GLOSSARY OT TERMS
ADVOCATE
a person who actively works to end intolerance, educate others, and support social equity for a marginalized group. 2 verb to actively support/plea in favor of a particular cause, the action of working to end intolerance, educate others, etc.
AFFIRMED GENDER
The gender by which one wishes to be known. This term is often used to replace terms like new gender or chosen gender, which imply that an individual’s gender was not always their gender or that the gender was chosen rather than simply in existence.
AGENDER
a person with no (or very little) connection to the traditional system of gender, no personal alignment with the concepts of either man or woman, and/or someone who sees themselves as existing without gender. Sometimes called gender neutrois, gender neutral, or genderless.
See also: genderqueer, gender binary, gender expression
ALLY
a (typically straight and/or cisgender) person who supports and respects members of the LGBTQ community. We consider people to be active allies who take action in support and respect.
ANDROGYNE
An androgynous individual.
ANDROGYNOUS
a gender expression that has elements of both masculinity and femininity; 2 occasionally used in place of “intersex” to describe a person with both female and male anatomy.
Synonyms: androgyny
ANDROSEXUAL
being primarily sexually, romantically and/or emotionally attracted to some men, males, and/or masculinity.
Synonyms: androphilic
AROMANTIC
experiencing little or no romantic attraction to others and/or has a lack of interest in romantic relationships/behavior. Aromanticism exists on a continuum from people who experience no romantic attraction or have any desire for romantic activities, to those who experience low levels, or romantic attraction only under specific conditions, and many of these different places on the continuum have their own identity labels (see demiromantic). Sometimes abbreviated to “aro” (pronounced like “arrow”).
See also: demiromantic
ASEXUAL
experiencing little or no sexual attraction to others and/or a lack of interest in sexual relationships/behavior. Asexuality exists on a continuum from people who experience no sexual attraction or have any desire for sex, to those who experience low levels, or sexual attraction only under specific conditions, and many of these different places on the continuum have their own identity labels (see demisexual). Sometimes abbreviated to “ace. Asexuality is different from celibacy in that it is a sexual orientation whereas celibacy is an abstaining from a certain action. Not all asexual people are aromantic.
See also: demisexual
ASSIGNED GENDER
The gender that is assigned to an infant at birth which is meant to correspond to the child’s assigned sex.
ASSIGNED SEX
The sex that is assigned to an infant at birth based on the child’s visible sex organs, including genitalia and other physical characteristics.
ASSUMED GENDER
The gender others assume an individual to be based on the sex they are assigned at birth, as well as apparent gender markers such as physical build, voice, clothes, and hair.
BICURIOUS
a curiosity about having attraction to people of the same gender/sex (similar to questioning).
See also: biphobia, bisexual, down low
BIGENDER
a person who fluctuates between traditionally “woman” and “man” gender-based behavior and identities, identifying with both genders (and sometimes a third gender).
BINDING
The process of tightly wrapping one’s chest in order to minimize the appearance of having breasts. This is achieved through use of constrictive materials such as cloth strips, elastic or non-elastic bandages, or specially designed undergarments.
BIOLOGICAL SEX
a medical term used to refer to the chromosomal, hormonal and anatomical characteristics that are used to classify an individual as female or male or intersex. Often referred to as simply “sex,” “physical sex,” “anatomical sex,” or specifically as “sex assigned at birth.”
BIPHOBIA
a range of negative attitudes (e.g., fear, anger, intolerance, invisibility, resentment, erasure, or discomfort) that one may have or express towards bisexual individuals. Biphobia can come from and be seen within the LGBTQ community as well as straight society.
See also: biphobic, bisexual, bicurious, transphobia
BIPHOBIC
a word used to describe an individual who harbors some elements of this range of negative attitudes towards bisexual people. Example of bi-invisibility and bi-erasure would be the assumption that any man in a relationship with a woman is straight or anyone dating someone of the same gender means you’re gay. In neither case do we assume anyone could be bisexual.
See also: biphobia
BISEXUAL
1 a person who is emotionally, physically, and/or sexually attracted to males/men and females/women.
2 a person who is emotionally, physically, and/or sexually attracted to people of their gender and another gender.
This attraction does not have to be equally split or indicate a level of interest that is the same across the genders or sexes an individual may be attracted to.
See also: bicurious, biphobia, down low
BOTTOM SURGERY
Colloquial way of describing gender affirming genital surgery.
BUTCH
a person who identifies themselves as masculine, whether it be physically, mentally or emotionally. ‘Butch’ is sometimes used as a derogatory term for lesbians, but is also be claimed as an affirmative identity label.
