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LGBTQ+ Vocabulary Glossary of Terms

The following list is neither comprehensive nor incontrovertible, but it’s an ever-improving list of definitions for terminology relating to LGBTQ+ identities & people, sexualities, and genders.

advocate

agender

ally

androgyny

androsexual / androphilic

feminine-of-center; masculine-of-center

feminine-presenting; masculine-presenting

gender non-conforming

gender normative / gender straight

genderqueer

gender variant

gynesexual / gynephilic

hermaphrodite

heteronormativity

heterosexism

heterosexual / straight

LGBTQ; GSM; DSG; TGNC

polyamory / polyamorous

same gender loving (SGL)

sex assigned at birth (SAAB)

sexual attraction

sexual orientation

sexual preference

sex reassignment surgery (SRS)

transition / transitioning

advocate

1 noun : a person who actively works to end intolerance, educate others, and support social equity for a marginalized group. 2 verb : to actively support or plead in favor of a particular cause, the action of working to end intolerance or educate others.

agender

adj. a person with no (or very little) connection to the traditional system of gender, who does not personally align with the concepts of either man or woman, and/or someone who sees themselves as existing without gender. This identity can also be described as gender neutrois or gender neutral. The term "genderless" is less commonly used today.

ally

/“al-lie”/ – noun : a person who supports and respects members of the LGBTQ+ community. Active allies take meaningful actions to show their support and advocate for LGBTQ+ equality. While often (but not exclusively) straight and/or cisgender, anyone can be an ally.

androgyny

/“an-jrah-jun-ee”/ (androgynous) – 1 noun : a gender expression that blends elements of masculinity and femininity. 2 adj.: Historically used to describe a person with both female and male anatomy, generally in the form “androgyne.” The term "intersex" is the accurate and respectful term for individuals born with variations in sex characteristics.

androsexual / androphilic

adj. : primarily attracted to masculinity, be this sexually, romantically, or aesthetically. These terms are particularly useful for people who identify outside of the gender binary as unlike terms like gay or lesbian, they refer only to the presentation of the person someone is attracted to and not the person themselves.

aromantic

/”ay-ro-man-tic”/ – adj. : experiencing little or no romantic attraction to others and/or has a lack of interest in romantic relationships/behavior. Aromanticism exists on a continuum from people who experience no romantic attraction or have any desire for romantic activities, to those who experience low levels, or romantic attraction only under specific conditions. Many of these different places on the continuum have their own identity labels (see demiromantic). Sometimes abbreviated to “aro” (pronounced like “arrow”).

asexual

adj. : experiencing little or no sexual attraction to others and/ or a lack of interest in sexual relationships/behavior. Asexuality exists on a continuum from people who experience no sexual attraction or have any desire for sex, to those who experience low levels, or sexual attraction only under specific conditions. Many of these different places on the continuum have their own identity labels (see demisexual). Sometimes abbreviated to “ace.”

Asexuality is different from celibacy in that it is a sexual orientation whereas celibacy is an abstaining from a certain action. Not all asexual people are aromantic, and not all aromantic people are asexual. Some are both. A lot are neither.

bicurious

adj. : a curiosity toward experiencing attraction to people of the same gender/sex (similar to questioning).

bigender

adj. : a person who fluctuates between traditionally “woman” and “man” gender-based behavior and identities, identifying with two genders (or sometimes identifying with either man or woman, as well as a third, different gender).

binder / binding

noun : an undergarment used to alter or reduce the appearance of one’s breasts (worn similarly to how one wears a sports bra). binding – verb : the (sometimes daily) process of wearing a binder. Binding is often used to change the way other’s read/perceive one’s anatomical sex characteristics, and/or as a form of gender expression.

biological sex

noun : a medical term used to refer to the chromosomal, hormonal and anatomical characteristics that are used to classify an individual as female or male or intersex. Often referred to as simply “sex,” “physical sex,” “anatomical sex,” or specifically as “sex assigned at birth.”

