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A Glossary of Inclusive Language | Gender & Sexuality

One challenge to becoming a welcoming and affirming community is language.
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Language changes. From one generation to the next new ways of speaking about others and about ourselves becomes normative. And with the rapid spread of language through the social tools of technology, language changes even more quickly.

One important rule in talking about people is that we allow people of varying identities to define the terms used to speak of them.

Colonialism looks like the majority culture telling the persecuted culture who they are (for example, Europeans naming all the peoples who lived in North America in 1500 as “Indians”). Empowerment looks like allowing people to self-define and use the labels and names that speak to how they understand themselves.

LGBTQIA is used a shorthand to refer to a wide and diverse community of persons.

  • Lesbian. Women who are sexually and / or romantically attracted to women.
  • Gay. Men who are sexually and / or romantically attracted to men. Sometimes used more broadly to refer to all persons who are attracted to others of the same gender.
  • Bisexual. Individuals who have the capacity to form romantic and /or sexual connections to persons of the same gender and/or persons of the opposite gender.
  • Transgender. A person who is transgender understands their Gender Identity to be other than the gender they were assigned at birth. (“Trans” means “opposite” or “across”)
  • Queer. A self-description used by some people whose sexual orientation is not heterosexual, or whose gender identity is outside of the gender they were assigned at birth. Originally used exclusively as a derogatory slur, it has been reclaimed by some within the community (although its acceptance varies from individual to individual, and is still considered offensive when used by those outside the community).
  • Intersex. An umbrella term, intersex describes the people born with any of 30 different variations in biological sex characteristics including chromosomes, sex hormones, or genitals.
  • Asexual. A person who experiences little or no sexual attraction to others and/or a lack of interest in sexual relationships. They may or may not experience emotional, physical, or romantic attraction.


    • Gender Identity is a cultural (not biological) idea of identity - usually expressed as male and female. One's gender identity is the degree to which they understand themselves as relating to male-ness or female-ness. Once thought to be a binary (only 100% male or 100% female), gender is best understood as a continuum - with people understanding themselves at various places between male and female, or in the middle as non-binary or gender-fluid.

    • Gender Expression refers to how one chooses to present themselves in terms of dress, speech, appearance, etc, as it related to gender norms. So one could identify as male, be attracted to women, and still choose to present in a feminine manner. Gender expression is usually spoken of as masculine (masc), feminine (femme), and any where in-between,

    •  Sexuality refers to who a person is sexually and/or romantically attracted to. Much like gender identity and gender expression, sexuality is not a neat binary. For as long as sociologists have studied human sexuality, they have recognized that sexuality is a spectrum.


    Sometimes, we have lumped identity, expression, and sexuality together. But they are all independent of one another. For each of us self-understanding is not defined by any one of these components alone, but by the unique interaction of the three of them that makes each us who we are.

    • Assigned Gender at Birth. When a child is born, the doctors assign each of a gender identity based on our biology. This is usually either male or female, often expressed as "Assigned Male at Birth (AMAB)" or "Assigned Female at Birth (AFAB)."

    • Cisgender. A person who is cisgender understands their Gender Identity to be the same as the gender they were assigned at birth. ("Cis" means "on the same side as," pronounced "sis").

    • Non-binary. A person does not fit neatly into the categories of male and female may identify as non-binary. Other terms include genderfluid, two-spirit, and gender-queer.

    • Intersex. An umbrella term, intersex describes people born with any of 30 different variations in biological sex characteristics including chromosomes, sex hormones, or genitals. Often, parents of those born intersex assign the child a gender of male or female.

    • Transgender. A person who is transgender understands their Gender Identity to be other than the gender they were assigned at birth. ("Trans" means "opposite" or "across"). Trans identities are often related to the current gender identity of the person: e.g., a trans-man is someone who was assigned female at birth, but now understands himself to be male.


    • Asexual. A person who experiences little or no sexual attraction to others and/or a lack of interest in sexual relationships. They may or may not experience emotional, physical, or romantic attraction. Those who understand themselves as asexual will sometimes use the term ace. Unlike celibacy, which is chosen, asexuality is an identity.

    • Aromantic. A person who experiences little or no romantic attraction to others and/or has a lack of interest in romantic relationships.

    • Bisexual. Individuals who have the capacity to form romantic and /or sexual connections to persons of the same gender and/or persons of the opposite gender.

    • Gay. Men who are sexually and / or romantically attracted to men. Sometimes used more broadly to refer to all persons who are attracted to others of the same gender.

    • Heterosexual. A person who is sexually and/or romantically attracted to persons of the opposite gender identity.

    • Homosexual. A person who is sexually and/or romantically attracted to persons of the same gender identity.

    • Lesbian. Women who are sexually and / or romantically attracted to women.

    • Queer. A self-description used by some people whose sexual orientation is not heterosexual, or whose gender identity is outside of the gender they were assigned at birth. Originally used exclusively as a derogatory slur, it has been reclaimed by some within the community (although its acceptance varies from individual to individual, and is still considered offensive when used by those outside the community).

    • Pansexual. A person who is sexually and/or romantically attracted to persons of any gender identity.


    • Ally. One who confronts homophobia, sexism, transphobia, and gender-based hatred in our society. One who uses their privilege to speak up for and amplify the voices of marginalized communities.

    • Androgenous. Expressing oneself in a gender-neutral, non-binary manner.

    • Deadname. Using the birthname of a transgender person, instead of the name they have chosen for themselves.

    • Gender transition. The process by which people seek to more fully align with their knowledge of their gender identity. Transitioning can happen both socially (in terms of dress, speech, pronouns, name, and how we interact with others) and also physically (changing ones physical appearance through hormone treatments or surgeries).

    • Feminine. Expressing oneself in a way that conforms to the social construct of "female-ness." Sometimes also femme, fem.

    • Masculine. Expressing oneself in a way that conforms to the social construct of "male-ness." Sometimes also masc, butch.

    • Misgender. To refer to someone using a word, pronoun, or name that does not correctly reflect their gender identity. This is offensive and harmful. If it happens accidentally, learn to quickly correct yourself and apologize.

    If you want to learn more, If you want to learn more, check out the GLAAD Ally's Guide to Terminologycheck out the GLAAD Ally's Guide to Terminology