LGBTQ+ Terminology
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LGBTQ+ TERMINOLOGY
Ally – A term used to describe someone actively supporting LGBTQ+ people. It encompasses straight and cisgender allies, as well as those within the LGBTQ+ community who support each other (e.g., a lesbian who is an ally to the bisexual community).
Aporagender – Both an umbrella term and nonbinary gender identity that describes the experience of having a specific gender different from male, female, or any combination of the two.
Aromantic – Describes people who have little or no romantic attraction to others. They may or may not feel sexual attraction.
Asexual – Often called “ace” for short, asexual refers to a complete or partial lack of sexual attraction or lack of interest in sexual activity with others. Asexuality exists on a spectrum, and asexual people may experience no, little, or conditional sexual attraction.
Bigender – This term describes someone who identifies with two distinct genders.
Bisexual – A person emotionally, romantically, or sexually attracted to more than one sex, gender, or gender identity, though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way, or to the same degree. Sometimes used interchangeably with pansexual.
Cisgender – Denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex.
Deadnaming – The act of referring to a transgender or non-binary person by a name they used before transitioning, such as their birth name. This should be avoided at all costs.
Gay – A person who is emotionally, romantically, or sexually attracted to members of the same gender. While this term is most closely associated with males attracted to males, this can also be used as an umbrella term. Men, women, and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves.
Gender expansive – A person who is gender expansive may be of any sexuality or gender identity.
Gender expression – The way someone expresses gender through behavior, mannerisms, interests, physical characteristics, or appearance. It is often but not always described using terms such as masculine, feminine, neutral, androgynous, conforming, or nonconforming.
Gender fluid – A person who does not identify with a single fixed gender or has a fluid or unfixed gender identity.
Gender nonconforming – A broad term referring to people who do not behave in a way that conforms to the traditional expectations of their gender, or whose gender expression does not fit neatly into a category.
Gender questioning – A person questioning one or multiple aspects of their gender, such as gender identity or expression.
Gender variant – Similar to gender nonconforming, gender variant is an umbrella term that describes people with a gender identity, expression, or presentation different from the perceived social norm or dominant group.
Genderqueer – Genderqueer people typically reject notions of static categories of gender and embrace a fluidity of gender identity and often, though not always, sexual orientation. People who identify as “genderqueer” may see themselves as being both male and female, neither male nor female nor as falling completely outside these categories.
Heterosexual – A sexual orientation in which a person feels physically and emotionally attracted to people of a gender other than their own.
Intersex – Intersex people are born with a variety of differences in their sex traits and reproductive anatomy. There is a wide variety of differences among intersex variations, including differences in genitalia, chromosomes, gonads, internal sex organs, hormone production, hormone response, and/or secondary sex traits.
Lesbian – A woman whose primary sexual orientation is toward people of the same gender.
LGBTQ+ – LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer, and the “+” signifies additional sexual orientations and gender identities,
Nonbinary – An adjective describing a person who does not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. Non-binary people may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between, or as falling completely outside these categories. While many also identify as transgender, not all non-binary people do. Nonbinary can also be used as an umbrella term encompassing identities such as agender, bigender, genderqueer, or gender-fluid.
Outing – The practice of revealing the sexual or gender identity of a person. This should be avoided at all costs. PrideVMC condemns the outing of anyone before they are ready to tell their own story.
Pangender – A nonbinary gender identity that describes people who experience all or many gender identities on the gender spectrum simultaneously or over time.
Pansexual – Describes someone who has the potential for emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to people of any gender though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way, or to the same degree. Sometimes used interchangeably with bisexual.
Polyamory – A form of ethical, or consensual, non-monogamy that involves having romantic or sexual relationships with multiple partners at the same time.
Queer – A term people often use to express a spectrum of identities and orientations that are counter to the mainstream. Queer is often used as a catch-all to include many people, including those who do not identify as exclusively straight and/or folks who have non-binary or gender-expansive identities. This term was previously used as a slur but has been reclaimed by many parts of the LGBTQ+ movement.
Transgender – An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc.
Two-spirit – “Two-spirit” refers to a person who identifies as having both a masculine and a feminine spirit, and is used by some Indigenous people to describe their sexual, gender, and/or spiritual identity. As an umbrella term, it may encompass same-sex attraction and a wide variety of gender variance, including people who might be described in Western culture as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, genderqueer, or who have multiple gender identities. Two-spirit can also include relationships that could be considered poly.
Sources
Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits (BAAITS)
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