Biological Sex is often seen as a binary, but there are many combinations of chromosomes, hormones, and primary/secondary sex characteristics, and varying degrees within each, that one might embody, so it’s often more accurate and helpful to view it on scales. It is also commonly conflated with gender.

biphobia

noun : a range of negative attitudes (e.g., fear, anger, intolerance, invisibility, resentment, erasure, or discomfort) that one may have or express toward bisexual individuals. Biphobia can come from and be seen within the LGBTQ community as well as straight society.

biphobic – adj. : a word used to describe actions, behaviors, or individuals who demonstrate elements of this range of negative attitudes toward bisexual people.

An example of biphobic invisibility and erasure would be the assumption that any man in a relationship with a woman is straight, or anyone dating someone of the same gender means they are gay. In neither case did we assume the person is bisexual.

bisexual

1 noun & adj. : a person who experiences attraction to some men and women. 2 adj. : a person who experiences attraction to some people of their gender and another gender. Bisexual attraction does not have to be equally split, or indicate a level of interest that is the same across the genders an individual may be attracted to. Can be shortened to “bi” (pronounced “bye”). Often used interchangeably with “pansexual”.

butch

noun & adj. : a person who identifies themselves as masculine, whether it be physically, mentally, or emotionally. ‘Butch’ is sometimes used as a derogatory term for lesbians, but can also be claimed as an affirmative identity label.

cisgender

/“siss-jendur”/ – adj. : a gender description for when someone's sex assigned at birth and gender identity correspond in the expected way (e.g., someone who was assigned male at birth, and identifies as a man). A simple way to think about it is if a person is not transgender, they are cisgender. The word cisgender can also be shortened to “cis.”

The “cis” part of cis gender comes from the latin prefix that means “on the same side [as]” or “on this side [of].”

Imagine a set of check boxes for gender identity and sex assigned at birth. If you’re cisgender, you’d likely check both boxes on the same side.

cisnormativity

noun : the assumption, in individuals and in institutions, that everyone is cisgender, and that cisgender identities are superior to trans* identities and people. Leads to invisibility of non-cisgender identities.

cissexism

noun : behavior that grants preferential treatment to cisgender people, reinforces the idea that being cisgender is somehow better or more “right” than being transgender, and/or makes other genders invisible.

closeted

adj. : an individual who is not open to themselves or others about their (queer) sexuality or gender identity. This may be by choice and/or for other reasons such as fear for one’s safety, peer or family rejection, or disapproval and/or loss of housing, job, etc. Also known as being “in the closet.” When someone chooses to break this silence they “come out” of the closet. (see coming out)

coming out

1 noun : the process by which one accepts and/or comes to identify one’s own sexuality or gender identity (to “come out” to oneself). 2 verb : the process by which one shares one’s sexuality or gender identity with others.

A popular misconception is that coming out happens once. Coming out is, however, a continuous, lifelong process. Everyday, one has to evaluate and reevaluate who they are comfortable coming out to, if it is safe, and what the consequences might be.

constellation

noun : a way to describe the arrangement or structure of a polyamorous relationship.

cross-dresser

noun : someone who wears clothes of another gender/sex.

demiromantic

adj. : little or no capacity to experience romantic attraction until a strong sexual connection is formed with someone, often within a sexual relationship.

demisexual

adj. : little or no capacity to experience sexual attraction until a strong romantic connection is formed with someone, often within a romantic relationship.

down low

adj. : typically referring to men who identify as straight but who secretly have sex with men. Down low (or DL) originated in, and is most commonly used by, communities of color.

drag king

noun : someone who performs (hyper-) masculinity theatrically.

drag queen

noun : someone who performs (hyper-) femininity theatrically.

dyke

noun : referring to a masculine presenting lesbian. While often used derogatorily, it is also reclaimed affirmatively by some lesbians and gay women as a positive self identity term.

emotional attraction

noun : a capacity that evokes the want to engage in emotionally intimate behavior (e.g., sharing, confiding, trusting, inter-depending), experienced in varying degrees (from little-to-none to intense). Often confated with sexual attraction, romantic attraction, and/or spiritual attraction.

fag(got)

noun : derogatory term referring to a gay person, or someone perceived as queer. While often used derogatorily, it is also used reclaimed by some gay people (often gay men) as a positive in-group term.

