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Ally- refers to individuals (often an individual who identifies as “heterosexual”) who are accepting and supportive of people who identify with a different sexual orientation or gender identity. Allies show their support in their personal beliefs, the language that they use, and the behaviors they exhibit. Allies also take action to combat homophobia, Heterocentrism, and heterosexism within themselves, others, and their surrounding community.
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Androgynous- term used to describe an individual whose gender expression and/or identity may be neither distinctly “woman” nor “man,” usually based on appearance.
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Bisexual- refers to persons who are physically, emotionally, sexually, and relationally attracted to either sex.
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Closeted or “in the closet”- to hide one’s sexual orientation from others.
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Coming Out- a short version of the phrase “coming of the closet” which is a metaphor for disclosing one’s sexual orientation or gender identity to others or to one’s self.
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Cross-Dresser- a pop-culture term used to describe individuals (primarily men)who wear the clothing of the “opposite” gender/sex. Often this term is used to describe heterosexual men who derive sexual pleasure from wearing women’s clothing. Please see “Transvestite” for more information.
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“Down Low”- pop-culture term used to describe men who identify as heterosexual but engage in sexual activity with other men. Often these men are in committed sexual relationships or marriages with a female partner. This term is almost exclusively used to describe men of color.
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Drag- refers to individuals dressing in gendered clothing not assigned to their sex usually for performance purposes (e.g. Drag Queen or Drag King).
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“Dyke”- a negative term predominantly associated with individuals who identify as Lesbian. The term often refers to an individual who is perceived to be hyper masculine (also referred to as a “Bull-Dyke”). Though the term is predominantly seen as pejorative some groups have co-opted the word as a source of empowerment (e.g. “Dykes on Bikes”).
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“Faggot”- a negative term predominantly associated with Gay men. The term often refers to an individual who is perceived to be hyper feminine, implying weakness. The term is originally derived from the Latin word meaning “bundle of sticks” which was used to burn witches at the stake. The word has grown in modern vernacular to also mean “stupid, silly, feminine, lame, weird, or different.” It is not uncommon to hear individuals use this term and not specifically use it as a derogatory term for Gay men.
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Gay- used to refer specifically to homosexual men. The term “gay” refers to persons who are physically, emotionally, sexually, and relationally attracted to individuals of the same sex (men loving men). However the term has been used to collectively refer to individuals who identify as Lesbian, bisexual, Transgender, in addition to Gay. Similar to the term “Faggot” this term has taken on a negative connotation in modern vernacular to mean “stupid, silly, feminine, lame, weird, or different.” It is not uncommon to hear individuals use this term and not specifically be referring to homosexuals. “That’s so gay.”
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Gender- a societal construction based on a group of emotional, behavioral, and psychological characteristics that classify an individual as “man” or “woman” or “androgynous” or “other.” Gender can be understood to have several components including gender identity, gender expression, and gender role.
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Gender Expression- refers to how an individual expresses their socially constructed gender. This may refer to how an individual dresses, their
general appearance, the way they speak, and the way their carry themselves. Gender expression is not always correlated to an individuals’ gender identity or gender role.
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Gender Identity- since gender is a social construct, an individual may have a self-perception of their gender that is different or the same as their biological sex. Gender identity is an internalized realization of one’s gender and may not be manifested in their outward appearance (gender expression) or their place in society (gender role). It is important to note that an individual’s gender identity is completely separate from their sexual orientation or sexual preference.
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Gender Neutral- this term is used to describe facilities that any individual can use regardless of their gender (e.g. gender neutral bathrooms). This term can also be used to describe an individual who does not subscribe to any socially constructed gender (sometimes referred to as “Gender Queer”).
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Gender/Sexual Reassignment Surgery – refers to a surgical procedure to transition an individual from one biological sex to another. This is often paired with hormone treatment and psychological assistance. A “Transsexual” individual must go through several years of hormones and psychological evaluation and live as the “opposite” or “desired” gender prior to receiving the surgery.
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Gender Role- a societal expectation of how an individual should act, think, and/or feel based upon an assigned gender based on the current binary biological sex system.
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Intersex- refers to an individual born with the anatomy or physiology that differs from societal ideals of female or male. Intersexuals may be born with “ambiguous genitalia” and/or experience hormone production levels that vary from those of societal “ideal” for females and males. Though Intersex individuals fall under the umbrella of the Transgender Community, it is important to note that Intersex individuals do not all identify as “transgender.” Formerly referred to as a hermaphrodite.
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Kinsey Scale- Alfred Kinsey, a renowned sociologist, described a spectrum on a scale of 0-6 to describe the amount of sexual desire within an individual. 0: Completely Heterosexual – 6: Completely Homosexual in his 1948 work Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. The Kinsey Scale is often used to dissect the bisexual community and describe the differences between sexual orientation and sexual preference.