CISGENDER (CIS)
a person whose gender identity and biological sex assigned at birth align (e.g., man and assigned male at birth). A simple way to think about it is if a person is not transgender, they are cisgender. The word cisgender can also be shortened to “cis.”
See also: cissexism, cisnormativity
CISNORMATIVITY
the assumption, in individuals or in institutions, that everyone is cisgender, and that cisgender identities are superior to trans* identities or people. Leads to invisibility of non-cisgender identities.
See also: cisgender, cissexism
CISSEXISM
behavior that grants preferential treatment to cisgender people, reinforces the idea that being cisgender is somehow better or more “right” than being transgender, and/or makes other genders invisible.
See also: cisgender, cisnormativity
CLOSETED
an individual who is not open to themselves or others about their (queer) sexuality or gender identity. This may be by choice and/or for other reasons such as fear for one’s safety, peer or family rejection or disapproval and/or loss of housing, job, etc. Also known as being “in the closet.” When someone chooses to break this silence they “come out” of the closet. (See coming out)
Synonyms: in the closet
See also: coming out, down low
CONSTELLATION
a way to describe the arrangement or structure of a polyamorous relationship.
CROSS-DRESSER
someone who wears clothes of another gender/sex.
See also: drag king, transvestite
CROSS-SEX HORMONE THERAPY
The administration of hormones for those who wish to match their physical secondary sex characteristics to their gender identity.
DIFFERENCES OF SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT (DSD)
Refers to individuals born with ambiguous genitalia or bodies that appear neither typically male nor female, often arising from chromosomal anomalies or ambiguous genitalia. Medical professionals often assign a gender to the individual and proceeded to perform surgeries to ‘align’ their physical appearance with typical male or female sex characteristics beginning in infancy and often continuing into adolescence, before a child is able to give informed consent. The Intersex Society of North America opposes this practice of genital mutilation on infants and children. Formerly the medical terms hermaphrodite and pseudo-hermaphrodite were used; these terms are now considered neither acceptable nor scientifically accurate.
See also: intersex
DEMIROMANTIC
little or no capacity to experience romantic attraction until a strong sexual or emotional connection is formed with another individual, often within a sexual relationship.
See also: aromantic
DEMISEXUAL
little or no capacity to experience sexual attraction until a strong romantic or emotional connection is formed with another individual, often within a romantic relationship.
See also: asexual
DISCLOSURE
A word that some people use to describe the act or process of revealing one’s transgender or gender-expansive identity to another person in a specific instance. Some find the term offensive, implying the need to disclose something shameful, and prefer to use the term coming out, whereas others find coming out offensive, and prefer to use disclosure.
See also: coming out
DISORDERS OF SEX DEVELOPMENT (DSD)
Group of rare conditions where the reproductive organs and genitals do not develop as expected. Some DSDs include Klinefelter Syndrome and Androgen Sensitivity Syndrome. Sometimes called differences of sex development. Some people prefer to use the term intersex.
DIVERSE SEXUALITIES AND GENDERS (DSG)
shorthand or umbrella terms for all folks who have a non-normative (or queer) gender or sexuality, there are many different initialisms people prefer.
Other options include the acronym QUILTBAG (Queer [or Questioning] Undecided Intersex Lesbian Trans* Bisexual Asexual [or Allied] and Gay [or Genderqueer]). There is no “correct” initialism or acronym — what is preferred varies by person, region, and often evolves over time. The efforts to represent more and more identities led to some folks describe the ever-lengthening initialism as “Alphabet Soup,” which was part of the impetus for GSM and DSG.
DOWN LOW (DL)
typically referring to men who identify as straight but who secretly have sex with men. Down low (or DL) originated in, and is most commonly used by, communities of color.
See also: closeted, coming out, bisexual, bicurious
DRAG
The performance of one or multiple genders theatrically. Those who perform are called Drag Kings and Drag Queens.
See also: drag king, drag queen
DRAG KING
someone who performs masculinity theatrically.
See also: cross-dresser, drag queen, drag
DRAG QUEEN
someone who performs femininity theatrically.
See also: drag king, drag
DYKE
referring to a masculine presenting lesbian. While often used derogatorily, it can is adopted affirmatively by many lesbians (both more masculine and more feminine presenting lesbians not necessarily masculine ones) as a positive self-identity term.
