Category: Glossary

  • Transfem

    Transfeminine, also known as transfem or transfemme, refers to someone who is transgender, non-binary, or gender non-conforming and whose gender is mostly feminine, whether in identity, expression, or both. Transfem may be used by people who were assigned male at birth (AMAB) who identify as transfeminine.  

    Transfem can be a standalone identity term or an umbrella term that may include certain identities, such as:

    • Trans women
    • Multigender or non-binary people who feel that their gender is more feminine 
    • Genderfluid people whose gender is predominantly feminine, feminine all of the time, or feminine some of the time
    • Demigirls – defined as someone who partially identifies as a girl, woman, or feminine

    Other definitions/things to note:

    A transfeminine person may or may not use the labels trans and femme or label themselves female.  

    *The masculine equivalent of transfem is transmasc.

  • Transmasc

    A Transmasc person, also known as Transmasculine, is someone who was assigned female at birth (AFAB) but identifies as more masculine.

    Transmasculine people feel a connection with masculinity, but do not always identify as a man. A transmasc person may not necessarily prefer to be referred to as “he/him” or as a man; some transmasculine people use “they/them”, “he/they”, or “she/her” pronouns.

    Transmasculine people may include, but are not limited to:

    • Binary trans men
    • Nonbinary men
    • Demiboys
    • Multigender people
    • Genderfluid people –  who identify as masculine more often than other genders.
    • Nonbinary people – who identify with masculinity.

    Other definitions/things to note:

    Transfeminine is the feminine equivalent of transmasculine.

  • Transneutral

    Transneutral is a term that can be used to describe a transgender individual who identifies fully or partially as a neutral, abinary, or other specific non-binary gender. It can be considered an umbrella term for anyone who transitions to a neutral identity. Transneutral individuals can identify as other non-neutral genders as well (e.g., someone who identifies as a neuwoman could simultaneously identify as transneutral.

    Someone who is transneutral may identify as MtN/FtN (male/female to neutral) depending on the individual’s assigned gender at birth (AGaB – which can include AFAB, otherwise known as assigned female at birth, or AMAB, otherwise known as assigned male at birth).

    Other definitions/things to note:

    Sometimes, transneutral is used as a way to describe anyone who undergoes a medical transition process that is not fully transmasculine or fully transfeminine (either through surgery, hormone replacement therapy, or other similar ways of internally or externally transitioning). Under this definition, individuals who undergo transition(s) to seem more neutral may be considered transneutral.

    *The feminine equivalent to transneutral is transfeminine. The masculine equivalent is transmasculine.

  • LGBTQIA+

    LGBTQIA+ is an acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual/Aromantic/Agender, plus additional subsets. It is an inclusive term used to unite a population of people who have a wide array of gender identities and sexual orientations that differ from heterosexual and cisgender.

    The social development and inclusivity of what can be referred to as the ‘queer’ community has been a result of tackling years of discrimination and building a community of acceptance in response to that. The LGBTQIA+ community remains an ever-growing international community that symbolises support, pride, and solidarity.  

    Other definitions/things to note:

    ​For many years, the umbrella term “gay” was used to describe the LGBTQIA+ community.

    In the early days of the gay rights movement, the lesbian community often felt dismissed or rejected. This led to strong division within the community, with lesbians feeling like “second class” in the gay rights movement.

    During the AIDS crisis in the 80s and 90s, thousands of gay men were disowned by their families after contracting AIDS. The lesbian community came together to care for men with this illness as members of their community.

    As a gesture of gratitude for their support, the acronym was set in stone as “LGB”.

    The LGBTQIA+ meaning is about being as inclusive as possible. The “T” was added to include transgender people in the early 2000s, and “LGBT” was the standard for many years after that.

    The “Q” was officially added in 2016 (though many people had been using it for years prior). Pride month is celebrated in the UK in June as a month of solidarity and celebration amongst the LGBTQIA+ community. Pride emerged out of a riot against police brutality at a small dive bar in New York City called the Stonewall Inn.

    At the time, there existed outdated “masquerade” or “cross-dressing” laws that suggested a “man” or a “woman” must wear a certain number of clothing items that matched the gender on their state-issued ID. The police took advantage of these laws and raided drinking establishments and arrested transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. Just after midnight on June 28, 1969, the police raided the Stonewall Inn, and the Stonewall patrons fought back.

  • Heterosexual

    Heterosexual refers to the sexual orientation of someone who is attracted to people of a different gender or sex than their own, commonly meaning a woman attracted to men or a man attracted to women.  Heterosexual people often refer to themselves as ‘straight’.

    A person who is both cisgender and heterosexual is sometimes referred to as “cishet”.

    Heteroromantic would refer to someone who has romantic attraction to people of a different gender from their own.

    Other definitions/things to note:

    ​Heterosexual attraction is often characterised as attraction to the “opposite” gender or sex; however, this is based on the gender binary (the assumption that people can only be one of two genders).

