LGBTQIA+ Terms & Definitions

FTM

"Female-to-male"; typically refers to an individual who was designated female at birth but who identifies as male. (AKA trans men.)

MTF

"Male-to-female"; typically refers to an individual who was designated male at birth but who identifies as female. (AKA trans women.)

Gender

A complicated set of sociocultural practices whereby human bodies are transformed into "men" and "women." This refers to that which society deems "masculine" or "feminine."

Drag Culture

A culture derived from drag artists impersonating famous people usually varying by class, culture, and city. Drag queens are typically cisgender men dressing as women; drag kings are typically cisgender women dressing as men. The drag community, especially the drag queen community, has been criticized by trans women for not respecting the distinction between drag and trans womanhood.

Gender Dysphoria

A feeling of deep psychological dissatisfaction and despair typically describing the relationship between transgender individuals and their bodies. Many transgender people seek surgery or hormones to alleviate dysphoria, but some choose not to for a variety of reasons.

Down Low

A label adopted by some African Americans to describe men who seek same-gender sexual relations but do not necessarily identify as gay or bisexual.

Demisexual

A person does not experience primary sexual attraction but may experience secondary sexual attraction after a close emotional connection has already formed.

Aromantic

A person who does not experience romantic attraction. Not necessarily asexual; an aromantic person can be heterosexual, bisexual, pansexual, or any other sexual identity.

Asexual

A person who does not experience sexual attraction. Not all asexuals are necessarily sex-repulsed; some are ambivalent to sex and some even enjoy it. They merely do not experience sexual attraction. Also note that not all asexuals are aromantic!

Biromantic

A person who is romantically attracted to same and other genders.

Bisexual

A person who is sexually attracted to same and other genders; note this is different from the traditional description of "two genders" so as to be inclusive of non-binary trans identities.

Bigender

A person who switches between two specific genders at random or in a pattern. A common misconception is that bigender people are always male/female when in fact one or both of their genders can be binary or non-binary. Being bigender is similar to being gender fluid except that instead of switching between multiple genders bigender people (usually) only switch between two.

Non-Binary

A person whose gender identity does not fit into the typical "male/female" binary; some use the term to describe their specific gender identity while others use it as an umbrella term for a great number of gender identities.

Romantic Orientation

A person's identity in relation to which gender or genders they are romantically attracted to; the fact of being heteromantic, homoromantic, biromantic, aromantic, etc. Only recently recognized as separate from sexual Identity.

Sexual Identity

A person's identity in relation to which gender or genders they are sexually attracted to; the fact of being heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, etc.

Questioning

A term used to describe an individual who is not yet certain of their sexual, romantic, or gender identity.

Stealth

A trans person who has begun/completed their transition but is not open about their trans-ness, and are thus assumed to be cisgender; this may be for safety reasons or just out of personal preference.

Allosexual

Allosexual is a term used most commonly in the asexual community to refer to someone who is not asexual. An allosexual person is someone who experiences sexual attraction.

Cross dresser

An individual who dresses in clothing that is culturally associated with members of the "opposite" gender. Most of these individuals are heterosexual and participate in this activity on a part-time basis.

Androphile/Androsexual

An individual who is attracted to men or masculinity. Often used to identify a person's object of attraction without attributing a gender identity to the person in question.

Gynephilie/Gynosexual

An individual who is attracted to women or femininity. Often used to identify a person's object of attraction without attributing a gender identity to the person in question.

Polyromantic

An individual who is romantically attracted to some but not all genders.

Polysexual

An individual who is sexually attracted to some but not all genders; could describe a person only sexually attracted to women and non-binary people, etc.

Celibate

An individual who may or may not experience sexual attraction but nevertheless chooses to abstain from sexual activity, usually for religious or personal reasons.

Polyamorous

An individual who seeks romantic and/or sexual relationships with more than one partner at a time. Sometimes this manifests itself as a core couple in an "open" relationship (i.e. they each have relationships on the side); other times couples exist as a committed group of three or more individuals in a relationship with each other.

