Asexual::
People who do not
experience sexual attraction; some of whom experience romantic
attraction". The asexual population is very diverse, with
gay/lesbian, straight, biromantic, aromantic and other asexuals.
For more information see
www.asexuality.org
B
Bisexual:
an individual (male or female) who is attracted to, and may form
sexual and affectionate relationships with, both males and females.
A bisexual person may not be equally attracted to both genders,
and the degree of attraction may vary over time.
Bisexuality:
is the potential or inclination to feel sexually attracted to, and
to engage in sensual or sexual relationships with, people of either
gender. Bisexuality, like homosexuality and heterosexuality, may
be either a transitional step in the process of sexual self-discovery,
or a stable, long-term identity.
“Closeted”:
being “closeted” or “in the closet” refers
to not disclosing one’s sexual orientation; it is a metaphor
usually associated with not being able to tell others that one is
lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.
“Coming Out”
– “coming out” or “coming out of the closet”:
is the process of becoming aware of one’s homosexual or bisexual
orientation, or one’s Transgendered identity/status, accepting
it, and telling others about it. This is an ongoing process that
may or may not include everybody in all aspects of one’s life.
“Coming out” usually occurs in stages and is a non-linear
process. An individual may be “out” in only some situations
or to certain family members or associates and not others. Some
may never “come out” to anyone beside themselves.
Co-parent:
refers to gay and lesbian parents raising a child together. Sometimes
refers to non-biological or non-adoptive parent raising a child.
Family of Choice:
people forming an individual’s social support network and
often fulfilling the functions of blood relations. Many lesbian
and gay people are rejected when their families learn of their sexual
orientation, and/or may remain “closeted” to their biological
relatives. In such cases, it is their partner/significant other
and close friends whom will be called on in time of crisis.
Family of Origin:
the biological family or the family in which one was raised. These
individuals may or may not be a part of a person’s support
system.
Gay:
a person who forms sexual or affectionate relationships with those
of the same gender; often used to refer to men only.
Gay Bashing:
physical violence by homophobic/transphobic people against people
thought to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Transgender
people are often more visible during the transitioning stage and
bashed often, because they are seen as not fitting into their assigned
gender roles.
Gender Dysphoria:
the overall psychological term used to describe the feelings of
anguish and anxiety that arise from the mismatch between a transgender
person’s physical sex and their gender identity, and from
parental and societal pressure to conform gender norms.
Gender Identity:
one’s internal and psychological sense of oneself as male
or female, or both or neither (regardless of sexual orientation);
people who question their gender identity may feel unsure of their
gender or believe they are not of the same gender as their physical
body. Third gender is the term sometimes used to describe people
who feel other than male or female, and bi-gender refers to people
who feel they are both male and female. Often bi-gender people will
spend some time presenting in one gender and some time in the other.
Some people choose to present androgynously in a conscious attempt
to question and expand traditional gender roles, even though they
do not question their gender identity.
Gender Roles:
the socially constructed and culturally specific behaviour and appearance
expectations imposed on women (femininity) and men (masculinity),
and that society uses to differentiate females from males.
Gender Transition:
the period during which transsexual and transgender persons begin
changing their appearances and bodies to match their internal gender
identity. Because gender is so visible, people in transition must
literally “out” themselves to everyone, making them
very vulnerable to violence and discrimination.
GLBT:
abbreviated term used to refer to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender
people. Also interchangeable with LGBT – lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender.
Heterosexism:
the institutionalized assumption that everyone is, or should be,
heterosexual and that heterosexuality is inherently superior to
and preferable to homosexuality or bisexuality; also refers to the
institutional and organizational discrimination against non-heterosexuals
or behaviours not stereotypically heterosexual (this discrimination
is also sometimes referred to as cultural, institutional or societal
homophobia).
Heterosexual:
an individual (female or male) who forms sexual and affectionate
relationships with members of the other gender; also referred to
as “straight”; a term people apply to themselves because
they feel it represents their basic sexual orientation, even though
they may occasionally experience attraction to people of their own
gender.
Homophobia:
the irrational fear or hatred of, aversion to, and discrimination
against, homosexual people or behaviour. There are many levels and
forms of homophobia, including cultural/institutional homophobia,
personal homophobia, interpersonal homophobia, and internalized
homophobia. Many of the problems faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender people stem from homophobia and heterosexism. Transphobia
is the fear, hatred and intolerance of transsexuals or transgender
people, including anyone judged to not fully fit into their assigned
gender.
Homosexual:
a person who has sexual and affectional attractions predominantly
to the same gender; because this term is associated historically
with a medical model of homosexuality, most homosexual people prefer
the terms lesbian, gay, or bisexual.
Inclusive Language:
the use of gender non-specific language (i.e. “partner”
instead of “husband” or “wife”) to avoid
assumptions which limit, and to enhance the accessibility of information
and services; educational, social service, and health professionals
are especially encouraged to use inclusive language.
Internalized Homophobia:
the experience of shame, guilt, or self-hatred in reaction to one’s
own feelings of attraction for a person of the same gender.
Interpersonal Homophobia: the fear, dislike or hatred of people believed to
be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. This may be expressed
by name-calling, ostracism, verbal and physical harassment and individual
acts of discrimination.
Intersex:
people who were born with the combination of male and female anatomy.
Used to be called “hermaphrodite”; some still use this
term, though intersex is the word now preferred.
Kinsey Scale:
scale constructed by Alfred Kinsey, early researcher of sexuality,
when his studies indicated that there is a broad spectrum of sexual
orientations and sexual behaviours. Instead of picturing sexual
behaviour and orientation as either heterosexual or homosexual,
Kinsey developed a seven-point continuum based on the degree of
sexual responsiveness people have to members of the same gender
and to members of the other gender. Kinsey also concluded that self-labelling
may not accurately indicate sexual behaviour.
