LGBTQIA+ Resources: Gender & Sexuality Definitions

Terminology describing gender identity and sexual orientation is ever-changing, but the list below serves as a starting point when learning more about the LGBTQIA2S+ community or your own identity. The terms and definitions in this list have been pulled from the Human Rights Campaign, PFLAG, and GLAAD.

It is important to note that some members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community may not be comfortable with other members, allies, and those who identify and heterosexual or cisgender using some of the terms in this glossary. To learn more about inclusive language practices, please see the LGBTQ+ Affair's Gender Inclusive Language Resource Guide.

A

• AFAB - (pronounced ā-fab) Acronym meaning Assigned Female at Birth. AFAB people may or may not identify as female some or all of the time. AFAB is a useful term for educating about issues that may happen to these bodies without connecting to womanhood or femaleness. Generally not considered an identity, as calling a transgender man “AFAB,” for example, erases his identity as a man. Instead, use a person’s pronouns and self-description.
• Affirmed Gender - An individual’s true gender, as opposed to their gender assigned at birth. This term should replace terms like new gender or chosen gender, which imply that an individual chooses their gender.
• Agender - (pronounced ā-ˈjen-dər) Refers to a person who does not identify with or experience any gender. Agender is not interchangeable with nonbinary because many nonbinary people do experience gender.
• Ally - A term generally relating to individuals who support marginalized groups. In the LGBTQ+ community, this term is used to describe an individual who is supportive of LGBTQ+ individuals and the community, either personally or as an advocate. Allies include both heterosexual and cisgender people who advocate for equality in partnership with LGBTQ+ people, as well as people within the LGBTQ+ community who advocate for others in the community. “Ally” is not an identity, and allyship is an ongoing process of learning that includes action. (Visit Straight for Equality to learn more about how to become an active and effective ally.)
• AMAB - (pronounced ā-mab) Acronym meaning Assigned Male at Birth. AMAB people may or may not identify as male some or all of the time. AMAB is a useful term for educating about issues that may happen to these bodies without connecting to manhood or maleness. Generally not considered an identity, as calling a transgender woman “AMAB,” for example, erases her identity as a woman. Instead, use a person’s pronouns and self-description.
• Androgynous - Having physical elements of both femininity and masculinity, whether expressed through sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. Androgyne (pronounced an-drə-ˌjīn) is another term for an androgynous individual.
• Aromantic - Sometimes abbreviated as aro (pronounced ā-row), the term refers to an individual who does not experience romantic attraction. Aromantic people exist on a spectrum of romantic attraction and can use terms such as gray aromantic or grayromantic to describe their place within that spectrum. Aromantic people can experience sexual attraction, although not all do.
• Asexual - Sometimes abbreviated as ace, the term refers to an individual who does not experience sexual attraction. Each asexual person experiences relationships, attraction, and arousal differently. Asexuality is distinct from chosen behavior such as celibacy or sexual abstinence; asexuality is a sexual orientation that does not necessarily define sexual behaviors. Asexual people exist on a spectrum of sexual attraction and can use terms such as gray asexual or gray ace to describe themselves.
• Assigned Sex - The sex assigned to an infant at birth based on the child’s visible sex organs, including genitalia and other physical characteristics.
• Assumed Gender - The gender assumed about an individual, based on their assigned sex as well as apparent societal gender markers and expectations, such as physical attributes and expressed characteristics. Examples of assuming a person’s gender include using pronouns for a person before learning what pronouns they use, or calling a person a man or a woman without knowing their gender.

B

• Bi-curious - Often described as offensive, a term used to identify a person who is interested in exploring their attraction to people of the same gender as their own and different genders from their own. The term is considered offensive as it implies that sexual orientation is something that must be explored sexually and romantically before it can be determined. Additionally, many feel that this term invalidates bisexuality by implying that it is a questioning or exploratory phase, instead of a valid sexual orientation. Use this term only when self-identifying or when quoting an individual who self-identifies as bi-curious.
• Bigender - A term used to identify a person whose gender identity encompasses two genders, (often man and woman, but not exclusively) or is moving between being two genders.
• Binary - Refers to an individual who fits into the gender binary.
• Binding - The process of tightly wrapping one’s chest in order to minimize the appearance of having breasts, often by using a binder. Note: One must bind themselves carefully, with appropriate materials, and for reasonable periods of time in order to avoid discomfort and potential negative health impacts. Unsafe binding can lead to negative health outcomes, such as broken ribs and trouble breathing.
• Bioessentialism - Short for biological essentialism. Reliance or weaponization of biology in an attempt to disprove trans people’s genders. Common bioessentialist arguments reduce people to their chromosomes (though there are more than 30 chromosome combinations that people have); their genitalia (though there are many natural variations); or their binary gender (though gender and sex are not binary).
• Biological Sex - Refers to anatomical, physiological, genetic, or physical attributes that determine if a person is male, female, or intersex. These include both primary and secondary sex characteristics, including genitalia, gonads, hormone levels, hormone receptors, chromosomes, and genes. Often also referred to as “sex,” “physical sex,” “anatomical sex,” or specifically as “sex assigned at birth.” Biological sex is often conflated or interchanged with gender, which is more societal than biological, and involves personal identity factors.
• Biphobia - Animosity, hatred, or dislike of bisexual people which may manifest in the form of prejudice or bias. Biphobia often stems from lack of knowledge about bisexual people and the issues they face, and can sometimes be alleviated with education and support. PFLAG does not use this term as it frequently prevents such educational dialogue. Related to homophobia and transphobia.
• Biromantic - Refers to an individual who acknowledges in themselves the potential to be romantically attracted to people of more than one gender, not necessarily at the same time, in the same way, or to the same degree. Individuals who identify as biromantic aren't necessarily sexually attracted to the same people to whom they're romantically attracted.
• Bisexual - Commonly referred to as bi or bi+. According to bi+ educator and advocate ​Robyn Ochs, the term refers to a person who acknowledges in themselves the potential to be attracted--romantically, emotionally and/or sexually--to people of more than one gender, not necessarily at the same time, in the same way, or to the same degree. ​The "bi" in bisexual can refer to attraction to genders similar to and different from one's own. People who identify as bisexual need not have had equal sexual or romantic experience--or equal levels of attraction--with people across genders, nor any experience at all; attraction and self-identification determines orientation.
• Bottom Surgery - Surgery performed on an individual’s reproductive system as a part of gender-affirming surgery. Not all trans people undergo medical interventions as part of their transition. As with any other aspect of transition, trans people retain the right not to discuss their surgical history, and surgery does not define gender.
• Butch - A person who is masculine of center in dress, attitude, and/or presentation. It is often, but not exclusively, used in a lesbian context. Often on a spectrum from butch to femme or stud to femme.

