Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation 101

An identity under the nonbinary and transgender umbrella terms. Agender individuals find that they have no gender identity, although some define this more as having a gender identity that is neutral.

A person who does not experience romantic, emotional, and/or sexual attraction.

A person whose romantic, emotional, or sexual attraction is towards same and/or different genders.

The hatred or fear of bisexual people - sometimes leading to acts of violence and expressions of hostility, often manifesting as the erasure of bisexual identities, experiences, and voices.

A person who expresses as and identifies with the gender they were assigned at birth.

A person’s internal sense of being male, female, or something else. Since gender identity is internal, one’s gender identity is not necessarily visible to others.

How a person represents or expresses one’s gender identity to others, often through behavior, clothing, hairstyles, voice, or body characteristics.

Refers to an identity under the non-binary, and transgender umbrellas. Genderfluid individuals have different gender identities at different times. A genderfluid individual’s gender identity could be multiple genders at once, and then switch to none at all, or move between single gender identities. For some genderfluid people, these changes happen as often as several times a day, and for others, monthly, or less often.

A term for people whose gender expression is different from societal expectations related to gender.

Refers to a person who is born with sexual or reproductive anatomy that does not fit within the sex binary of male or female, encompassing a variety of sex expressions.

Pronounced “Latin-ex,” is a gender neutral way to describe people of Latin American descent. The “x” makes Latino, a masculine identifier, gender-neutral. It also moves beyond Latin@ to encompass genders outside of the limiting male-female binary.

Shorthand for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning people.

A woman whose romantic, emotional, or sexual attraction is towards other women.

A person whose romantic, emotional, or sexual attraction is towards their own gender, most commonly used for men.

These words often get used as synonyms, but have different meanings with particular goals. LGBTQ rights or equality refers to the movement to gain legal privileges that are currently denied to LGBTQ people and/or protections we need in the face of discrimination, with the long-term goal of inserting LGBTQ people into existing social institutions and systems of power. LGBTQ justice or liberation refers to the long-term goal of (re)creating social institutions and equitable systems that are supportive of LGBTQ people and allows us to live as our full, authentic selves.

A term used by people who identify as neither entirely male nor entirely female. This can include people who are agender, genderqueer, and GNC, among others.

A preferred term to identify a person who has a positive HIV diagnosis. The term is indicative of the people-first language used in HIV advocacy to combat the stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV/AIDS and its portrayal as a deadly disease. The term highlights the fact that a person with a positive diagnosis can live a long and healthy life with the right treatment and care. This term should be used instead of HIV-infected person, HIV-positive person, or AIDS patient, all of which are potentially stigmatizing.

An umbrella term which embraces a variety of sexual preferences, orientation, and habits of those who are not among the exclusively heterosexual and monogamous majority. Although the term was once considered derogatory and offensive, the community has reclaimed the word and now uses it widely as a form of empowerment. Younger generations tend to use the term “queer” for reasons such as the fact that it does not assume the gender of the queer person or the gender of any potential romantic partners, and/or in order to make a political statement about the fluidity of gender.

A person’s identity in relation to whom they are attracted to; a person’s actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or asexuality. Sexual orientation and gender identity are distinct components of a person’s identity.

A person whose romantic, emotional, or sexual attraction is towards people of the opposite gender.

A broad term for people whose gender identity, expression or behavior is different from those typically associated with their assigned gender at birth. “Trans” is shorthand for “transgender.” (Note: Transgender is correctly used as an adjective, hence “transgender people,” but “transgenders” or “transgendered” is often viewed as disrespectful.)

A term for a transgender person who identifies as a man.

A term for a transgender person who identifies as a woman.

The time when a person begins to live as the gender with which they identify rather than the gender they were assigned at birth, which often includes changing one’s first name and dressing and grooming differently. Transitioning may or may not also include medical and legal aspects, including taking hormones, having surgery, or changing identity documents (e.g. driver’s license, Social Security record) to reflect one’s gender identity. Medical and legal steps are often difficult for people to afford.

Contemporary umbrella term that refers to the historical and current First Nations people whose individual spirits were a blend of female and male spirits. This term has been reclaimed by Native American LGBT communities in order to honor their heritage and provide an alternative to the Western labels of gay, lesbian, or transgender.

The hatred or fear of lesbians and gay men - sometimes leading to acts of violence and expressions of hostility. Homophobia is not confined to any one segment of society, and can be found in people from all walks of life.