LGBTQIA+ TERMINOLOGY
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AGENDER - a person who does not identify themselves as having a particular gender.
AFAB/DFAB – Assigned Female at Birth/Designated Female at Birth
AMAB/DMAB - Assigned Male at Birth/Designated Male at Birth
ANDROGYNOUS - Possessing both masculine and feminine traits. Presenting in a way that appears not entirely all masculine, or entirely all feminine. This can be in regards to fashion, gender, physical characteristics, etc. Androgynous people have always existed throughout history in many different cultures.
ASEXUAL/ACE - Somebody who has little or no sexual attraction or desires to other people. They may still experience interest in others and romantic feelings, but does not need to be realised in a sexual manner. This exists within a spectrum and does not necessarily imply a lack of libido or sex drive.
AROMANTIC / ARO - Someone who experiences little to no romantic attraction to others – this exists within a spectrum.
AROACE - is a term that refers to a individual who is both aromantic and asexual
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BIGENDER - A self-imposed gender identity term which reflects feeling like both a man and a woman. This can be interchangeable and fluid for many.
BI+ / BI PLUS UMBRELLA - An inclusive term that refers to all people who are attracted to more than one gender. Some common bi+ identities include: bisexual, pansexual, queer, bi-romantic, and fluid. (See also: Bisexual, Pansexual, and Queer).
BISEXUAL - A person who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to people from two or more genders. This can include non-binary genders.
BISEXUAL ERASURE / BI ERASURE - The tendency to ignore, remove, falsify, or re-explain evidence of bisexuality in history, academia, the news media, and other sources.
BINARY - A term that describes when two things oppose each other. For example man/woman or heterosexual/ homosexual.
BINDING - A form of gender affirmation that involves flattening the chest with a tight top called a ‘binder’.
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CISGENDER - Describes people whose gender is the same as the sex assigned to them at birth (male or female). ‘Cis’ is a Latin term meaning ‘on the same side as’.
CISNORMATIVITY - Assumes that everyone is cisgender and that all people will continue to identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. Cisnormativity erases the existence of trans people.
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DEADNAME- A term used by some trans people to describe the name they were given and known by prior to affirming their gender and/or coming out. Can also be used as a verb (i.e. to 'deadname' someone).
DEMIBOY - a person who feels their gender identity partially identifies with a masculine identity but is not wholly binary.
DEMIGIRL - A gender identity term for someone who was assigned female at birth but does not fully identify with being a woman, socially or mentally.
DEMISEXUAL - a person who only experiences sexual attraction after forming a strong emotional connection with a partner.
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GAY - Sexual identity of individuals who identify as men who are romantically and physically attracted to other men. Most commonly used to described someone who is attracted to someone of the same identified gender
GENDER - Part of how you understand who you are and how you interact with other people. Many people understand their gender as being a man or woman. Some people understand their gender as a mix of these or neither. A person’s gender and their expression of their gender can be shown in different ways, such as through behaviour or physical appearance.
GENDER AFFIRMATION - An umbrella term for the range of actions and possibilities involved in trans people living, surviving, and thriving as their authentic gendered selves.
GENDER DIVERSE - An umbrella term for a range of genders expressed in different ways. Gender diverse people use many terms to describe themselves. Language in this area is dynamic, particularly among young people, but includes range of gender identities that sit outside the binary of woman and man. This includes trans/transgender, genderqueer, non-binary, gender non-conforming and more.
GENDER DYSPHORIA - The distress or unease some trans and gender diverse people may experience associated with their gender, their bodies, or how those around them perceive their gender or unease sometimes experienced from being misgendered.
GENDER EUPHORIA - A positive and exciting feeling of one’s gendered self - the feeling of comfort, certainty, joy, or excitement people can feel about their body or identity.
GENDER EXPRESSION - Describes a person's behaviour, mannerisms, interests, and appearance that are associated with gender – often regarding the categories of femininity, masculinity and androgyny.
GENDER IDENTITY - is a person’s internal sense of self with regards to gender. Some people feel more male or more female, others have changing or less strong gendered feelings. Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender.
Gender identity can correlate with a person's assigned sex or can differ from it. Gender Identity is how someone feels in themself and doesn't relate to body part or biology.
There are many genders including cis women, cis men, trans women, trans men, agender, non-binary, genderfluid and genderqueer people.
GENDERFLUID - A term describing people whose gender identity changes over time or may shift between different identities at different times.
GENDERQUEER - A term describing someone whose gender identity doesn't fit rigidly within the binary expectations of being a man or woman.
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HETEROSEXUAL - someone who is attracted exclusively to the opposite gender, also referred to as straight.
HETERONORMATIVE - The assumption that everyone is straight. It is also a social model privileges heterosexual relationships as the only natural, normal and legitimate expressions of sexuality and relationships.