feminine-of-center; masculine-of-center

adj. : a phrase that indicates a range in terms of gender identity and expression for people who present, understand themselves, and/or relate to others in a generally more feminine/masculine way, but don’t necessarily identify as women or men. Feminine-of-center individuals may also identify as “femme,” “submissive,” “transfeminine,” etc.; masculine-of-center individuals may also often identify as “butch,” “stud,” “aggressive,” “boi,” “transmasculine,” etc.

feminine-presenting; masculine-presenting

adj. : a way to describe someone who expresses gender in a more feminine/masculine way. Often confused with feminine-of-center/masculine-of-center, which generally include a focus on identity as well as expression.

femme

noun & adj. : someone who identifies themselves as feminine, whether it be physically, mentally or emotionally. Often used to refer to a feminine-presenting queer woman or people.

fluid(ity)

adj. : generally with another term attached, like gender-fluid or fluid-sexuality, fuid(ity) describes an identity that may change or shift over time between or within the mix of the options available (e.g., man and woman, bi and straight).

FtM / F2M; MtF / M2F

abbr. : female-to-male transgender or transsexual person; male-to-fe male transgender or transsexual person.

gay

1 adj. : experiencing attraction solely (or primarily) to some members of the same gender. Can be used to refer to men who are attracted to other men and women who are attracted to women. 2 adj. : an umbrella term used to refer to the queer community as a whole, or as an individual identity label for anyone who is not straight (see LGBTQ and queer)

Gay is a word that’s had many different meanings throughout history. In the 12th century it meant “happy,” in the 17th century it was more commonly used to mean “immoral” (describing a hedonistic, pleasure-seeking person), and by the 19th it meant a female prostitute (and a “gay man” was a guy who had sex with female prostitutes a lot). It wasn’t until the 20th century that it started to mean what it means today.

gender binary

noun : the idea that there are only two genders and that every person is one of those two.

Gender describes the internal experience of being a man, a woman, a nonbinary person, or otherwise. Every person experiences gender differently — and you cannot know someone’s gender by simply looking at them.

gender expression

noun : the external display of one’s gender, through a combination of clothing, grooming, demeanor, social behavior, and other factors, generally made sense of on scales of masculinity and femininity. Also referred to as “gender presentation.”

gender fluid

adj. : a gender identity best described as a dynamic mix of boy and girl. A person who is gender fluid may always feel like a mix of the two traditional genders, but may feel more man some days, and more woman other days.

gender identity

noun : the internal perception of one's gender, and how they label themselves, based on how much they align or don’t align with what they understand their options for gender to be. Often confated with biological sex, or sex assigned at birth.

gender neutrois

adj. : (see agender)

gender non-conforming

1 adj. : a gender expression descriptor that indicates a non-tradition al gender presentation (masculine woman or feminine man). 2 adj. : a gender identity label that indicates a person who identifies outside of the gender binary. Often abbreviated as “GNC.”

gender normative / gender straight

adj. : someone whose gender presentation, whether by nature or by choice, aligns with society’s gender-based expectations.

genderqueer

1 adj. : a gender identity label often used by people who do not identify with the binary of man/woman. 2 adj. : an umbrella term for many gender non-conforming or nonbinary identities (e.g., agender, bigender, genderfluid).

The “queer” part of genderqueer is the reclaimed, affirming, empowering usage of “queer.” This is not a slur or derogatory term.

gender variant

adj. : someone who either by nature or by choice does not conform to gender-based expectations of society (e.g. transgender, trans sexual, intersex, genderqueer, cross-dresser, etc).

gynesexual / gynephilic

/“guy-nuh-seks-shu-uhl”/ – adj. : being primarily sexually, romantically and/or emotionally attracted to women, females, and/or femininity.

hermaphrodite

noun : an outdated medical term previously used to refer to someone who was born with some combination of typically-male and typically-female sex characteristics. It’s considered stigmatizing and inaccurate. (see intersex)

heteronormativity

noun : the assumption, in individuals and/or in institutions, that everyone is heterosexual and that heterosexuality is superior to all other sexualities. Leads to invisibility and stigmatizing of other sexualities: when learning a woman is married, asking her what her husband’s name is. Heteronormativity also leads us to assume that only masculine men and feminine women are straight.