  • Lesbian

    Lesbian is a sexual orientation or romantic orientation most often defined as a woman who is attracted to women. Some non-binary people may also identify with this term (with many variations in definitions).

    Although lesbians are frequently defined as women who are attracted to women exclusively/solely, they are also defined as women attracted to women primarily/mainly. Some may prefer to identify as “gay” or “gay woman”.

    Other definitions/things to note:

    Lesbians may be cisgender or transgender; since gender is a separate concept from sexual orientation, someone may be both trans and lesbian.

    The distinction between “sapphic” and “lesbian” depends upon which definitions are used for each word. They are often thought to mean the same thing, as both refer to women who are attracted to other women. However, in contemporary usage, sapphic has become an umbrella term specifically inclusive of women with multisexual orientations (such as bisexual, pansexual, and other queer women) who may or may not be attracted to men. While “lesbian” is often – but not always – defined as a woman only attracted to other women, both terms are inclusive of non-binary and transgender identities.

    ​Lesbian Visibility Day is celebrated on April 26 and began in 2018 in the UK.

  • Gay

    ​Gay is an adjective referring to those with an enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to people of the same gender. This is most commonly associated with gay men, as a gay woman may prefer to use the term “lesbian” instead. Queer and bisexual are also among the terms used for those who are attracted to members of the same gender.

    ​Other definitions/things to note:

    There has been controversy surrounding the use of the word “homosexual” to refer to gay people, as it has been considered an outdated term that is derogatory and offensive to many lesbian and gay people. The term ‘gay’ is most commonly acknowledged and accepted. 

    There is not just one way to experience same-sex attraction, nor is there a set period in life for a person to discover that they experience it. While some may know that they experience same-sex attraction from a young age, it can take others years to figure it out or become comfortable enough with their identity to acknowledge it to themselves and others.

  • Gender

    Gender refers to the socially constructed characteristics of women and men.  This includes norms, behaviours, and roles associated with being a woman, man, girl or boy – as well as within the relationships with each other. As a social construct, gender varies in societies and can change over time.

    Gender is hierarchical and produces inequalities that intersect with other social and economic inequalities.  Gender-based discrimination intersects with other factors of discrimination, such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, age, geographic location, gender identity, and sexual orientation, among others. This is referred to as intersectionality.

    ​Other definitions/things to note:

    Gender is not the same as sex. Sex often refers to the different biological and physiological characteristics of females, males, and intersex persons (such as chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive organs). Gender and sex are related to, but different from, gender identity.

    Gender identity refers to a person’s deeply felt, internal and individual experience of gender – which may or may not correspond to the person’s physiology or designated sex at birth.

    Most people have a binary gender identity—male/man/boy or female/woman/girl—whether they are cisgender or transgender. For other people, their gender identity does not fit neatly into one of those two options, such as people who are non-binary or genderqueer.

    A person’s gender identity usually develops when they are very young. Gender variance in exploring gender expressions and gender roles is an expected part of human development for children and teenagers.

  • Intersex

    Intersex people are individuals who have a combination of what is culturally thought of as male and female anatomy or physiology. In short, an intersex person will have an anatomy or physiology that does not fit into the rigid definitions of male or female.

    Some intersex people have genitalia that does not fit exclusively into the constructs of male or female. Other intersex people might have internal reproductive organs that do not match their external sex characteristics. Being intersex is not a disorder, and is a perfectly normal and healthy way to exist. 

    Intersex is simply a common variation of the human body. In fact, according to The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, there are approximately 358,105 people with intersex variations in the UK alone. Many people may not be aware that they are intersex, since many intersex variations are not external.

    Other definitions/things to note:

    The biggest thing that intersex people need is support from their family and peers. For intersex children, it is important for them to have support and love from their families, and the opportunity to connect with other children that are also intersex.

  • Transgender

    Transgender is a broad term that can be used to describe someone whose gender identity is different from the gender they were assigned at birth. “Trans” is often used as shorthand for transgender.

    To treat a transgender person with respect, you treat them according to their gender identity, not their sex at birth. So, someone who lives as a woman today is called a transgender woman and should be referred to as “she” and “her.”

    It is also important to acknowledge that one’s Gender identity is their internal knowledge of their gender (for example, your knowledge that you’re a man, a woman, or another gender). Gender expression is how a person presents their gender on the outside – that might include; behavior, clothing, hairstyle, voice or body characteristics. Everyone has a gender identity and expression, including cisgender – or non-transgender – people.

    Other definitions/ things to note:

    When a person begins to live according to their gender identity, rather than the gender they were thought to be when they were born, this time period may be called gender transition.

    Some transgender people identify as neither a man nor a woman, or as a combination of male and female, and may use terms like nonbinary or genderqueer to describe their gender identity.

    It is important to use respectful terminology regardless of how someone identifies. This includes using the name the person has asked you to call them (not their old name) as well as the pronouns they want you to use. If you aren’t sure what pronouns a person uses, just ask politely.