How we use our words and language can demonstrate our support and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community. Preferred language can often change over time, as new words are coined, and other words fall in and out of favor. Have you encountered a gender or sexuality-related word that you’ve never heard before? Check out our glossary below to for a list of some commonly used, current terminology.

 

• Aromantic/Aromanticism: When someone is not emotionally, spiritually attracted to others in a romantic, intimate sense. Aromanticism has no bearing on people’s ability/desire to form close platonic relationships.
• Asexual/Asexuality: When someone is not physically attracted to others or does not desire sexual contact with anyone; not all asexual people are aromantic.
• Bisexual/Bisexuality: When someone is physically attracted to people of more than one gender.
• Demisexual/Demisexuality: When someone is only sexually attracted to someone when they have an emotional bond with the person.
• Enby: A phonetic spelling of “NB,” which stands for non-binary gender.
• Cisgender: Denotes a person whose sense of personal identity and gender aligns with their sex assigned at birth.
• Gender: Refers to the characteristics of women, men, girls, and boys that are socially constructed. This includes norms, behaviors and roles associated with being a woman, man, girl, or boy, as well as relationships with each other. As a social construct, gender varies between different cultures and can change over time.
• Gender Expression: The outward expression one’s own Gender Identity (see below). This can include the way someone acts, dresses, behaves, interacts and more.
• Gender Identity: A person’s own internal sense of self-based on biological sex characteristics (aka – sex assigned at birth) and their own internal sense of their gender.
• Genderfluid: An identity that denotes a person whose gender identity and expression is not fixed and may change day-to-day and/or over time.
• Heterosexual/Heterosexuality: When someone is physically attracted exclusively to people of another gender.
• Homosexual/Homosexuality: When someone is physically attracted exclusively to people of the same gender.
• Intersex: A general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male. This can manifest with differences between chromosomes, hormones, external genitalia, internal reproductive organs, and/or secondary sex traits. Many intersex conditions are diagnosed or discovered years after birth.
• Mx.: Pronounced “mix,” this is a gender-neutral honorific, like “Mr.” or “Ms.”
• Non-Binary/Gender Non-Binary: Used as both an umbrella term and an individual gender identity, non-binary refers to identities outside of the socially-constructed gender binary of man or woman. People who identify as non-binary may feel some connection to being a man or woman, or feel they have no gender at all. This understanding of their gender may be fixed or fluid overtime.
• Omnisexual/Omnisexuality: When someone views their sense of sexual attraction as limitless, especially in relation to potential partners’ sex or gender.
• Pansexual/Pansexuality: When someone is physically attracted to people regardless of the person’s gender. Note: some people identify as both bi- and pansexual; for others the distinction is very important.
• Polysexual/Polysexuality: When someone is physically attracted to people of more than one gender but, may not be attracted to people of every gender.
• Pronouns/Gender Pronouns: Pronouns are words used to replace proper nouns, like names. In this context, gender pronouns refer to the pronouns someone should be called when referring to them in the third person. Some examples of gender pronouns in include she/her/hers; he/him/his; (singular) they/them/theirs; and zi/zir/zirs.
• Sex: Refers to a person’s biological characteristics regarding reproduction and associated body systems. Sex characteristics include genitals, gonads, hormones, and sex chromosomes.
• Sex Assigned At Birth: This phrase is used in place of “biological sex.” The phrase more accurately describes how someone comes to be known as male or female: an assessment of external sex characteristics shortly after birth.
• Sexual Orientation: An inherent or immutable enduring physical attraction to other people. (aka- who you fall in love with)
• Transgender: An umbrella term for anyone whose gender identity does not align with their sex assigned at birth. Transgender people may go through a gender transition, but no aspect of gender transitioning is required for a valid transgender identity. People may use transgender as an individual identity label or use other terms to identify their gender.