As part of Pride History Month 2023, we thought we would share an array of A to Z LGBT+ terminology. By sharing these words and meanings, we hope to make conversations around sexual orientation and gender expression a lot easier.
Ally (Heterosexual Ally, Straight Ally) – Someone who is a friend, advocate, and/or activist for LGBTQ people. A heterosexual ally is also someone who confronts heterosexism in themselves and others. The term ally is generally used for any member of a dominant group who is a friend, advocate or activist for people in an oppressed group (i.e. White Ally for People of Colour).
(We are Family Glossary of Terms)
Butch – A person who identifies as masculine, whether physically, mentally or emotionally. 2. Sometimes used as a derogatory term for lesbians, but it can also be claimed as an affirmative identity label.
(John Jay LGBTQ Terminology)
Coming Out – A lifelong process of self-acceptance. People forge a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender identity first to themselves and then may reveal it to others. Publicly identifying one’s orientation may or may not be part of coming out.
(We are Family Glossary of Terms)
Demisexual – Demisexuality is a sexual orientation in which an individual does not experience primary sexual attraction – the type of attraction that is based on immediately observable characteristics such as appearance or smell and is experienced immediately after a first encounter. They can only experience secondary sexual attraction – the type of attraction that happens after knowing someone for a while.
(Demisexuality Definition Wikipedia)
(Gender) Expression – Refers to how an individual expresses their socially constructed gender. This may refer to how an individual dresses, their general appearance, the way they speak, and/or the way they carry themselves. Gender expression is not always correlated to an individuals’ gender identity or gender role.
(Ontario Human Rights Commission)
Gender dysphoria – Used to describe when a person experiences discomfort or distress because there is a mismatch between their sex assigned at birth and their gender identity. This is also the clinical diagnosis for someone who doesn’t feel comfortable with the sex they were assigned at birth.
(Wood Lane Medical Centre)
Gender identity – A person’s innate sense of their own gender, whether male, female or something else (see non-binary below), which may or may not correspond to the sex assigned at birth.
(Stonewall’s List of LGBT Terms)
Gender reassignment – Another way of describing a person’s transition. To undergo gender reassignment usually means to undergo some sort of medical intervention, but it can also mean changing names, pronouns, dressing differently and living in their self-identified gender. Gender reassignment is a characteristic that is protected by the Equality Act 2010, and it is further interpreted in the Equality Act 2010 approved code of practice.
Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) – This enables trans people to be legally recognised in their affirmed gender and to be issued with a new birth certificate. Not all trans people will apply for a GRC and you currently have to be over 18 to apply. You do not need a GRC to change your gender markers at work or to legally change your gender on other documents such as your passport.
(Stonewall’s List of LGBT Terms)
Heterosexual/straight – Refers to a man who has a romantic and/or sexual orientation towards women or to a woman who has a romantic and/or sexual orientation towards men.
(Stonewall’s List of LGBT Terms)
Homosexual – This might be considered a more medical term used to describe someone who has a romantic and/or sexual orientation towards someone of the same gender. The term ‘gay’ is now more generally used.
(Stonewall’s List of LGBT Terms)
Homophobia – The fear or dislike of someone, based on prejudice or negative attitudes, beliefs or views about lesbian, gay or bi people. Homophobic bullying may be targeted at people who are, or who are perceived to be, lesbian, gay or bi.
(Stonewall’s List of LGBT Terms)
Intersex – A term used to describe a person who may have the biological attributes of both sexes or whose biological attributes do not fit with societal assumptions about what constitutes male or female. Intersex people may identify as male, female or non-binary.
(Stonewall’s List of LGBT Terms)
LGBTQQIA – An acronym used to refer to all sexual minorities: “Lesbian, Gay/Gender Neutral/Gender Queer, Bisexual/Bigender, Transgender/Transvestite/Transsexual, Questioning/Queer, Intersex, and Allies/Androgynous/Asexual.”
(We are Family Glossary of Terms)
Non-binary – An umbrella term for people whose gender identity doesn’t sit comfortably with ‘man’ or ‘woman’. Non-binary identities are varied and can include people who identify with some aspects of binary identities, while others reject them entirely.
(Stonewall’s List of LGBT Terms)
Outing – When someone discloses information about another’s sexual orientation or gender identity without their knowledge and/or consent.
(New Jersey Institute of Technology)
Pan-Sexual – Refers to a person whose romantic and/or sexual attraction towards others is not limited by sex or gender.
(Stonewall’s List of LGBT Terms)
Pronoun – A word used to refer to a person or object when their name is not used. Pronouns for humans are usually gendered, although there are some genderless pronouns in existence. For example, ‘he’ or ‘she’. Some people may prefer others to refer to them in gender-neutral language and use pronouns such as they/their and ze/zir.
(Stonewall’s List of LGBT Terms)
Questioning – The process of exploring your own sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
(Stonewall’s List of LGBT Terms)
Romantic Orientation – A person’s romantic attraction to other people, or lack thereof. Along with sexual orientation, this forms a person’s orientation identity.
(Stonewall’s List of LGBT Terms)
Spectrum -A term used to cover a variety of identities that have a root commonality or shared experience.
(Stonewall’s List of LGBT Terms)
Transexual – denoting or relating to a transgender person, especially one whose bodily characteristics have been altered through surgery or hormone treatment to bring them into alignment with their gender identity.
(Oxford Dictionary)
Ze/Zir – The ze/hir, ze/zir pronoun sets come from the trans community as another gender-neutral pronoun set. It’s up to each individual to decide which pronoun best fits them and their identities. Ze is typically pronounced like the letter Z.
(North Dakota Health)
Share this blog