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Send to friend5. Glossary
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All of these definitions are pulled from a variety of sources, the majority of which are based in a North American context. These terms may vary in interpretation and definition based on country and cultural context.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Ally: Any person who supports and stands up for the rights of LGBTI people.
Androgyny: A person whose appearance or self-expression is a mix of feminine and masculine traits and/or behaviors. A person who is not identifiable as either male or female in the context of social standards of masculinity and femininity.
Bisexual: A person who is emotionally, romantically, and/or sexually attracted to both men and women.
Coming Out: The on-going process of becoming aware of one’s sexual orientation. This may include accepting it, acting on it, and telling others about it. To be “in the closet” means to hide one's identity. Coming out can be difficult for some because reactions vary from complete acceptance and support to disapproval, rejection and violence.
Cross-dresser: Used to describe an individual who dresses as someone from a different gender category; cross-dressing is a form of gender expression and is not necessarily tied to erotic activity. Cross-dressing is not indicative of sexual orientation.
Drag King: A female who, on specific occasions, cross-dresses and often employs stereotypical masculine dialogue, voice and mannerisms, for the entertainment of herself or others.
Drag Queen: A male who, on specific occasions, cross-dresses and often employs stereotypical feminine dialogue, voice and mannerisms, for the entertainment of himself or others.
Gay: A person who identifies as a man and who is emotionally, romantically and/or sexually attracted to men.
Gender: The social and cultural codes used to distinguish between what a society considers “masculine” or “feminine” behavior or appearance.
Gender Binary System: The idea that human gender exists in ONLY two forms: masculine and feminine. The term also describes the system in which a society divides people into male and female gender roles, gender identities and attributes.
Gender Expression/Gender Presentation: The way a person expresses his or her gender through gestures, movement, dress, and grooming.
Gender Identity: A person's internal, deeply felt sense of their own gender, regardless of biological sex.
Gender non-conforming refers to a person who is or is perceived to have gender characteristics and/or behaviors that do not conform to traditional or societal expectations. Gender non-conforming people may or may not identify as straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.
Gender role: This is the set of roles and behaviors assigned to females and males by society. Our culture recognizes two basic gender roles: masculine (having the qualities attributed to males) and feminine (having the qualities attributed to females).
Heterosexism: The ideology by which heterosexuality is seen as the norm and as the only desirable and acceptable way to express one’s sexual preferences. Enforcement of that ideology translates into discrimination and oppression of those who fail to adhere to it.
Heterosexual: A person who is emotionally, romantically, and/or sexually attracted to people of another gender.
Homophobia: A fear or intolerance of homosexuality, or people thought to be lesbian, gay, or bisexual. This attitude is at the root of prejudice and discrimination based on an individual's sexual orientation. At its most extreme, homophobia can manifest in harassment or violence against LGBTI individuals.
Homosexual: A person who is emotionally, romantically, and/or sexually attracted primarily to people of the same gender. Anybody who is attracted to someone of their same gender could technically be called “homosexual,” i.e. a trans man attracted to other trans men. Because of the clinical history of the word “homosexual” and its pejorative connotations, the terms “gay man” or “lesbian” may be preferred.
Intersex: A general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that is different from the standard definitions of female or male in terms of his/her internal or external body features. For example, a person might be born appearing to be female on the outside, but have mostly male-typical anatomy on the inside; or a person may be born with genitals that seem to be a combination of the usual male and female types.
Lesbian: A person who identifies as a woman and who is emotionally, romantically, and/or sexually attracted to women.
LGBTI: An acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transvestite, and Transsexual and Intersex.
Queer: Historically a negative term used against people perceived to be LGBT, “queer” has more recently been reclaimed by some people as a positive term describing all those who do not conform to rigid notions of gender and sexuality. Queer is often used in a political context and in academic settings to challenge traditional ideas about identity (“queer theory”).
Questioning: Refers to people who are uncertain as to their sexual orientation or gender identity. They are often seeking information and support during this stage of their identity development.
Sex/Biological Sex: The biological classification of bodies as male or female, based on factors including external sex organs, internal sexual and reproductive organs, hormones, and chromosomes. Such classification is not objective but heavily influenced by social stereotypes about the “right” shapes and functioning of body parts and their correspondence with the only socially accepted gender identities (female or male).
Sexual Culture: The intersection of values, beliefs, and social standards that regulate sexual behavior within a specific society or community.
Sexual diversity: This term refers to the full range of sexuality which includes all aspects of sexual attraction, behavior, identity, expression, orientation, relationships and response. It refers to all aspects of humans as sexual beings.
Sexual Health: Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being related to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. For sexual health to be attained and maintained, the sexual rights of all persons must be respected, protected and fulfilled.
Sexual Orientation: The direction of one’s sexual attraction toward the same sex (homosexual), other sex (heterosexual) or both sexes (bisexual). A person's sexual orientation can change often or infrequently over the course of a person's lifetime.
Straight: A colloquial term for heterosexuals.
Transgender: An umbrella term to describe a person whose gender identity or expression differs from the gender they were assigned at birth. Female-to-male (FTM) transgender people were assigned female at birth but identify and live as male; male-to-female (MTF) transgender people were assigned male at birth but identify and live as female. The term may also be used to describe transsexuals, cross-dressers, and people who do not identify as either of the two sexes as currently defined. This is a Western term that does not pretend to translate or include the wide variety or non-conforming gender identities and expressions that exist around the world. For example, travestis in Latin America and hijras or metis in Asia do not consider themselves “transgender”.
Transphobia: Fear or hatred of transgender people; transphobia is manifested in a number of ways, including violence, harassment, and discrimination.
Transsexual(s): Individuals (men or women) whose biological sex does not correspond with their gender self-identity. The term "transsexual" often refers to transgender people who have undergone surgical procedures to modify their bodies to be in alignment with their gender identity. It is important to note that not all transgender people want to or can afford to have these surgeries.
Transvestite: Individuals who usually self-identify with their biological sex and gender but who sometimes wear the clothing, jewelry, etc., of another gender; the preferred term is crossdresser. Note that the term “travesti” as used in Latin America is not a translation of “transvestite”, as travestis usually live full-time in their self-defined gender identity and do not identify with the gender to which they were assigned at birth.
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank the following sources from which we have adapted these definitions, and the following individuals for their support in finalizing them:
Sources:
Advocates for Youth
Athabasca University, Canada
Feminism.eserver.org
Gay & Lesbian Alliance against Defamation
The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network
Gay-Straight Alliance
Gendercrash.com
Human Rights Watch
Institute for Cultural Partnerships
Intersex Society of North America
Profamilia Colombia
Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Sylvia Rivera Law Project
World Association for Sexual Health
Individuals:
Alexandra Teixeira
Alejandra Sardá (Mulabi)
Bryan Kutner
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