heterosexism

noun : behavior that grants preferential treatment to heterosexual peo ple, reinforces the idea that heterosexuality is somehow better or more “right” than queerness, and/or makes other sexualities invisible.

heterosexual / straight

adj. : experiencing attraction solely (or primarily) to some members of a different gender.

homophobia

noun : an umbrella term for a range of negative attitudes (e.g., fear, anger, intolerance, resentment, erasure, or discomfort) that one may have toward LGBTQ people. The term can also connote a fear, disgust, or dis like of being perceived as LGBTQ. homophobic – adj. : a word used to describe actions, behaviors, or individuals who demonstrate elements of this range of negative attitudes toward LGBTQ people.

homosexual

adj. & noun : a person primarily emotionally, physically, and/or sexually attracted to members of the same sex/gender. This [medical] term is considered stigmatizing (particularly as a noun) due to its history as a category of mental illness, and is discouraged for common use (use gay or lesbian instead).

Until 1973 “Homosexuality” was classified as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This is just one of the reasons that there are such heavy negative and clinical connotations associated with this term.

intersex

adj. : term for a combination of chromosomes, gonads, hormones, internal sex organs, and genitals that differs from the two expected patterns of male or female. Formerly known as hermaphrodite (or hermaphroditic), but these terms are now outdated and derogatory.

It was long considered an emergency when a child was recognized as intersex, that doctors would move to “fix” immediately through “corrective” surgeries, which would often lead to health complications for the intersex person as an adult. Thanks to advocacy and activism within the intersex movement, the medical profession is slowly moving away from this harmful practice.

lesbian

noun & adj. : women who are primarily attracted romantically, erotically, and/or emotionally to other women.

LGBTQ; GSM; DSG; TGNC

abbr. : shorthand or umbrella terms for all folks who have a non-normative (or queer) gender or sexuality, there are many different initialisms people prefer. LGBTQ is Lesbian Gay Bi sexual Transgender and Queer and/or Questioning (sometimes people at a + at the end in an effort to be more inclusive); GSM is Gender and Sexual Minorities; DSG is Diverse Sexualities and Genders; TGNC is Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming (sometimes you’ll see “NB” added for non binary). Other options include the initialisms GLBT, LGBT, or TLBG, or the acronym QUILTBAG (Queer [or Questioning] Undecided Intersex Lesbian Trans* Bisexual Asexual [or Allied] and Gay [or Genderqueer]).

There is no “correct” or “official” initialism to represent everyone who is queer, or LGBTQ+. If you’re unsure of which one to use, defer to your local community.

When a “P” is included it usually means pan sexual; an “I” generally represents intersex.

lipstick lesbian

noun : Usually refers to a lesbian with a feminine gender expression. Can be used in a positive or a derogatory way. Is sometimes also used to refer to a lesbian who is assumed to be (or passes for) straight.

metrosexual

adj. : a man with a strong aesthetic sense who spends more time, energy, or money on his appearance and grooming than is considered gender normative.

MSM / WSW

abbr. : men who have sex with men or women who have sex with women, to distinguish sexual behaviors from sexual identities: because a man is straight, it doesn’t mean he’s not having sex with men. Often used in the field of HIV/Aids education, prevention, and treatment.

Mx.

/ “mix” or “schwa” / - noun : an honorific (e.g. Mr., Ms., Mrs., etc.) that is gender neutral. It is often the option of choice for folks who do not identify within the gender binary: Mx. Smith is a great teacher.

nonbinary

adj. : an umbrella term to describe people who experience their gender identity and/or expression outside of the male/female/man/woman binary, including folks who are genderfluid, genderqueer, polygender, bigender, demigender, agender, and many others. Alternatively spelled “non-binary.” Often abbreviated as “enby” or “enbie” (based on the pronunciation of N-B). (see genderqueer)

outing

verb : involuntary or unwanted disclosure of another person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or intersex status.

pansexual

adj. : a person who experiences sexual, romantic, physical, and/or spiritual attraction for members of all gender identities/expressions. Often shortened to “pan.”

passing

1 adj. & verb : trans* people being accepted as, or able to “pass for,” a member of their self-identified gender identity (regardless of sex assigned at birth) without being identified as trans*. 2 adj. : an LGB/queer individual who is believed to be or perceived as straight.

