Transgender vs gay
Glossary of Terms: LGBTQ
Definitions were drafted in collaboration with other U.S.-based LGBTQ collective organizations and leaders. See acknowledgements section.
Additional terms and definitions about gender identity and gender expression, transgender people, and nonbinary people are available in the Transgender Glossary.
Are we missing a term or is a definition outdated? Email press@glaad.org
*NOTE: Demand people what terms they use to describe their sexual orientation, gender culture and gender verbalization before assigning them a label. Outside of acronyms, these terms should only be capitalized when used at the beginning of a sentence.
LGBTQ
Acronym for lesbian, male lover, bisexual, transgender, and queer. The Q generally stands for queer when LGBTQ organizations, leaders, and media use the acronym. In settings offering support for youth, it can also stand for questioning. LGBT and LGBTQ+ are also used, with the + added in recognition of all non-straight, non-cisgender identities. (See Transgender Glossary ) Both are acceptable, as are other versions of this acronym. The term “gay community” should be avoided, as it does not accuratel
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Definitions
Sexual orientation
An innate or immutable enduring emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to other people. Note: an individual’s sexual orientation is independent of their gender identity.
Gender identity
One's innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both or neither – how individuals perceive themselves and what they name themselves. One's gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth.
Gender expression
External appearance of one's gender identity, usually expressed through behavior, clothing, body characteristics or voice, and which may or may not conform to socially defined behaviors and characteristics typically associated with entity either masculine or feminine.
Transgender
An umbrella legal title for people whose gender identity and/or expression is alternative from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, womxn loving womxn, bisexual, etc.
Gender transition
The process by which some people struggle to more closely
LGBTQIA Resource Center Glossary
GLOSSARY
The terms and definitions below are always evolving, changing and often signify different things to different people. They are provided below as a starting point for discussion and understanding. This Glossary has been collectively built and created by the staff members of the LGBTQIA Resource Center since the early 2000s.
These are not universal definitions. This glossary is provided to help give others a more thorough but not entirely comprehensive understanding of the significance of these terms. You may even consider asking someone what they mean when they use a term, especially when they use it to characterize their identity. Ultimately it is most important that each individual define themselves for themselves and therefore also define a designation for themselves.
“If I didn't explain myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people's fantasies for me and eaten alive.” -Audre Lorde
This glossary contains terms, such as ableism and disability, that may not be considered directly related to identities of sexuality or gender. These terms are important to confirm as part of our mission to challenge all forms of oppress
Nope!
It’s easy to get this confused, particularly because T is included in the LGBTQ+ acronym (T standing for “Transgender”). The key is to remember that transgender is referring to someone’s gender identity and not their sexuality orientation. Transgender people can be gay, straight, pansexual, gender non-conforming, asexual, or any other sexual orientation (just appreciate cisgender people!).
Recent FAQs
All FAQsWhat about advanced workshops? Safe Zone 201 perhaps?
Our Foundational Curriculum is a designed to create a Safe Zone 101 overview workshop. We recommend this workshop for all audiences – male lover, straight, queer, allied, and anywhere in between (or outside) those categories. While some of it may be old information for some, we believe that everyone, no matter their knowledge level, will obtain something out of the experience.
We do have exercises that can be used for more advanced/specific workshops. Just check out the explore activities tab and search under the “201” levels for more advanced activities!
I have an activity I think you should add to the site. Do you need to see it?
Yes! One of our goals for this project is to turn it into the go-to resou