WSW to describe themselves.
Monogamy:
Having only one intimate partner at any one time.
Monos*xual:
People who have romantic, s*xual, or affectional desire for one gender only. Heteros*xuality and homos*xuality are the most well-known forms of monos*xuality.