C

• Chosen Family - Also known as found family, people who support an LGBTQ+ person, who are not biologically related, and who often fill the role of the biological family if an LGBTQ+ person’s family is not supportive of them.
• Cisgender - A term used to refer to an individual whose gender identity aligns with the sex assigned to them at birth. People who are both cisgender and heterosexual are sometimes referred to as cishet individuals.
• Cisnormativity - The assumption that everyone is cisgender and that being cisgender is superior to all other genders. This includes the often implicitly held idea that being cisgender is the norm and that other genders are “different” or “abnormal.”
• Cissexism - Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination on the basis of sex, specifically towards transgender and gender-expansive people.
• Civil Union - Historically used in the U.S. to describe state-based relationship recognition for same-sex couples that offered some or all of the state rights, protections, and responsibilities of marriage, but none of the federal rights.
• Clocking - A term used to describe when someone identifies an individual as transgender or nonbinary, when that trans or nonbinary individual would rather they didn’t.
• Closeted - Describes a person who is not open about their sexual orientation or gender identity. A closeted person may be referred to as being “in the closet.” There are many degrees to being out/closeted; closeted individuals may be out to just themselves, close friends, or to their larger network, or not publicly open about their status as LGBTQ+ people.
• Coming Out - For LGBTQ+ people, coming out is the process of self-identifying and self-acceptance that entails the sharing of their identity with others. Sometimes referred to as disclosing. Individuals often recognize a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/gender-expansive, or queer identity within themselves first, and then might choose to reveal it to others.
• Culturally Queer - From the Queerspawn Resource Project: Living Language Guide, “Speaks to the feeling shared by many people with LGBTQ+ parents that they grew up immersed in queer culture, including traditions, celebrations, media, and language. Queerspawn are often raised in the queer community and learn about society primarily through a queer lens, and experience heterosexual culture and its norms as a secondary cultural influence.” Some LGBTQ+ individuals use the term to describe allies who go over and above expectations in demonstrations of both their allyship and understanding of queer culture.

D

• Deadnaming - Occurs when an individual, intentionally or not, refers to the name that a transgender or gender-expansive individual used at a different time in their life. Avoid this practice, as it can cause trauma, stress, embarrassment, and even danger. Some may prefer the terms birth name, given name, or old name.
• Demiboy - A person whose gender identity is only partly male, regardless of their assigned sex at birth.
• Demigirl - A person whose gender identity is only partly female, regardless of their assigned sex at birth.
• Demiromantic - Used to describe an individual who experiences romantic attraction only after forming an emotional connection.
• Demisexual - Used to describe an individual who experiences sexual attraction only after forming an emotional connection.
• Disclosure - A word that some people use to describe the act or process of revealing one’s transgender or gender-expansive identity to another person in a specific instance. Some find the term offensive, implying the need to disclose something shameful, and prefer to use the term coming out, whereas others find “coming out” offensive, and prefer to use disclosure.
• Domestic Partnership - Civil/legal recognition of a committed relationship between two people that sometimes extends limited legal protections to them.
• Drag - The theatrical performance of one or multiple genders (often including makeup, costume, dance, lip-syncing, and temporary body modifications). There are also Drag Performers who do not perform in a binary way. These performances often push traditional boundaries of gender presentation, calling into question societally defined gender roles. Drag performance refers to expression and performance, which is different from transgender, which refers to gender identity.
• Drag Queens - A person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes.
• Drag Kings - A person, usually female, who dress in masculine drag and personify male gender stereotypes as part of an individual or group routine for entertainment purposes.
• Dyke - A queer woman or AFAB person. While some believe it to only describe masculine lesbians, many bisexual and gender-expansive people also connect to this term. Traditionally a slur, the term has been reclaimed and should only be used to self-identify or to refer to the way an individual has identified themselves.