Faculty / Staff Resources
Glossary of Common Terms
- Lesbian
- A women identifying person who is romantically and sexually attracted exclusively to other women identifying persons.
- Gay
- A male identifying person who is romantically and sexually attracted exclusively to other male identifying persons.
- Bisexual
- A person who is romantically and sexually attracted to men and women identifying persons
- Gender
- A social construct used by society to identify someone as a man, a woman, or another identity. Someone’s gender is entirely separate from their sex.
- Sex
- A medically constructed set of definitions usually used to assign gender at birth or during an ultrasound, often this assignment is based off their genitals.
- Transgender
- Someone who’s internal gender identity does not match their gender assigned to them at birth. Often pursues social and medical transition in the form of hormone replacement therapy, and a variety of surgeries to be able to live their life as their true gender identity.
- Cisgender
- Someone who’s internal gender identity does match their gender assigned to them at birth.
- Non-binary
- Someone’s who’s gender identity does not match the traditional man or woman binary.
- Queer
- Historically a slur against LGBTQIAP+ peoples, the word is being reclaimed as a celebration of being abnormal. Those who use the label queer on themselves often use it as a general brush for being not cisgender or heterosexual.
- Intersex
- An umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of peoples who’s primary and/or secondary sexual characteristics do not match society’s view of male or female. Often mutilated by doctors during their infancy so to better conform to society’s view of male or female sex.
- Asexual
- A person who does not feel sexual attraction or does not have a desire for sex with a partner. Just like any sexual orientation, it is NOT a choice.
- Pansexual
- A person who is romantically and sexually attracted to people of all gender identities.
- Heterosexual
- A person who is romantically and sexually attracted to people of different gender identities.