Lesbian:
a woman who forms sexual and affectionate relationships with other
women; the term originates from the Greek island of Lesbos which
was home to Sappho, a poet, a teacher and a woman who loved other
women.
Partner:
primary person that one may have an intimate and/or romantic relationship
with; may be referred to as “girlfriend/boyfriend”,
“lover”, “life partner”, “wife/husband”,
or “significant other”.
Queer:
broad term used both as an individual label, and also signifying
a larger socio-political movement created from a general dissatisfaction
with a gay and lesbian politic that is thought to be too assimilationist
in nature; “queer” defines a strategy, an attitude,
a reference to other identities and a new self-understanding. It
is a term also used as shorthand for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender) people – see also “Reclaimed Language”.
Questioning:
an apt term or self-label sometimes used by those exploring personal
and political issues of sexual orientation, sexual and gender identity,
and choosing not to identify with any other label; “questioning”
may create greater potential to create new options as well.
Reclaimed Language:
many LGBT people have chosen to positively use and hence reclaim
words or terms that were previously used by others in only derogatory
and hurtful ways. Some examples are dyke, fag, faggot and queer,
all words that have been reclaimed to be embraced positively. Although
these terms are used positively by those reclaiming them, it is
still offensive to have them used against us by others whose intent
is to hurt. Although many LGBT people have reclaimed these terms,
there are still other LGBT people who consider any usage of these
terms offensive.
Sexual Behaviour:
refers to what a person does sexually; it refers to our actions.
A person’s sexual behaviour can be different from his or her
sexual orientation. For example, some lesbians and gay men have
sex with members of the opposite gender due to desire, or outside
pressure to conform to heterosexuality, or economic need (sex trade
workers), or for the purpose of procreation.
Sexual Identity:
is how a person labels or defines themselves, and is part of a person’s
overall conception of self, and is a term expressing the whole of
a person’s sexuality. It may or may not coincide with behaviour
or orientation. The term may be used to refer to a socio-political
identity, a sexual behaviour, or both. Identification with any particular
“label” (gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, queer, questioning,
two-spirited…), or indeed a refusal of any label, may be culturally,
economically, generationally, geographically or politically influenced.
Sexual Orientation: refers to a persons deep-seated feelings of sexual
attraction. It includes whom we desire sexually, with whom we want
to become intimate, and with whom we want to form some of our strongest
emotional relationships. The inclination or capacity to develop
these intimate, romantic and emotional bonds may be with people
of the same gender (lesbian, gay), the other gender (heterosexual)
or either gender (bisexual). Many people become aware of these feelings
during adolescence or even earlier. Some do not realize or acknowledge
their attractions (especially same sex attractions) until much later
in life. Orientation is not the same as behaviour since not everyone
acts on their attractions. It is important to note that one’s
gender identity is totally independent of one’s sexual orientation;
neither facet should be considered predictive of the other.
Sexual Preference:
refers to whom one prefers to have sexual and affectional relationships
with (homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual). It is sometimes used
interchangeably with “sexual orientation”, but considered
by many to be inaccurate (or even insulting) because the word “preference”
implies choice, whereas the term “orientation” may imply
that the person is born heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual. Others
prefer the word “preference” for the very reason that
“choice” is implied.
Stonewall:
New York bar, frequented by homosexual patrons, subjected to police
raids; patrons fought back in 1969, and the event is considered
by many to be the beginning of the modern gay liberation movement.
Drag queens (mostly Black and Latina) led the stonewall riots, and
other LGBT people participated too.
Third Gender / Other
Gender:
people who feel other than male or female, or a combination of the
two.
Transgender (TG):
a transgender person is someone whose gender identity or expression
differs from conventional expectations of masculinity or femininity;
transgender is also an umbrella term used to describe the continuum
of individuals whose gender identity and expression, to varying
degrees, does not correspond with their genetic or physical gender,
or does not conform to society’s assigned gender roles and
expectations. Many medical researchers now believe that transgenderism
is rooted in complex biological factors that are fixed at birth.
Please see the definition of transsexual as many transsexuals identify,
and prefer to be referred to, as ‘transsexual’ and not
transgender.
Transsexual (TS):
an individual who presents oneself and lives in the gender “opposite”
to their genetic/physical gender at birth. A transsexual is someone
who may psychologically feel like the other sex and has somehow
been trapped in the wrong body. Transsexuals may be heterosexual,
bisexual or homosexual in their orientation. Some, but not all transsexuals,
undergo operations and hormone therapy in order to make their body
fit with what they feel is their true gender. Some transsexuals
live daily in the gender they identify with, but choose not to have
any operations. TS’s are also known as female-to-male, FTM,
transmen or male-to-female, MTF, transwomen. Many transsexual men
and women prefer to be called ‘transsexual’ rather than
‘transgender’
Transvestite (TV):
men and women who enjoy wearing the clothing of, and appearing as,
the other gender. While many are heterosexual, the use of transvestism
in the gay “drag” culture is well documented. A synonymous
term is “cross-dressers”; these represent the largest
group of transgender persons, the vast majority of whom live in
secrecy about their transgender status. Unlike transsexuals, they
do not wish to change their physical sex.
Triangle:
pink (for gay men) and black (for anarchists, prostitutes, and lesbians)
triangles used by Nazis for gay and lesbian prisoners; now reclaimed
as symbols of gay and lesbian pride. Rainbow flag/colours are additional
symbols of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride. The labrys
is also a symbol of lesbian pride.
Two-Spirited:
people of aboriginal or First Nations heritage who may be lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender or transsexual; were historically accorded
special and positive status, in many parts of North America, before
colonization. The term is being reclaimed by members of these communities
that may identify with a sexual orientation apart from heterosexuality.