Transgender

An individual whose gender identity differs from the gender that they were assigned at birth. Sometimes considered an umbrella term, including both binary and non-binary trans individuals.

Queer

An umbrella term used by LGBTQIA+ people for anyone whose sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression is not considered heterosexual, heteronormative, or cisnormative. It is a political ideology that seeks to recapture a once derogatory term. While it is used as a neutral, even positive term, historically it has been negative and is still considered derogatory by many.

Lesbian

Generally defined as a woman who is physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually attracted to other women.

Gay

Generally refers to a man who is physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually attracted to other men. May also refer to women who are attracted to other women. Is also sometimes considered an umbrella term.

Coming Out

Generally, denotes the act of telling someone that one is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or another sexual identity.

Gray-Asexual

Gray-A, gray-asexual, gray-sexual are terms used to describe individuals who feel as though their sexuality falls somewhere on the spectrum of sexuality between asexuality and sexuality.

Genderqueer

Individuals who use this term are united by their rejection of the notion that there are only two genders. It is an evolving concept. Some believe they are a little of both or feel they have no gender at all. Others believe that gender is a social construct and choose not to adhere to that construct. Some individuals fit into the stereotypical gender roles of their assigned sex, but still reject gender as a social construct.

Agender

Often described as "genderless" or "without gender." Sometimes used interchangeably with "neutrois."

Neutrois

Often described as a "neutral gender" or "third gender." Sometimes used interchangeably with "agender."

Transmasculine

Refers to an individual who was designated female at birth who seeks to become more masculine—not necessarily someone who identifies as male.

Transfeminine

Refers to an individual who was designated male at birth who seeks to become more feminine—not necessarily someone who identifies as female.

DFAB/AFAB

Refers to an individual who was designated/assigned female at birth. Sometimes CAFAB (coercively assigned female at birth) is used, especially by the intersex community, to indicate the forced nature of gender assignment.

DMAB/AMAB

Refers to an individual who was designated/assigned male at birth. Sometimes CAMAB (coercively assigned male at birth) is used, especially by the intersex community, to indicate the forced nature of gender assignment.

Gender Fluid

Someone who experiences shifts in gender identity, moving between two or more genders depending on the situation and with time.

Androgynous

Sometimes used to describe gender expression—a person with an androgynous appearance appears to have a mix of both male and female attributes, and may not appear to be clearly male or female. Androgynous is also used as a gender identity, referring to individuals who feel their gender is a mix of male and female genders; androgynous-identified individuals sometimes refer to themselves as "androgynes."

Misgendering

The act of referring to someone as a different gender than the gender they identify with. Misgendering is a primary source of distress and dysphoria for many transgender individuals.

Closeted

The opposite of being "out," meaning that one's sexual identity is concealed or presumed to be heterosexual.

Gender Identity

This is the individual's internal, deeply felt sense of being male, female, or something other or in-between.

Gender Expression

This refers to an individual's characteristics and behaviors such as appearance, dress, mannerisms, speech patterns, and social interactions that are perceived as masculine, feminine, or androgynous/neutral.

Outing Someone

To declare someone's sexual identity publicly without their permission.

Heterosexual

Typically, a man who is exclusively sexually attracted to women or a woman who is exclusively sexually attracted to men.

Pan/Omniromantic

Usually defined as an individual who is romantically attracted to people regardless of their gender identity. Also defined as romantic attraction to all genders.

Pansexual (Omnisexual)

Usually defined as an individual who is sexually attracted to people regardless of their gender identity or sex. Also defined as sexual attraction to all genders. Sometimes interchangeable with bisexual; both communities have a lot in common. The use of bisexual vs. pan/omnisexual is often a matter of personal preference.

Cisgendergender

When an individual's assigned sex at birth and gender identity match. For example, this term describes someone who is assigned female at birth and identifies as a woman. It is used as the opposite of the term transgender.