Key Terminology
Sex: Refers to a person based on their anatomy (external genitalia, chromosomes, and internal reproductive system). Sex terms are male, female, transsexual, and intersex. Sex is biological, although social views and experiences of sex are cultural.
Gender: 1) A socially constructed system of classification that ascribes qualities of masculinity and femininity to people. Gender characteristics can change over time and are different between cultures. Words that refer to gender include: man, woman, transgender, masculine, feminine, and gender queer. 2) One’s sense of self as masculine or feminine regardless of external genitalia. Gender is often conflated with sex. This is inaccurate because sex refers to bodies and gender refers to personality characteristics.
Gender Neutral: Nondiscriminatory language to describe relationships—e.g. “spouse” and “partner” are gender-neutral alternatives to the gender-specific words “husband,” “wife,” “boyfriend” and “girlfriend.”
Sexual Orientation: refers to how a person perceives and defines their sexuality, which is whether he or she considers himself or herself to be heterosexual, homosexual (gay or lesbian) or bisexual.
Gay Straight Alliance: A student run group that provides a safe place for any and all students to meet and learn about all different orientations, to support each other while working together to end homophobia, and raise awareness and promote equality for all human beings. In addition to being a group dedicated to support, it also strives to educate the surrounding areas and the community on different gender and equality issues.
Oppression: the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.
Bisexual: people who are emotionally, romantically, and physically attracted to members of both sexes
Coming out: the process of acknowledging and/or disclosing one’s sexual orientation and gender identity
Gay: people who are emotionally, romantically, and physically attracted to people of the same sex. The term “gay” can be used interchangeably with the term “homosexual”. It usually refers to males, but it can also be used to include females.
Gender Dysphoria:
Heteronormality: a term describing the marginalization or cultural bias against homosexuality (same-sex relationships), promoting the view that heterosexuality (opposite-sex relationships) is the “normal” sexual orientation.
Heterosexual: people who are emotionally, romantically, and physically attracted to members of the opposite sex
Homo/bi/trans phobia: an irrational fear or hate of LGBTQ people (or those perceived to be LGBTQ) that manifests itself through prejudice, discrimination, harassment, or acts of violence
Intersex (aka “hermaphrodite”): those born with bodies not clearly male or female as a result of their chromosome make up, hormone balance, or genitalia
Lesbian: women who are emotionally, romantically, and physically attracted to other women
LGBTTIQQ2S – an acronym that encompasses lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning, and two spirited people
“Outed”: the public exposure of an LGBTQ person without his/her permission
Positive Space: a place where human rights are respected, and where lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, and their friends and allies, are welcomed and supported
Trans: a broad, inclusive term referring to anyone who crosses society’s traditional norms for a man or woman
Transgender: people who cross traditional gender norms for a man or a woman in society including transsexuals, transvestites, cross dressers, etc. Some describe transgender as being born in the wrong body.
Transsexual: individuals who want to change, or who have changed their bodies to be more in line with how they identify themselves. Some may identify as female-to-male (FTM) or male-to-female (MTF)
Bigender: a person who fluctuates between traditionally “woman” and “man” gender-based behavior and identities, identifying with both genders (and sometimes a third gender)
Binary Gender: a traditional and outdated view of gender, limiting possibilities to “man” and “woman”
Gender Expression: the external display of gender, through a combination of dress, demeanor, social behavior, and other factors, generally measured on a scale of masculinity and femininity
Gender Role: 1) Socially defined expectations regarding behavior, mannerisms, dress, etc. as related to socially assigned gender. 2) How “masculine” or “feminine” an individual acts. Societies commonly have norms regarding how males and females should behave, expecting people to have personality characteristics and/or act a certain way based on their biological sex.
Gender Identity: the internal perception of an individual’s gender, and how they label themselves
Binary Sex: a traditional and outdated view of sex, limiting possibilities to “female” or “male”
Pansexual: a person who experiences sexual, romantic, physical, and/or spiritual attraction for members of all gender identities/expressions
- Two-Spirit: a term traditionally used by Native American people to recognize individuals who possess qualities or fulfill roles of both genders