EMOTIONAL ATTRACTION
a capacity that evokes the want to engage in romantic intimate behavior (e.g., sharing, confiding, trusting, interdepending), experienced in varying degrees (from little-to-none, to intense). Often conflated with sexual attraction, romantic attraction, and/or spiritual attraction.
FEMININE-OF-CENTER
a word that indicates a range of terms of gender identity and gender presentation for folks who present, understand themselves, and/or relate to others in a more feminine way, but don’t necessarily identify as women. Feminine-of-center individuals may also identify as femme, submissive, transfeminine, etc.
See also: masculine-of-center, feminine-presenting, femme
FEMININE-PRESENTING
a way to describe someone who expresses gender in a more feminine way. Often confused with feminine-of-cente which generally include a focus on identity as well as expression.
See also: feminine-of-center, femme
FEMME
someone who identifies themselves as feminine, whether it be physically, mentally or emotionally. Often used to refer to a feminine-presenting queer woman.
See also: feminine-of-center, feminine-presenting
FEMALE-TO-MALE (FTM)
abbreviation : female-to-male transgender or transsexual person
See also: male-to-female
FLUIDITY
generally with another term attached, like gender-fluid or fluid-sexuality, fluidity describes an identity that may change or shift over time between or within the mix of the options available (e.g., man and woman, bi and straight).
Synonyms: fluid
See also: gender fluid
GAY
individuals who are primarily emotionally, physically, and/or sexually attracted to members of the same sex and/or gender. More commonly used when referring to men who are attracted to other men, but can be applied to women as well. 2 An umbrella term used to refer to the queer community as a whole, or as an individual identity label for anyone who does not identify as heterosexual.
See also: homosexual
GENDER
A set of social, psychological, and/or emotional traits, often influenced by societal expectations, that classify an individual as man, woman, a mixture of both, or neither.
GENDER AND SEXUAL MINORITIES (GSM)
shorthand or umbrella terms for all folks who have a non-normative (or queer) gender or sexuality, there are many different initialisms people prefer.
Other options include the acronym QUILTBAG (Queer [or Questioning] Undecided Intersex Lesbian Trans* Bisexual Asexual [or Allied] and Gay [or Genderqueer]). There is no “correct” initialism or acronym — what is preferred varies by person, region, and often evolves over time. The efforts to represent more and more identities led to some folks describe the ever-lengthening initialism as “Alphabet Soup,” which was part of the impetus for GSM and DSG.
GENDER-AFFIRMING SURGERY
Surgical procedures that can help people adjust their bodies to more closely match their innate or internal gender identity. Not every transgender person will desire or have resources for surgery. This term should be used in place of the older and often offensive term sex change. Also sometimes referred to as sexual reassignment surgery (or SRS), genital reconstruction surgery, or medical transition.
GENDER BINARY
the idea that there are only two genders and that every person is one of those two.
See also: gender identity, gender nonconforming, gender normative, genderqueer, agender
GENDER DYSPHORIA
Distress experienced by some individuals whose gender identity does not correspond with their assigned sex at birth. Manifests itself as clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) includes gender dysphoria as a diagnosis.
GENDER EXPANSIVE
An umbrella term sometimes used to describe children and youth that expand notions of gender expression and identity beyond what is perceived as the expected gender norms for their society or context. Some gender-expansive individuals identify with being either a boy or a girl, some identify as neither, and others identify as a mix of both. Gender-expansive people feel that they exist psychologically between genders, as on a spectrum, or beyond the notion of the man/woman binary paradigm, and sometimes prefer using gender-neutral pronouns (see Preferred Gender Pronouns). They may or may not be comfortable with their bodies as they are, regardless of how they express their gender.
GENDER EXPRESSION
the external display of one’s gender, through a combination of dress, demeanor, social behavior, and other factors, generally made sense of on scales of masculinity and femininity. Also referred to as “gender presentation.”
See also: gender identity, gender nonconforming, gender normative, genderqueer, agender
GENDER FLUID
gender fluid is a gender identity best described as a dynamic mix of boy and girl. A person who is gender fluid may always feel like a mix of the two traditional genders, but may feel more man some days, and more woman other days.
See also: fluidity, gender identity, gender nonconforming, gender normative, genderqueer
GENDER IDENTITY
the internal perception of an one’s gender, and how they label themselves, based on how much they align or don’t align with what they understand their options for gender to be. Common identity labels include man, woman, genderqueer, trans, and more. Often confused with biological sex, or sex assigned at birth.
