LGBTQ+: A Glossary

In recent years, you may have heard the acronym LGBTQ+ but there's a good chance you don’t know everything that comes under the plus sign…

The LGBTQ+ community is such a big one and has only started getting the representation it deserves in recent years. Now, activists are pushing for equal rights and protections for members of the community all over the world and that’s a good thing. Yet still many people don’t know what all the terminology used when discussing this community means. I’m here to explain some of the meanings of these words in the best way I can. Keep in mind that this isn’t a list of all the terms but it is the 43 most used and most common words (at least from the discussions I’ve engaged in).

LGBTQIA

An umbrella term for the queer community (anyone who isn’t straight or cisgender). Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or questioning, Intersex, Asexual or aromantic. It is commonly abbreviated to LGBTQ+ or LGBTQ.

Lesbian

A woman who is emotionally, romantically, physically and/or sexually attracted to other women.

Gay

Someone who is gay is attracted to members of the same gender. This can be men who love men or women who love women. This term is also used as an umbrella term for the queer community.

Bisexual

Bisexuals are people who experience attraction to people who are the same gender as them, along with people of the opposite gender. Bisexual attraction doesn’t have to be equally split and the individual may have a preference. The term bisexual is often abbreviated to ‘bi’ which is pronounced the same way as ‘by’.

Transgender

A gender description for someone who has transitioned or is transitioning from one gender to another. Also, an umbrella term for anyone who’s gender assigned at birth doesn’t match their gender identity.

Questioning

An individual who may be unsure of their sexual orientation or gender identity and is still understanding it and themselves better.

Queer

An umbrella term used for people who don’t identify as straight and/or cisgender. It was (and still is depending on how it's used) a slur used by people who aren’t members of the LGBTQ+ community to insult those who are. The slur has been reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community and they use it with pride but because of its history as a derogatory term, not all members of the community welcome and use it. The LGBTQ+ community is often referred to as the queer community because its easier to say.

Intersex

A term for someone who is born with body parts that belong to a female and body parts that belong to a male.

Asexual

Asexuals feel little to no sexual attraction towards others. Just like aromanticism, asexuality can also be viewed as a spectrum and there are other labels further down the spectrum. The term asexual is often shortened to ‘ace’.

Aromantic

Aromantic people feel little to no romantic attraction towards anyone of any gender. Aromanticism can actually be viewed as a spectrum that ranges from feeling no romantic attraction or desire to feeling very little romantic attraction or desire. The term aromantic is commonly shortened to ‘aro’ which is pronounced like ‘arrow’.

Cisgender

The term used for people whose gender identity and biological sex match. This term is often shortened to ‘cis’ and pronounced as ‘sis’.

Heterosexual

Someone who experiences attraction only for members of the opposite gender.

Homosexual

A person who is primarily attracted to members of the same gender as themselves. Also known as being gay.

Pansexual

Someone who feels emotional, romantic, physical and/or sexual attraction to members of all gender identities. Pansexuals feel attraction regardless of gender expression. The term pansexual is often shortened to ‘pan’.

Straight

A more informal term for heterosexual. Straight people are emotionally, romantically and/or sexually attracted to people who are a different gender from their own.

Ally

Allies don’t actually have to be members of the LGBTQ+ community and they are usually straight and/or cisgender people who support and respect the LGBTQ+ community a lot. Typically it is assumed that when someone calls themselves an ally they aren’t a member of the community because it only makes sense that members of the community would respect each other.

Biological sex

The sex that someone was assigned at birth is their biological sex although it may differ from their gender identity. **Note that sex and gender are 2 different things; sex is biological and scientific whereas gender is a social construct.

Gender-Binary

An outdated idea that there are only 2 genders and that everyone must be one of the two.

Non-binary/Genderqueer

An umbrella term for gender identities that exist outside of the gender-binary. This term is often shortened to “enby”.

Agender

To identify as agender means to experience very little to no attachment to the concept of gender. Agender people view themselves as existing beyond the gender spectrum and are also often called gender-neutral or genderless.