Passing is a loaded term. It can put too much emphasis on the person observing or interacting with the individual who is “passing” , placing power/ authority in the observer rather than giving agency to the individual.

Some people are looking to “pass” (or just to be accepted for the identity they are), but it’s not a goal for everyone. Passing is not always a positive experience.

Some individuals experience passing as invisibility, or as a loss of their own community, when they are perceived to be part of the dominant group.

PGPs

abbr. : preferred gender pronouns. Often used during introductions, becoming more common as a standard practice. Many suggest removing the “preferred,” because it indicates flexibility and/or the power for the speaker to decide which pronouns to use for someone else.

polyamory / polyamorous

noun : refers to the practice of, desire for, or orientation to ward having ethical, honest, and consensual non-monoga mous relationships (i.e. relationships that may include multiple partners). Often shortened to “poly.”

queer

1 adj. : an umbrella term to describe individuals who don’t identify as straight and/or cisgender. 2 noun : a slur used to refer to someone who isn’t straight and/ or cisgender. Due to its historical use as a derogatory term, and how it is still used as a slur in many communities, it is not embraced or used by all LGBTQ people. The term “queer” can often be used interchangeably with LGBTQ (e.g., “queer people” instead of “LGBTQ people”).

If a person tells you they are not comfortable with you referring to them as queer, don’t. If someone else prefers queer over gay, honor that. Always respect an individual’s preferences when it comes to identity labels, particularly ones with troubled histories like this.

questioning

verb, adj. : an individual who or time when someone is unsure about or exploring their own sexual orientation or gender identity.

QPOC / QTPOC

abbr. : initialisms that stand for queer people of color and queer and/or trans people of color.

romantic attraction

noun : a capacity that evokes the want to engage in romantic intimate behavior (e.g., dating, relationships, marriage), experienced in varying degrees (from little-to-none, to intense). Often confated with sexual attraction, emotional attraction, and/or spiritual attraction.

same gender loving (SGL)

adj. : sometimes used by some members of the African-American or Black community to express a non-straight sexual orientation without relying on terms and symbols of European descent.

sex assigned at birth (SAAB)

abbr. : a phrase used to intentionally recognize a person’s assigned sex (not gender identity). Sometimes called “designated sex at birth” (DSAB) or “sex coercively assigned at birth” (SCAB), or specifically used as “assigned male at birth” (AMAB) or “assigned female at birth” (AFAB): Jenny was assigned male at birth, but identifies as a woman.

Sex is the classification of a person as male, female, or intersex. When we are born, doctors usually decide whether female or male will be listed on our birth certificate. This sex assignment at birth is typically based solely on one’s genitals, however sex characteristics also include chromosomes, gonads, and sex hormones. Intersex is an umbrella term used to describe variations in physical sex traits or reproductive anatomy that are present at birth or emerge spontaneously later in life, and differ from normative expectations of “male” and “female."

Someone’s sex characteristics are private information. When someone shares their gender identity with you, it is invasive and inappropriate to assume or try to deduce that person’s sex assigned at birth. Believe others when they say who they are, and support them.

sexual attraction

noun : a capacity that evokes the want to engage in physically intimate behavior (e.g., kissing, touching, intercourse), experienced in varying degrees (from little-to-none, to intense). Often confated with romantic attraction, emotional attraction, and/or spiritual attraction.

sexual orientation

noun : the type of sexual, romantic, emotional/spiritual attraction one has the capacity to feel for some others, generally labeled based on the gender relationship between the person and the people they are attracted to. Often confused with sexual preference.

sexual preference

noun : the types of sexual intercourse, stimulation, and gratification one likes to receive and participate in. Generally when this term is used, it is being mistakenly interchanged with “sexual orientation,” creating an illusion that one has a choice (or “preference”) in who they are attracted to.

sex reassignment surgery (SRS)

noun : used by some medical professionals to refer to a group of surgical options that alter a person’s biological sex. “Gender confirmation surgery” is considered by many to be a more affirming term. In many cases, one or multiple surgeries are required to achieve legal recognition of gender. Some refer to different surgical procedures as “top” surgery and “bottom” surgery to discuss what type of surgery they are having without having to be more explicit.