See also: gender binary, gender expression, gender fluid, gender nonconforming, gender normative, genderqueer
GENDER NONCONFORMING
a gender expression descriptor that indicates a non-traditional gender presentation (masculine woman or feminine man) 2 a gender identity label that indicates a person who identifies outside of the gender binary. Often abbreviated as “GNC.”
See also: gender binary, gender expression, gender fluid, gender identity, gender normative, genderqueer
GENDER NORMATIVE
someone whose gender presentation, whether by nature or by choice, aligns with society’s gender-based expectations.
Synonyms: gender straight, straight
See also: gender binary, gender expression, gender fluid, gender identity, gender nonconforming, genderqueer
GENDER NEUTRAL
Not gendered. Can refer to language (including pronouns), spaces (like bathrooms), or identities (being genderqueer, for example).
GENDER ROLE
A set of societal norms dictating what types of behaviors are generally considered acceptable, appropriate or desirable for a person based on their actual or perceived sex
GENDERQUEER
a gender identity label often used by people who do not identify with the binary of man/woman; or as an umbrella term for many gender non-conforming or non-binary identities (e.g., agender, bigender, genderfluid).
See also: gender binary, gender expression, gender fluid, gender identity, agender, gender nonconforming, gender normative
GENDER SOCIALIZATION
The process by which individual on is taught how they should behave as a boy or as a girl. Parents, teachers, peers, media, and books are some of the many agents of gender socialization.
GENDER SPECTRUM
The concept that gender exists beyond a simple man/woman binary model, but instead exists on a continuum. Some people fall towards more masculine or more feminine aspects, some people move fluidly along the spectrum, and some identify off the spectrum entirely.
GENDER TRANSITION
The period during which transsexual persons begin changing their appearance and bodies to match their internal identity.
GENDER VARIANT
A term, often used by the medical community, to describe children, youth, and some individuals who dress, behave, or express themselves in a way that does not conform to dominant gender norms. (See gender nonconforming.) People outside the medical community tend to avoid this term because they feel it suggests these identities are abnormal, preferring terms such as gender expansive and gender creative.
GYNESEXUAL
being primarily sexually, romantically and/or emotionally attracted to some woman, females, and/or femininity.
Synonyms: gynephillic
HATE CRIME
A crime motivated by the actual or perceived race, colour, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person.
HERMAPHRODITE
an outdated medical term previously used to refer to someone who was born with some combination of typically-male and typically-female sex characteristics. It’s considered stigmatizing and inaccurate. See intersex.
See also: intersex
HETERONORMATIVITY
the assumption, in individuals or in institutions, that everyone is heterosexual (e.g. asking a woman if she has a boyfriend) and that heterosexuality is superior to all other sexualities. Leads to invisibility and stigmatizing of other sexualities. Heteronormativity also leads us to assume that only masculine men and feminine women are straight.
See also: heterosexual
HOMOPHOBIA
an umbrella term for a range of negative attitudes (e.g., fear, anger, intolerance, resentment, erasure, or discomfort) that one may have towards members of LGBTQ community. The term can also connote a fear, disgust, or dislike of being perceived as LGBTQ. Homophobic – adj. : a word used to describe an individual who harbors some elements of this range of negative attitudes towards gay people.
See also: transphobia
HOMOSEXUAL
a person primarily emotionally, physically, and/or sexually attracted to members of the same sex/gender. This [medical] term is considered stigmatizing (particularly as a noun) due to its history as a category of mental illness, and is discouraged for common use (use gay or lesbian instead).
See also: gay
INTERSECTIONALITY
The idea that identities are influenced and shaped by race, class, ethnicity, sexuality/sexual orientation, gender/gender identity, physical disability, national origin, etc., as well as by the interconnection of all of those characteristics.
INTERSEX
term for a combination of chromosomes, gonads, hormones, internal sex organs, and genitals that differs from the two expected patterns of male or female.
See also: hermaphrodite, differences of sexual development
LATINX
a gender-expansive term used to be more inclusive of all genders than the binary terms Latino or Latina permit, as these are terms of identity found in Spanish, a gendered language.
LIFESTYLE
A negative term often incorrectly used to describe the lives of people who are LGBTQ. The term is disliked because it implies that being LGBTQ is a choice.
LIPSTICK LESBIAN
Usually refers to a lesbian with a feminine gender expression. Can be used in a positive or a derogatory way. Is sometimes also used to refer to a lesbian who is assumed to be (or passes for) straight.
See also: lesbian
LESBIAN GAY BISEXUAL TRANSGENDER AND QUEER AND/OR QUESTIONING (LGBTQ)
sometimes people add a + at the end in an effort to be more inclusive
shorthand or umbrella terms for all folks who have a non-normative (or queer) gender or sexuality, there are many different initialisms people prefer.
