LGBTQIA+ Dictionary

Agender- Someone who doesn't identify as male, female or something in the middle. A person who sees themselves as genderless and/or gender neutral.

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Ally- A person who vocally supports the LGBTQIA+ community, not only privately but also publicly. While often someone who’s cisgender and heterosexual, an ally can also be a part of the LGBTQIA+.

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Asexual-  A person who, regardless of their romantic attraction experiences little to no sexual attraction. It can also be a person who, though they experience sexual attraction, sees no personal appeal in sex or sexual intimacy.

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Allosexual- A person who, regardless of their romantic attraction, experiences sexual attraction and sees personal appeal in sex and sexual intimacy.

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Bigender- This is a description of a person who has two genders. Bigender people can experience two gender identities at the same time or at different times. The type of gender can be; binary, male and female as well as nonbinary identities.

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Bisexual- This is a description of a person who is attracted to both males and females. The person does not need to have any preferences.  

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Cisgender- This is a description of a person who identifies with the same gender they got assigned at birth. For example, male or female.

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Coming out-This is a description of a person who is first coming to understand their own sexual orientation along with revealing it to others. It does not mean they have to come out to several people.

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Enby-This is a description of a person who does not identify as exclusively male or exclusively female. Enby usually prefer to use they/them pronoun.

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Gay- This is a description of a person who is attracted, emotionally and/or physically, to someone of the same gender. It can both be used between men, women or nonbinary people. A person does not need any experiences to identify as gay.

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Gender- A social construction used to classify a person as male, female, or some other identity. Fundamentally different from the sex assigned at birth, gender is often closely related to the role  a person plays or is expected to play in society.

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Gender affirming surgery- A surgical procedure that allows a person's body to better match their gender identity. It is also called gender reassignment surgery or gender confirmation surgery.

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Gender dysphoria- Describes the extreme discomfort a person feels because the gender they were assigned  at birth does not match their gender identity. This feeling of worry or dissatisfaction can lead to depression and anxiety and negatively affect a person's daily life.

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Gender Expression- How people communicate their gender to others through their clothing, speech, mannerisms and other factors. Gender expression is not the same  as gender identity. A person can express one gender but identify with another.

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Gender Fluid- Describes a person whose gender expression or gender identity, or both, changes over time. Not everyone who changes their gender identity or expression identifies as transgender.

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Gender identity- The internal identification of a person with male, female, something in between or something other than the two traditional gender variants. A person's gender identity is not visible to others and may match or differ from the gender assigned  at birth.

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Gender neutral- Describes that he does not identify with a certain gender. This can apply to many different areas of life. People who identify as gender neutral usually do not accept gender stereotypes and may use the pronouns he/them/their and others.

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Gender nonconforming- Describes a person who does not conform to traditional expectations of their gender - in terms of appearance or behavior. Some of these individuals identify as transgender, but others, such as male lesbians, do not.

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Heterosexual- Describes a person who is physically and emotionally attracted to people of the opposite sex. Otherwise known as a simple person.

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Homosexual- Describes a person who is physically and emotionally attracted to people of the same sex. The term is outdated and unpopular in the LGBTQ community because it was often used to marginalize others. 

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Intersex-  Describes a person with innate gender characteristics that are not typical of a male or female body. Sex characteristics are the physical characteristics associated with sex, including chromosomes, reproductive organs, hormones, and other reproductive anatomy, as well as secondary characteristics that appear during puberty. Intersex is an umbrella term, and intersex traits and characteristics are not always obvious or recognizable at birth. In the longer version of LGBTQ (LGBTQIA), "I" means intersex.

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Lesbian-  Describes a woman who is emotionally and/or physically attracted to other women. A woman does not need a specific sexual experience - or any sexual experience - to identify as a lesbian. 

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LGBTQ- An abbreviation used to describe a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or queer or community. Avoid using the term "gay community" because it does not accurately reflect the diversity of the community.

 

Nonbinary- Describes a person whose gender identity does not fall outside the construction of two genders (male or female). For example, nonbinary can describe an individual whose gender changes over time, who does not identify as male or female, or who associates with elements of both sexes. Some people who identify as non-binary prefer the term enby.  

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Pansexual-  Describes a person who is attracted to - or has the potential to be attracted to - people of any gender or gender identity. This attraction can be mental or physical.

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Sex- Classifying a person as male or female. At birth, babies are assigned a gender that usually corresponds to their external anatomy. However, an individual's gender is influenced by a larger combination of factors, including chromosomes, genes, hormones, reproductive organs, and secondary sex characteristics. 

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Sexual orientation- Persistent emotional and/or physical attraction (or lack of attraction) to other people. Sexual orientation is variable and encompasses a variety of identities, including gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual, homosexual, and asexual. 

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SOGIE- Abbreviation for Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Gender Expression. Every person has a sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

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DIRECTLY- Describes a man attracted to women or a woman attracted to men. Can be used as a synonym for heterosexual. 

 

Straight- Describes a man attracted to women or a woman attracted to men. Can be used as a synonym for heterosexual.

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Transgender-  Describes a person whose gender identity and/or gender expression does not correspond to the gender assigned  at birth. Transgender people can be straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer. 

Actively identify as trans. 

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Transgender to male-  Describes a person who was assigned  female  at birth but is male. This person may or may not

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Transgender to female- Describes a person who was assigned  male  at birth but identifies as female. This person may or may not actively identify as trans.

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Transition-The complex process in which transgender people combine their anatomy (medical transition) and gender expression (social transition) with their gender identity. The transition is a multi-step process that takes place over a long period of time. This can include things like using a different name, using new pronouns, dressing differently, updating legal documents, hormone therapy, and surgery. The exact steps involved in human migration vary. 

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Two spirit- Describes a person who has both a male and female spirit. Some Native Americans and Alaska Natives use it to describe their sexual, gender and/or spiritual identity. This can include same-sex attraction as well as relationships that can be considered poly.