Genderfluid

A label used by someone whose gender identity changes sometimes. The person may choose to use different pronouns at certain times or dress differently at certain times.

Sexual attraction

A form of attraction that invokes the desire to take part in physically intimate behaviours such as kissing, touching, intercourse, etc. This can also be felt to different extents depending on the individual.

Romantic attraction

A form of attraction that invokes the desire to engage in intimate romantic behaviour. Examples of this are dating and marriage. Romantic attraction can be experienced in different ways and to different extents.

Emotional attraction

A type of attraction that provokes the desire to participate in emotionally intimate relationships. This could be trusting a person a lot or wanting to depend on them a lot.

Bicurious

When an individual is curious about feeling attracted to people with the same gender as them. Being bicurious is similar to being questioning because the individual is exploring their own sexuality a bit more.

Androsexual/Androphilic

Androsexual or androphilic people are predominantly attracted to masculinity. This can be males, men or people who look masculine.

Gynesexual/Gynephilic

Gynesexual and gynephilic people are primarily attracted to women and femininity. This can include being attracted to people who don’t identify as women but show femininity.

Demiromantic

Someone who has little to no capability of feeling romantic attachment to a person before a strong sexual and/or emotional connection is formed with that person.

Demisexual

Someone who has little to no capability of feeling sexual attraction to a person before a strong romantic attachment is formed with that person.

Closeted

A person or time period when an individual is not open about their sexuality or gender identity. This may be because they fear the discrimination and unacceptance that comes along with being a member of the LGBTQ+ community. They could choose not to tell others because they don’t want to compromise their safety. When the individual opens up to others about their sexuality or gender identity it is called coming out of the closet.

Coming out

The process that happens when an individual starts to identify with a certain gender identity or sexual orientation. Also known as the process of telling others about your sexual orientation or gender identity.

Transphobia

The fear of or discrimination against transgender people. Transphobia can also be seen within the LGBTQ+ community in addition to outside it.

Homophobia

An umbrella term for a variety of negative attitudes including discrimination against LGBTQ people. More specifically negativity towards homosexuals.

Biphobia

Biphobia can be defined as negativity shown in the form of fear, anger, invisibility, erasure and intolerance, towards bisexual people. This can present itself with someone outright denying someone something because they are bisexual, or someone telling a bisexual person to “just pick a side” or “stop being greedy”. Biphobia is seen within the LGBTQ+ community as well as in the heterosexual, community.

Cisnormativity

The assumption made when society assumes that everyone is cisgender by default. This often makes it harder for people to come out as transgender or non-binary because it makes it seem less ‘normal’. Cisnormativity erases transgender and non-binary people from its narrative and makes it look bad to be these things.

Cissexism

A behaviour displayed when someone treats cisgender individuals better than those who aren’t cisgender. It is a form of discrimination that causes a lot of transgender and non-binary people to feel like they are wrong for being who they are and it promotes erasure of these communities.

Heteronormativity

The assumption made by society that everyone is heterosexual or straight by default. This makes other sexualities seem ‘invisible’ and reinforces the belief that being straight is better than not being straight. A common example is when someone sees a married woman and asks her who her husband is. This pushes the message that being heterosexual is ‘normal’ and anything else isn’t. It also pushes the belief that men have to be masculine and women have to be feminine or else they aren’t straight.

Heterosexism

A behaviour that is displayed when someone treats heterosexual people better than others. It is often seen as reinforcement in the belief that heterosexual persons are superior to the rest and are more “right”. This also adds to the reasons why people find it hard to come out.

She/Her

Pronouns that are used for people who identify as women.

He/Him

Pronouns that are used for people who identify as men.

They/Them

Pronouns that are used for people who do not identify themselves on the binary spectrum. Other newer pronouns, such as ze/zir, xe/xir and ae/aer may also be used.

Mx.

A gender-neutral honorific like Ms. or Mr. It is often used for and by non-binary people and others with they/them pronouns.

Two-spirit

A term that is traditionally used within the Native American community, it can be defined as a person who fills roles of or possesses qualities of both masculine and feminine genders.