LGBTQIA+ Terminology

Along with our understanding of gender and sexuality,language used by LGBTQIA+ communities to describe their identities is everevolving and may change quickly.

Identity terms are deeply personal and have various meaningsdepending on the individuals or groups using those terms. It is important torecognize a person's expertise in their own experience and inquire about thewords they use to describe their identity and what those words mean to them.

The terms thatpeople identify with may change over time. While this handout providesgenerally accepted definitions of identity terms to build on, keep in mindthese definitions may not necessarily align with every LGBTQIA+ person'sunderstanding or usage of these terms.

Terms and Definitions

Agender - A person whodoes not identify with any gender, or does not have a gender (e.g. genderless).

Androgynous - A personwho does not identify with or present as either a man or a woman, and may haveboth masculine and feminine qualities.

Aromantic - A personwho do not experience romantic attraction.

Asexual - A person whodoes not experience sexual attraction and/or does not desire sexual contact.

Bigender - A personwho is physically, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to people oftheir same gender and other genders.

Cisgender - A personwhose gender identity is the same as their sex assigned at birth.

Demiboy/Demigirl - Aperson whose gender is partly boy or girl and partly another gender.

Demiromantic - Aperson who does not experience romantic attraction until a strong emotional orsexual connection is formed with a partner.

Demisexual - A personon the asexual spectrum who does experience some sexual attraction, but only incertain situations, like after they’ve formed a strong emotional or romanticconnection with a partner.

Emotional Attraction - Feelingstoward another person or people, often involving desire for friendship andcloseness.

Feminine of Center - Aperson who feels feminine or has a feminine gender expression, but does notidentify as a woman. A feminine of center person may also identify as femme ortransfeminine.

Femme - A person whoidentifies and often presents as feminine.

Gay - A person who isphysically, romantically, and/ or emotionally attracted to people of the samegender.

Gender Expression - Refersto the ways in which an individual outwardly expresses their gender to othersor for themselves (such as clothing, hairstyle, and mannerisms).

Gender Fluid - Aperson whose gender (identity or expression) changes over time.

Gender Identity - Aperson’s deeply felt sense of their own gender.

Gender Nonconforming - Aperson whose behavior or appearance does not conform to prevalent social and/orcultural expectations deemed appropriate for their gender.

Genderqueer - A personwhose gender is neither female or male or whose gender transgresses prevalentsocial and/or cultural expectations associated with men and women.

Intersex - A personwhose sex characteristics e.g. sexual anatomy, reproductive organs, and/orchromosome patterns do not fit medical definitions of male or female sexassignment.

Lesbian - A woman whois physically, romantically, and/ or emotionally attracted to women and femmes.

Masc - A person whoidentifies and often presents as masculine.

Masculine of Center - Aperson who feels masculine or has a masculine gender expression, but does notidentify as a man. Masculine of center people may also identify as butch, stud,boi, or transmasculine.

Nonbinary - A personwho does not identify within the gender binary of male and female. Nonbinarypeople may or may not identify as transgender.

Pansexual - A personwho is physically, romantically, and/ or emotionally attracted to people of allgenders.

Polyamorous - A personwho has consensual relationships with multiple partners.

Polysexual - A personwho is attracted to multiple gender identities, though not necessarily all ofthem.

Queer - An in-groupterm umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual, heteroromantic orcisgender.

Romantic Attraction - Feelingstoward another person or people, often involving desire for an intimaterelationship somehow different from those self-defined as friendships. This mayor may not be accompanied by feelings of sexual attraction.

Same Gender Loving - AnAfrocentric sexual identity for someone who is attracted to people of theirsame gender.

Sex Assigned at Birth - Aninterpretation of biological sex often determined by genitalia present at birthand refers to the sex marker listed on a person’s original birth certificate.

Sexuality - Describesa person's physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to another person.

Sexual Attraction - Thedesire to engage in sexual contact or sexual activity with another person orpeople.

Transgender - A personwhose gender identity or gender expression differs from their sex assigned atbirth.

Two-Spirit - AnIndigenous identity among First Nations, American Indian, and Native Americancultures signifying someone who may have both a feminine and masculine spirit,identifies with or represents a third gender, or performs traditional work andsocial roles associated with both men and women.

Sources

Human RightsCampaign Glossary of Terms: http://www.hrc.org/resources/glossary-of-terms

QueerUndefined: https://www.queerundefined.com/

The TrevorProject Glossary: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/trvr_support_center/glossary/

Gender Wiki: https://gender.wikia.org/wiki/Gender_Wiki

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