skoliosexual

adj. : being primarily sexually, romantically and/or emotionally attracted to some genderqueer, transgender, transsexual, and/or nonbinary people.

spiritual attraction

noun : a capacity that evokes the want to engage in intimate behavior based on one’s experience with, interpretation of, or belief in the supernatural (e.g., religious teachings, messages from a deity), experienced in varying degrees (from little-to-none, to intense). Often confused with sexual attraction, romantic attraction, and/or emotional attraction.

stealth

adj. : a trans person who is not “out” as trans, and is perceived/known by others as cisgender.

straight

adj. : a person primarily emotionally, physically, and/or sexually attracted to some people who are not their same sex/gender. A more colloquial term for the word heterosexual.

stud

noun : most commonly used to indicate a Black/African-American and/ or Latina, masculine, lesbian/queer woman. Also known as ‘butch’ or ‘aggressive’.

third gender

noun : for a person who does not identify with either man or woman, but identifies with another gender. This gender category is used by societies that recognize three or more genders, both contemporary and historic, and is also a conceptual term meaning different things to different people who use it, as a way to move beyond the gender binary.

top surgery

noun : this term refers to surgery for the construction of a male-type chest or breast augmentation for a female-type chest.

trans*

adj. : an umbrella term covering a range of identities that transgress socially-defined gender norms. Trans with an asterisk is often used in written forms (not spoken) to indicate that you are referring to the larger group nature of the term, and specifically including nonbinary identities, as well as transgender men (transmen) and transgender women (transwomen).

In 2018, the Oxford English Dictionary officially added trans*, so feel free to compare our definition to theirs.

transgender

1 adj. : a gender description for someone who has transitioned (or is transitioning) from living as one gender to another. 2 adj. : an umbrella term for any one whose sex assigned at birth and gender identity do not correspond in the expected way (e.g., someone who was assigned male at birth, but does not identify as a man). Some folks might choose to receive certain gender affirming care but this is not necessary and each person should be allowed to choose what works best for themselves.

Transgender people can be straight, gay, bisexual, queer, asexual, pansexual, or any other sexual orientation. Remember: this is a gender label, not a sexuality label.

transition / transitioning

noun, verb : referring to the process of a transgender person changing aspects of themself (e.g., their appearance, name, pronouns, or making physical changes to their body) to be more congruent with the gender they know themself to be (as opposed to the gender they lived as pre-transitioning).

transman; transwoman

noun : a man/woman who was not assigned that gender via sex at birth, and transitioned (socially, medically, and/or legally) from that assignment to their gender identity, signified by the second part of the term (i.e., -man, -woman). Also referred to as men and women (though some/ many trans people prefer to keep the prefix “trans-” in their identity label).

transphobia

noun : the fear of, discrimination against, or hatred of trans* people, the trans* community, or gender ambiguity. Transphobia can be seen within the queer community, as well as in general society. Transphobic – adj. : a word used to describe an individual who harbors some elements of this range of negative attitudes, thoughts, intents, towards trans* people.

transsexual

noun & adj. a person who identifies psychologically as a gender/sex other than the one to which they were assigned at birth. Transsexuals of ten wish to transform their bodies hormonally and surgically to match their inner sense of gender/sex.

transvestite

noun : a person who dresses as the binary opposite gender expression (“cross-dresses”) for any one of many reasons, including relaxation, fun, and sexual gratification (often called a “cross-dresser,” and should not be confused with transsexual).

two-spirit

noun : is an umbrella term created by First Nations/Native American/Indigenous peoples to describe a sexual orientation and/or gender/sex that exists outside of colonial constructions of the gender binary (neither man nor woman, but a distinct, alternative gender status exclusive to their ethnicity). This term should not be appropriated by or used to describe people who are not First Nations/Native American/Indigenous.

ze / zir

/ “zee”, “zerr” or “zeer”/ – alternate pronouns that are gender neutral and preferred by some trans* people. They replace “he” and “she” and “his' ' and “hers' ' respectively. Alternatively some people who are not comfortable/do not embrace he/she use the plural pronoun “they/their '' as a gender neutral singular pronoun.

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