Other options include the acronym QUILTBAG (Queer [or Questioning] Undecided Intersex Lesbian Trans* Bisexual Asexual [or Allied] and Gay [or Genderqueer]). There is no “correct” initialism or acronym — what is preferred varies by person, region, and often evolves over time. The efforts to represent more and more identities led to some folks describe the ever-lengthening initialism as “Alphabet Soup,” which was part of the impetus for GSM and DSG.
METROSEXUAL
a man with a strong aesthetic sense who spends more time, energy, or money on his appearance and grooming than is considered gender normative.
MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN (MSM)
used to distinguish sexual behaviors from sexual identities: because a man is straight, it doesn’t mean he’s not having sex with men. Often used in the field of HIV/Aids education, prevention, and treatment.
See also: women who have sex with women
MINORITY STRESS
Chronic stress faced by members of stigmatized minority groups. Minority stress is caused by external, objective events and conditions, expectations of such events, the internalization of societal attitudes, and/or concealment of one’s sexual orientation.
MISGENDER
To refer to someone, especially a transgender or gender-expansive person, using a word, especially a pronoun or form of address, which does not correctly reflect the gender with which they identify.
MIX (MX)
an honorific (e.g. Mr., Ms., Mrs., etc.) that is gender neutral. It is often the option of choice for folks who do not identify within the gender binary: Mx. Smith is a great teacher.
NONBINARY
Refers to individuals who identify as neither man or woman, both man and woman, or a combination of man or woman. It is an identity term which some use exclusively, while others may use it interchangeably with terms like genderqueer, gender creative, gender noncomforming, gender diverse, or gender expansive. Individuals who identify as nonbinary may understand the identity as falling under the transgender umbrella, and may thus identify as transgender. Sometimes abbreviated as NB.
OUT
Generally describes people who openly self-identify as LGBTQ in their private, public, and/or professional lives. Sometimes, individuals are outed by others who they may have already come out to. Outing an LGBTQ person without their consent is disrespectful and potentially dangerous for the LGBTQ individual. Some people who are transgender prefer to use the term disclose
OUTING
involuntary or unwanted disclosure of another person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or intersex status.
PANGENDER
Describes a person whose gender identity is comprised of many genders.
PANSEXUAL
a person who experiences sexual, romantic, physical, and/or spiritual attraction for members of all gender identities/expressions. Often shortened to “pan.”
POLYAMOURY
refers to the practice of, desire to, or orientation towards having ethically, honest, and consensual non-monogamous relationships (i.e. relationships that may include multiple partners). This may include open relationships, Polyfidelity, and many other set-ups.
Synonyms: Polyamorous
See also: polyfidelity
POLYFIDELITY
more than two people being in å romantic and/or sexual relationship which is not open to additional partners.
See also: polyamoury
PREFERRED GENDER PRONOUN (PGP)
Often used during introductions, becoming more common in educational institutions. Many suggest removing the “preferred,” because it indicates flexibility and/or the power for the speaker to decide which pronouns to use for someone else.
QUEER
used as an umbrella term to describe individuals who don’t identify as straight. Also used to describe people who have a non-normative gender identity, or as a political affiliation. Due to its historical use as a derogatory term, it is not embraced or used by all members of the LGBTQ community. The term “queer” can often be use interchangeably with LGBTQ (e.g., “queer folks” instead of “LGBTQ folks”). If a person tells you they are not comfortable with you referring to them as queer, don’t. Always respect individual’s preferences when it comes to identity labels, particularly contentious ones (or ones with troubled histories) like this. Use the word queer only if you are comfortable explaining to others what it means, because some people feel uncomfortable with the word, it is best to know/feel comfortable explaining why you choose to use it if someone inquires.
QUEER PEOPLE OF COLOR (QPOC)
QUEER TRANS PEOPLE OF COLOR (QTPOC)
QUESTIONING
an individual who or time when someone is unsure about or exploring their own sexual orientation or gender identity.
SAME GENDER LOVING (SGM)
sometimes used by some members of the African-American or Black community to express an non-straight sexual orientation without relying on terms and symbols of European descent
SAME-SEX ATTRACTION (SSA)
A term that is used to describe the experience of a person who is emotionally and/or sexually attracted to people of the same gender. Individuals using this term may not feel comfortable using the language of sexual orientation (i.e., gay, lesbian, bisexual) for personal reasons. Use of this term is not indicative of a person’s sexual behavior. It is used most commonly in religious communities.
