You might also see the acronym “LGBTQIA,” which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual.
Lesbian: A non-man who is exclusively attracted to other non-men. Gay: Refers to someone who isn’t attracted to people of the opposite gender. Unlike the term “lesbian”, “gay” can refer to people of any gender. Homosexual: Someone attracted exclusively people of the same gender. The term is considered offensive by many members of the LGBT+ community due to it’s clinical history. In most contexts, “gay” or “lesbian” is preferred. [3] X Research source Straight/heterosexual: A person who is exclusively attracted to people who aren’t of the same gender. Asexual: Someone who experiences little to no sexual attraction. Contrary to popular belief, asexual people can still have romantic attraction for others, and they might even still have sex with their partners. [4] X Expert Source Deb Schneider, LCSW, PPSCLicensed Clinical Social Worker Expert Interview. 2 April 2021. Demisexual: Someone who only experiences sexual attraction after forming an emotional bond. Bisexual: A person who is sexually attracted to two or more genders. Although the prefix “bi” means “two”, bisexual people can and do feel attraction towards nonbinary people. Pansexual: A person who is sexually attracted to all genders without any preference. [5] X Expert Source Deb Schneider, LCSW, PPSCLicensed Clinical Social Worker Expert Interview. 2 April 2021.
Aromantic: Someone who experiences little to no romantic attraction. They can, however, experience sexual attraction to others. Demiromantic: Someone who only experiences romantic attraction after forming an emotional bond. Biromantic: Someone who is romantically attracted to more than one gender. Heteroromantic: Someone who is exclusively romantically attracted to the opposite gender. Homoromantic: Someone who is exclusively romantically attracted to the same gender.
Cisgender: A person whose gender identity aligns with the gender they were assigned at birth. Trans man/Transgender man/FTM (female-to-male): A man who was assigned the sex “female” at birth. Trans woman/Transgender woman/MTF (male-to-female): A woman who was assigned the sex “male” at birth. Non-binary (sometimes written as “nonbinary”): A person who does not identify as either a man or a woman. They may use “they/them” pronouns (but not always). Nonbinary people fall under the transgender umbrella, however, some nonbinary people do not consider themselves transgender. Gender-fluid (sometimes written as “genderfluid): A person who does not identify as any one gender. They may switch gender expressions on a regular basis. Intersex: A person whose sex characteristics (reproductive organs, sex hormones, sex chromosomes, etc. ) did not neatly fit into the “male” or “female” category when they were born. An intersex person may be of any gender. Two-Spirit: An umbrella term for Native American people who may be the traditional third gender in their culture and community. This term is exclusively for Indigenous Americans. Assigned gender is the gender which someone was assumed to have at birth. AFAB and AMAB are acronyms that stand for “assigned female at birth” and “assigned male at birth” respectively.
Genderqueer: An umbrella term to refer to anyone who is not cisgender. Non-binary: An umbrella term people use to refer to a person who does not identify as male or female. between 2 genders (usually masculine and feminine). Bigender: A term for people whose gender identity encompasses two genders, either together or separately. Genderfluid: A person who flows between two or more gender presentations. Neutrois: A person with a neutral gender. Agender: A person without any gender. Androgyne: A person who is multiple genders at the same time, or middle gender.
Transition: A term to describe the process of moving from one gender to another. Try to avoid saying “sex-change,” “sex-operation,” or “pre-op” in reference to transitioning. Transgender person: A term to describe someone who is transgender. If you aren’t transgender, never say “tranny,” “transvestite,” or “transsexual,” as these are all outdated and offensive. Do not refer to trans people as “transgenders”, but instead as transgender people.
She|her: Commonly used for people who identify as a woman. He|him: Commonly used for people who identify as a man. They|them: Commonly used for non-binary or gender-nonconforming people. Some people may use a selection of these pronouns, for example they/she pronouns. Some people use neopronouns. Neopronouns are pronouns other than she|her, he|him, and they|them. An example of this is if someone used xe/xem pronouns. It is extremely important to use and respect everyones’ pronouns. If you aren’t sure of how to properly use someone’s pronouns, it’s best to ask.
Different people within the LGBT+ community have varying levels of comfort with this word. When in doubt, don’t call someone else queer without checking in first.
Members of the LGBT+ community aren’t obligated to educate you about their terminology. While it’s fine to ask your friends, approaching a stranger or someone you don’t know well with questions about terms can feel invasive.
If you hear friends, coworkers, or others using disrespectful language towards LGBT+ people, say “I have loved ones and people I care about who identify as queer/LGBT. And so it’s important to me that we use the right terminology and that we’re respectful of people’s pronouns. “[12] X Expert Source Deb Schneider, LCSW, PPSCLicensed Clinical Social Worker Expert Interview. 2 April 2021.
