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Basic Definitions for
LGBT* Communities (and Allies)
Compiled by Cathy Busha
1.
Bisexual:
Type of sexual
orientation in which a person is emotionally and sexually attracted
to either sex.
See Sexual Orientation.
2.
Coming Out:
The process by which a person begins to self-identify as gay,
lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, or queer. Coming out
can happen over a long or short period of time and at different
levels (i.e. a person may be out to their friends, but not to their
family).
3.
Cross Dresser:
A person who enjoys wearing clothes usually associated with the
opposite of her/ his assigned sex or gender. Some Cross Dressers may
identify as transgender.
4.
Drag:
Stands for (DR)essed (A)s a (G)irl. When a person
performs in the clothes or uses the mannerisms usually associated
with the opposite sex or gender. Most people that do drag do not
consider themselves transgender. Drag is usually done for
entertainment purposes. There are Drag Queens (men dressing up as
women) and Drag Kings (women dressing up as men).
5.
FtM:
A Female to Male transsexual. See
Transsexual
and
Transition.
6.
Gay:
A man who is emotionally, socially, and perhaps sexually attracted
to other men. Preferred self-identifier for many homosexual
men and women. Also, a term used to describe the GLBT community. See
Sexual Orientation, MSM.
Some men who have sex with men do not identify as gay.
7.
Gender:
A social construct. In Western culture, it is typically divided
between men and women/masculine and feminine. Behavior, appearance
and societal roles are differently defined for each gender. For most
people, gender is their sex made visible.
8.
Gender Identity:
Refers to the way in which people externally communicate their
internal, personal sense of gender to others through behavior and
appearance. For transgender people, their birth-assigned gender or
sex and their own internal sense of gender identity do not match,
and they seek to make their gender expression match their internal
identity, rather than their birth-assigned gender or sex. See
Gender,
Transgender
and
Transition.
9.
Hermaphrodite:
Considered a pejorative term, referring to an intersexed person. See
Intersexed.
10.
Heterosexism:
Belief that heterosexuality is superior or more valid than other
sexual orientations. Gives people who follow a more culturally
traditional heterosexual lifestyle greater power, as well as
increased opportunities for legal, medical, and economic, and social
privilege, assistance and status.
11.
Heterosexual:
Type of sexual orientation in which a person is emotionally and
sexually attracted to the opposite sex (males attracted to females,
females attracted to males). See
Sexual Orientation
and
Heterosexism.
12.
Homophobia:
Irrational fear and hatred of homosexuality and anyone who
identifies as anything other than heterosexual. Can often be
internalized by someone who is having difficulty with her/his own
gay, lesbian, or bisexual orientation. A direct result of
heterosexism. See
Heterosexism
and
Homosexual.
13.
Homosexual:
Type of sexual orientation in which a person is attracted to the
same sex (males attracted to males, females attracted to females). A
term originally used by the medical community to “diagnose” people
who were not heterosexual. Considered a pejorative to some people
who prefer the terms “gay”, “lesbian”, or “queer”. See
Gay,
Lesbian, Queer,
and
Sexual Orientation
14.
Intersexed:
People who are born with ambiguous genitalia. Use 'intersexed'
rather than 'hermaphrodite.’ Intersexed people may or may not
identify as transgender or transsexual.
15.
Lesbian:
A woman who is emotionally and sexually attracted to other women.
Preferred self-identifier for many homosexual women. Can also refer
to the community and culture of women who love/are attracted to
other women.
16.
LGBT:
Common abbreviation for (L)esbian, (G)ay, (B)isexual, and (T)ransgender.
17.
MSM
Men who have Sex with men, but who may not identify
as gay.
18.
MtF:
A Male-to-Female transsexual. See Transsexual and Transition.
19.
Sex:
1. Verb: Consensual, intimate physical contact between adults. 2.
Noun: Biologically based (though, some argue socially constructed)
determination of a person's label of "female" or "male." Often based
on doctor's visual assessment of a baby's genitalia.
20.
Sexual Orientation:
Refers to the identifiers used to describe the kind of sex a person
finds attractive. Includes heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual.
See
Gay
and
Lesbian.
*Transgender is not an indicator of a person’s sexual orientation.
Transgender people may have a heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual
orientation. See
Gender Identity
and
Transition.
21.
Straight Ally:
Someone who is not
LGBT, but advocates for the fair treatment of LGBT people.
22.
Transgender:
Often an umbrella term including transsexuals, cross-dressers, as
well as people who identify as neither male nor female. Can also be
the preferred self-identifier for someone who feels their gender
identity differs from their birth-assigned gender or sex, but who
does not wish to transition.
23.
Transition:
The process by which a person who identifies as transgender or
transsexual changes their sex and gender. Can include changing name/
and or sex on legal documents, hormone therapy, living as the
opposite gender or sex for an extended period of time, Sex
Reassignment Surgery (SRS). Not all transgender/transsexual people
choose to transition, or may choose some but not all of the options
related to transition (an FtM or MtF may choose hormonal therapy but
never have Sex Reassignment Surgery).
24.
Transsexual:
A person who does not feel that their birth-assigned sex matches
their internal sense of their sex. Transsexuals may be
male-to-female (MtF) or female-to-male (FtM). Transsexuals may or
may not choose to alter their bodies hormonally or surgically. Some
transsexuals also identify as transgender. See
Transgender
and
Transition.
25.
Transvestite:
Considered a pejorative term when used to describe someone who is a
Cross-Dresser. See
Cross-Dresser.
26.
Two-Spirit:
The preferred
self-identifier of many contemporary gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender Native Americans.
27.
Queer:
An umbrella term used for anything not heterosexual. Historically
has been considered pejorative, however the term has recently been
reclaimed by some LGBT people as a preferred self-identifier, as
well as an adjective (i.e.
Queer Politics, Queer Studies).
Some LGBT people do not like the word Queer. |
