Let’s Talk Terminology

LGBTI+ terminology can feel like a minefield when you have no previous knowledge, and terms change over time. We have put together a glossary of common words to get you started. Please remember that the best way to determine someone’s preferred identity or pronoun is to simply ask them.

LGBTI+: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans+ and intersex people.

 

Lesbian: A woman who is mainly attracted to other women.

 

Gay: Someone who is mainly attracted to people of the same gender.

 

Bisexual: Someone who is attracted to people of the same gender and also to people of other genders.

 

Transgender: People whose gender identity differs from the sex they were given at birth. Trans+ includes non-binary people.

 

Intersex:  People who are born with variations in their sexual anatomy or their hormonal patterns, variations that are not seen as fitting in with typical male or female bodies.

 

Sexual Orientation: Sexual and romantic attraction.

 

Gender identity:  Our deeply felt internal experience of our own gender.

 

Heterosexual: Someone who is attracted to people of a different gender.

 

LGBTI+ bullying:  Bullying based on prejudice or discrimination towards LGBTI+ people.

 

Pansexual:  Someone who could be attracted to any person, regardless of their gender.

 

Gender expression: How we show our gender through our clothing, hair, behaviour, etc.

 

Cisgender:  Someone who is not transgender or non-binary.

 

Non-binary: People whose gender identity is not exclusively male or female. Some non-binary people use they/them pronouns.