HOMOPHOBIA - Used to describe a whole range of negative feelings or behaviours towards anyone who is same sex attracted people and people who are attracted to more than one gender. Homophobia can lead to discrimination or abuse, and can be as small or throwaway as using the phrase “that’s so gay.”
HRT / GAHT - Hormone Replacement Therapy, sometimes also known as Gender Affirming Hormonal Therapy or GAHT. This can consist of taking hormones and/or blocking existing hormones in the body.
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INTERSEX - People born with physical sex characteristics that don’t fit with medical norms for female and male bodies. Many forms of intersex exist, it’s a spectrum rather than a single category (at least 30 to 40 variations are known) This can include (but is not limited to) variations in hormones, chromosomes, and sexual organs.
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LESBIAN - Sexual identity of individuals who identify as women (or non-binary) are romantically and physically attracted to other women (or non-binary people)
LGTBQIA+ - (L)esbian, (G)ay, (B)isexual, (T)ransgender, (Q)ueer/(Q)uestioning, (I)ntersex, (A) Asexual/Aromatic (+) plus a wide range of gender and sexual identities that exist.
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MISGENDERING - Misgendering is a term for describing or addressing someone using language that does not match how that person identifies their own gender or body.
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NON-BINARY - A term used to describe genders that sit outside of the man / woman binary. This includes people whose gender is not exclusively female or male. A person might identify solely as non-binary, or relate to non-binary as an umbrella term and consider themselves genderfluid, genderqueer, trans masculine, trans feminine, agender, bigender, or something else.
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OMNISEXUAL An identity that describes sexual attraction to all sexes, genders, gender expressions, or combinations thereof, but not necessarily to the same extent or without preference with one over the other.
OUTED - When someone publicly reveals someone else’s gender identity or sexuality without their permission.
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PANSEXUAL - Describes the sexual, romantic or emotional attraction towards people regardless of their sex or gender identity. Often framed as attraction to all genders, or attraction to people based on specific traits unrelated to gender.
PACKING - The use of a packer - a realistic or semi-realistic looking penis made out of material like silicone (or even just a rolled up sock). People can use packers for the shape it creates, to feel comfortable and confident, or just because they want to.
PADDING - The use of bra inserts, breast forms or other forms of padding, with the intention of filling a bra cup or pushing up existing breast tissue.
POLYSEXUAL An identity that describes sexual attraction to multiple, but not all, sexes, genders, gender expressions, or combinations thereof. This is often confused with Polyamorous, but is unrelated.
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QTIPoC - Describes a Queer, Trans, Intersex Person of Colour
QUEER - An umbrella term for a wide range of non-conforming gender identities and sexual orientations
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SEX - A person’s biological sex characteristics. We have previously understood the term ‘sex’ as either female or male.
SEXUALITY - Sexuality describes who you are attracted to physically and romantically. It’s totally different to your gender identity, although sometimes people are confused about this.
SEXUAL IDENTITY - Includes how someone self-identifies and/or publicly identifies their sexuality.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION - Describes one's experience of attraction to others and/or who they want to have relationships with. People can find others sexually, romantically, and/or physically attractive. This doesn't always align with how a person describes their sexual identity or the sexual behaviours they engage in.
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TRANSGENDER (TRANS)- A term describing people whose gender identity is different from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth
TRANS WOMAN - Trans woman refers to an individual that was Assigned Male at Birth (AMAB) who identifies as female.
TRANSFEMININE - An AMAB person who is closer to femininity than masculinity but is not a binary woman. Often abbreviated to transfem or transfemme.
TRANS MAN - Trans man refers to an individual that was Assigned Female at Birth (AFAB) who identifies as male.
TRANSMASCULINE - An AFAB person who is closer to masculinity than femininity but is not a binary man. Often abbreviated to transmasc.
TRANSPHOBIA - Used to describe a whole range of negative feelings or behaviours towards anyone who is gender diverse or transgender people, their desires and/or behaviours, that can lead to discriminatory actions or abuse.
TUCKING - A form of gender affirmation whereby someone flattens the space between the legs using tight clothing or tape, creating a shape that some people find more comfortable or aesthetically pleasing, typically hiding the appearance of a bulge in the crotch.
SISTERGIRL: A term used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to describe gender diverse people that have a female spirit and take on female roles within the community. Including looking after children and family. Many Sistergirls live a traditional lifestyle and have strong cultural backgrounds.
BROTHERBOY: A term used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to describe gender diverse people who have a male spirit and take on male roles within the community. Brotherboys have a strong sense of their cultural identity.
Note: How the words Sistergirl and Brotherboy are used can differ between locations, countries and nations. These terms may not specifically define who someone is, but might complement identity. Sistergirls and Brotherboys might be non-binary, female or male. The terms Sistagirl and Brothaboy are different and are used by Aboriginal communities as terms of endearment for Aboriginal cis women (Sistagirl) and Aboriginal cis men (Brothaboy)