LGBTQ DEFINITIONS — Transformations

LGBTQ IDENTITY DEFINITIONS

We operate from a common language, understanding that identities, especially in our trans, gender expansive, and queer communities, evolve quickly and are individually unique. This is only a suggested guide; each person’s identity can be complex and vary in definition and experience.

LESBIAN - A term given to a female-identified person whose primary emotional, physical, romantic, and sexual attractions and connections are with other female-identified people.

GAY - A term given to a male-identified person whose primary emotional, physical, romantic, and sexual attraction and connections are with some male-identified people. This term sometimes refers to anyone attracted to people with the same gender identity.

BISEXUAL - A term given to a person whose primary emotional, physical, romantic, and sexual attractions and connections can vary with both men and women.

TRANSGENDER - An umbrella term that can describe people whose gender expression is nonconforming and/or whose gender identity differs from their gender assigned at birth (usually based on their biological sex).

QUESTIONING - A term that refers to people uncertain about their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

QUEER - Originally a derogatory label used to refer to, intimidate and offend LGBTQ people. More recently, this umbrella term has been reclaimed by some people as an inclusive and positive way to recognize anyone whose sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression is on a spectrum of attraction, expression, and fluidity and not considered “standard” or “mainstream.”

GENDERQUEER - Refers to someone who does not fit into the traditional two-gender or gender-binary system. As with other groups, the reasons for identifying as genderqueer may vary.

ALLY - A person who non-violently advocates for and supports communities other than their own. An ally embraces the differences in others and treats everyone with respect and dignity. An ally can willingly do the following.

Educate oneself about oppression.
Learn from and listen to people who are targets of oppression.
Examine and challenge one’s own prejudices, stereotypes, and assumptions.
Work through guilt, shame, and defensiveness to understand what is beneath them and what needs to be healed.
Learn and practice the skills of challenging oppressive remarks, behaviors, policies, and institutional structures.
Act collaboratively with members of the target group to dismantle oppression.

LGBTQ - People who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (Q can sometimes refer to as “Questioning”). A term of inclusion that seeks to capture all sexual and gender minorities.

TRANSSEXUAL - A person whose biological sex does not match their gender identity and who, through gender reassignment surgery or hormone treatments, seeks to change their physical body to match their gender identity.

PANSEXUAL - A person whose emotional attraction, sexual desire, sexual attraction, or romantic love is inclusive to people of all gender identities and biological sexes.

ASEXUAL - A person who forms meaningful, emotional, or spiritual connections with others but does not experience these feelings sexually or romantically.

HIR/ZE - Gender-neutral pronouns used instead of him/he or her/she.

TRANSITIONING - The process that a transgender person may go through after deciding to live as a gender other than their sex determined at birth. This may include a change in dress, pronoun preference, and/or name.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION - An identity based on whom we primarily develop emotional, romantic, physical, sexual attraction, desires, and fantasies for and connections with.

GENDER - Society’s set of roles, values, and expectations for being a girl/woman or a boy/man in a particular culture. This can include how we dress, act, talk, and generally move through the world, usually dividing our society into “masculine” or “feminine.”

GENDER NON-CONFORMING - (Sometimes also written as Gender Nonconforming.) This can be denoting or relating to a person who is perceived or identifies with behavior or appearance that does not conform to prevailing cultural and social expectations about what is appropriate to their gender. This can vary between cultures, races, nationalities, and regions.

SEX - The “biological’ Or “chromosomal” sex of a person. This can be considered the “equipment or plumbing” of a person. (XX for females, XY for males). Sex can also be defined by a person’s hormones (estrogen and progesterone for females, testosterone for males); and our internal and external genitalia (vulva, clitoris, vagina for females, penis, and testicles for males).

INTERSEX - About 4% of the population can be defined as “Intersexual” or born with varying biological aspects of both sexes.