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Lambda Symbol- the Greek lambda symbol, ?, has been used by the LGBTQ community as a symbol of pride.
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Lesbian- refers to women who are physically, emotionally, sexually, and relationally attracted to other women. The term Lesbian is derived from the name of the Greek Island of Lesbos, where the poet Sappho ran a school for women in 400 B.C. The Greek mythology surround the Isle of Lesbos states that its female inhabitants loved one another and did not have any male lovers.
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LGBTQIA- an acronym used to refer to all sexual minorities: “Lesbian, Gay/Gender Neutral/Gender Queer, Bisexual/Bigendered, Transgender/Transvestite/Transsexual, Questioning/Queer, Intersex, and Allies/Androgynous.”
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“Men Who Have Sex with Men”- the term “men who have sex with men” is used primarily in the health care field to classify men who identify as heterosexual, but engage in sexual activity with other men. The Center for Disease Control primarily uses this term when reporting the number of individuals with HIV/AIDS. Men described to be on the “Down Low” would be an example of this population.
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Outing- using the metaphor “coming out of the closet,” the term “outing” refers to disclosing someone else’s sexual orientation or gender identity, often without their permission and sometimes without their knowledge.
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Pink Triangle- the pink triangle symbol comes from World War II when thousands of gay men and men perceived to be gay were condemned to Nazi concentration camps and labeled with pink triangles, similar to the way in which Jews were forced to wear the yellow Star of David. Displayed with the point down, the pink triangle has been reclaimed as a symbol of pride and remembrance and can often be found in gay establishments and organizations.
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Queer- originally used as a pejorative term to refer to gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals. The term implied that these individuals were unnatural, unusual, or freakish. In more recent years the term “queer” has been reclaimed as a source of empowerment and pride. The term is also widely used by individuals who do not wish to use what they call “restrictive labels” such as “Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual.” Therefore the more recent use of the term “queer” is to describe someone who does not subscribe to social norms
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Rainbow Flag- displayed with the red stripe at the tip, the rainbow flag was designed by Gilbert Baker in San Francisco in 1979 to celebrate the diversity of the lesbian and gay community. It is now recognized by the International Congress of Flag Makers as a symbol of gay and lesbian pride. The rainbow colors have been marketed in many different ways and the rainbow “flag” may be seen in jewelry or other trinkets.
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Sex- a medical term referring to genetic, biological, hormonal, and/or physical characteristics (including genitalia) which are used to classify an individual as male, female, or intersex.
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Sexual Behavior- refers to an individual’s sexual activities or actions (what a person does sexually). Though often an individual’s sexual orientation is in line with their sexual behavior, it is not always the case.
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Sexual Orientation- this term refers to an innate direction of an individual’s emotional, physical, sexual or relational attraction to others. Though some research suggests that sexual orientation is on a continuum (Kinsey Scale) there are three widely accepted sexual orientations: Heterosexual opposite gender/sex attraction), Homosexual (same gender/sex attraction), and Bisexual (attracted to both genders/sexes). It is important to note that the term “sexual orientation” also has a connotation that an individual’s attractions on the basis of gender/sex is innate or comes from birth/biology.
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Sexual Minority- an all-inclusive, politically-oriented term referring to individuals who identify with a minority sexual orientation or gender expression/gender identity.
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Sexual Preference- this term refers to an individual’s choice in regards to attraction. Sexual preference can be based on gender/sex, physical appearance (height, weight, race, ethnicity), or emotional connection. It is important to note that sexual preference denotes a “choice” and has a negative connotation when used to describe the LGBTQ population.
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“Straight”- pop-culture term used to refer to individuals who identify as a heterosexual, meaning having a sexual, emotional, physical and relational attraction to individuals of the “opposite” gender/sex. The term “straight” often has a negative connotation within the LGBTQ population, because it suggested that non-heterosexual individuals are “crooked” or “unnatural”.
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Transgender- 1) an umbrella term which refers to people who do not identify with social norms regarding gender identity or gender expression. 2) refers to an individual whose biological sex (male/female) is different from their self-perception of their gender identity (man/woman). This term specifically refers to individuals who live full-time as the “opposite” gender, but have not undergone gender/sexual reassignment surgery.
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Transsexual- refers to an individual who has chosen to undergo gender/sexual reassignment surgery; meaning that through surgery and hormones, they wish to change their biological sex to match their gender identity.
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Transvestite- an umbrella term which refers to people who wear the clothing of the “opposite” gender. These individuals can be transgender, transsexual, cross-dressers, Drag performers, or individuals who express their gender in a unique way.
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Zie & Hir- the most common spelling for gender-neutral pronouns. Zie is subjective (replaces he or she) and Hir is possessive and objective (replaces his or her).
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