In celebration of LGBTQIA+ History Month (October) and the contributions and achievements of the LGBTQIA+ community, we encourage school communities to create and maintain a culture of safety of expression for all students and staff. One important way to do that is to clarify and use terms and pronouns that demonstrate your respect, understanding, and care for all individuals.
This annotated glossary contains some of the current terms and definitions related to identities of sexuality or gender. These terms and definitions are not universal; they evolve, change, and often mean different things to different people. They are provided below as a starting point for discussion and understanding, and we encourage you to refer to the full unannotated glossary for more information (excerpted from University of California, Davis’s LGBTQIA Resource Center Glossary).
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Asexual/Ace | A broad spectrum of sexual orientations characterized by feeling varying degrees of sexual attraction or a desire for partnered sexuality. There are many diverse ways of being asexual. A person who does not experience sexual attraction can experience other forms of attraction such as romantic attraction, physical attraction and emotional attraction, as these are separate aspects of a person’s identity. |
| Bisexual/Bi | A person whose primary sexual and affectional orientation is toward people of the same and other genders. This term is sometimes used interchangeably with pansexual. Bisexual people may experience sexual and affectional attraction differently based on gender. Note: A common misconception about bisexuality is that this orientation reinforces the gender binary (i.e., the ‘bi’ in ‘bisexual’ means men and women). As illustrated in the definition, the ‘bi’ in ‘bisexual’ indicates attraction to genders like one’s own and different from one’s own. |
| Cisgender | A gender identity that society deems to match the person’s assigned sex at birth. The prefix cis- is a scientific term (often used in chemistry to describe molecular shapes) meaning “on this side of” or “not across.” |
| Gay | A sexual and affectional orientation toward people of the same gender. This term has traditionally been used to describe men, and now is often used by individuals of any gender to self-describe. |
| Gender | A social construct used to classify a person as a man, woman, or some other identity. Fundamentally different from the sex one is assigned at birth because it is based on one’s internal sense of self as opposed to biological sex characteristics. |
| Gender Expression | How one expresses oneself, in terms of dress, presentation of secondary sex characteristics (i.e., breasts, body hair, voice), and/or behaviors. Society characterizes these expressions as “masculine,” “feminine,” or “androgynous.” Individuals may embody their gender in a multitude of ways and have terms beyond these to name their gender expression(s). Note: A person’s gender expression may not always align with their gender identity for a variety of reasons and may change based on how safe the individual feels to express themself in a particular space/environment (such as work, school, home, etc.). |
| Gender Fluid | A person whose gender identification and presentation shifts, whether within or outside of societal gender-based expectations, between two or more genders. Someone who is gender fluid may use more than one pronoun to reflect their identity (i.e., he/they, she/he, she/he/they). |
| Gender Identity | A sense of one’s self as trans, genderqueer, woman, man, or some other identity, which may or may not correspond with the sex and gender one is assigned at birth. |
| Gender Non-Conforming | Adjective for people who do not subscribe to societal expectations of typical gender expressions or roles. The term is more commonly used to refer to gender expression (how one behaves, acts, and presents themselves to others) as opposed to gender identity (one’s internal sense of self). |
| Intersectionality | A term coined by law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw in the 1980s to describe the way that multiple systems of oppression interact in the lives of those with multiple marginalized identities. |
| Intersex | An umbrella term to describe a range of natural body variations that do not fit into conventional definitions of male or female. Intersex variations may include, but are not limited to, variations in chromosome compositions, hormone concentrations, and external and internal characteristics. Hermaphrodite is an outdated and offensive term that has been used to describe intersex people in the past. |
| Lesbian | Usually, someone who identifies as a woman, whose primary sexual and affectional orientation is toward people of the same gender. However, some nonbinary people also identify as lesbians, often because they have some connection to womanhood and are primarily attracted to women. |
| LGBTQIA+ | Abbreviation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual/Aromantic. The additional “+” stands for all of the other identities not encompassed in the short acronym. |
| Neopronouns | Personal pronouns such as ze/zir or ey/em. Visit the LGBTQIA Resource Center Pronouns & Inclusive language resource for more information on pronouns. |
| Nonbinary | A gender identity and experience that embraces a full universe of expressions, moving beyond the male/female gender binary. Someone who is nonbinary may use more than one pronoun to reflect their identity (i.e., he/they, she/he, she/he/they). |
| Omnigender | Possessing all genders. The term is used specifically to refute the concept of only two genders. |
| Pansexual | Describes people who have romantic, sexual, or affectional desire for people regardless of sex or gender. |
| Queer | An umbrella term used to describe gender/sexual/romantic orientations or identities that fall outside of societal norms. Historically, queer has been used as an epithet/slur against the LGBTQIA+ community and may be seen as offensive if used by someone who does not identify as LGBTQIA+. Some people have reclaimed the word queer and self-identify in opposition to assimilation. Not all people who identify as LGBTQIA+ use “queer” to describe themselves. |
| Questioning | The process of exploring one’s own gender identity, gender expression, and/or sexual orientation. Some people may also use this term to name their identity within the LGBTQIA+ community. |
| Sex / Sex Assigned at Birth | A medically constructed categorization. Sex is often assigned based on the appearance of the genitalia, either in ultrasound or at birth. Sex assigned at birth is different from gender identity, and sex is not always binary, such as for intersex individuals. |
| Sexual Orientation | An enduring emotional, romantic, sexual, or affectional attraction or non-attraction to other people. Sexual orientation can be fluid and change over time, and people can use a variety of labels to describe their sexual orientation. |
| Transgender | An adjective used most often as an umbrella term and frequently abbreviated to “trans.” Identifying as transgender, or trans, means that one’s internal knowledge of gender is different from conventional or cultural expectations based on the sex that person was assigned at birth. |
This is the first post of a three-part blog series devoted to supporting LGBTQIA+ students. Stay tuned for more resources on pronouns and tools to create affirming spaces for LGBTQIA+ youth.
October 2024
Topics: School climate
Tags: LGBTQIA+ History Month