SEX
Refers to anatomical, physiological, genetic, or physical attributes that define if a person is male, female, or intersex. These include both primary and secondary sex characteristics, including genitalia, gonads, hormone levels, hormone receptors, chromosomes, and genes. Sex is often conflated or interchanged with gender, which is more social than biological, though there is some overlap.
SEXUAL ATTRACTION
a capacity that evokes the want to engage in physical intimate behavior (e.g., kissing, touching, intercourse), experienced in varying degrees (from little-to-none, to intense). Often conflated with romantic attraction, emotional attraction, and/or spiritual attraction.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
the type of sexual, romantic, emotional/spiritual attraction one has the capacity to feel for some others, generally labeled based on the gender relationship between the person and the people they are attracted to. Often confused with sexual preference.
SEXUAL PREFERENCE
the types of sexual intercourse, stimulation, and gratification one likes to receive and participate in. Generally when this term is used, it is being mistakenly interchanged with “sexual orientation,” creating an illusion that one has a choice (or “preference”) in who they are attracted to.
SEX REASSIGNMENT SURGERY (SRS)
used by some medical professionals to refer to a group of surgical options that alter a person’s biological sex. “Gender confirmation surgery” is considered by many to be a more affirming term. In most cases, one or multiple surgeries are required to achieve legal recognition of gender variance. Some refer to different surgical procedures as “top” surgery and “bottom” surgery to discuss what type of surgery they are having without having to be more explicit.
SKOLIOSEXUAL
being primarily sexually, romantically and/or emotionally attracted to some genderqueer, transgender, transsexual, and/or non-binary people.
SOCIAL STIGMA
Negative stereotypes and social status of a person or group based on perceived characteristics that separate that person or group from other members of a society.
SPIRITUAL ATTRACTION
a capacity that evokes the want to engage in intimate behavior based on one’s experience with, interpretation of, or belief in the supernatural (e.g., religious teachings, messages from a deity), experienced in varying degrees (from little-to-none, to intense). Often conflated with sexual attraction, romantic attraction, and/or emotional attraction.
STEALTH
A term used to describe transgender or gender-expansive individuals who do not disclose their transgender or gender-expansive status in their public or private lives (or certain aspects of their public and private lives). The term is increasingly considered offensive by some as it implies an element of deception. The phrase maintaining privacy is often used instead, though some individuals use both terms interchangeably.
STRUCTURAL STIGMA
Societal conditions, policies, and institutional practices that restrict the opportunities, resources, and well-being of certain groups of people.
THIRD GENDER
for a person who does not identify with either man or woman, but identifies with another gender. This gender category is used by societies that recognise three or more genders, both contemporary and historic, and is also a conceptual term meaning different things to different people who use it, as a way to move beyond the gender binary.
TOP SURGERY
this term refers to surgery for the construction of a male-type chest or breast augmentation for a female-type chest.
TRANS
an umbrella term covering a range of identities that transgress socially defined gender norms. Trans with an asterisk is often used in written forms (not spoken) to indicate that you are referring to the larger group nature of the term, and specifically including non-binary identities, as well as transgender men (transmen) and transgender women (trans women).
See also: transgender, transwoman, transman
TRANSGENDER
A person who lives as a member of a gender other than that assigned at birth based on anatomical sex. Because sexuality labels (e.g., gay, straight, bi) are generally based on the relationship between the person’s gender and the genders they are attracted to, trans* sexuality can be defined in a couple of ways.
Some people may choose to self-identify as straight, gay, bi, lesbian, or pansexual (or others, using their gender identity as a basis), or they might describe their sexuality using other-focused terms like gynesexual, androsexual, or skoliosexual (see full list for definitions for these terms.
See also: trans, transman, transwoman, transsexual
TRANSITIONING
s primarily used to refer to the process a trans* person undergoes when changing their bodily appearance either to be more congruent with the gender/sex they feel themselves to be and/or to be in harmony with their preferred gender expression.
Synonyms: transition
TRANSMAN
An identity label sometimes adopted by female-to-male transgender people or transsexuals to signify that they are men while still affirming their history as assigned female sex at birth. (sometimes referred to as transguy)
See also: transgender, transwoman, trans
TRANSPHOBIA
the fear of, discrimination against, or hatred of trans* people, the trans* community, or gender ambiguity. Transphobia can be seen within the queer community, as well as in general society. Transphobia is often manifested in violent and deadly means. While the exact numbers and percentages aren’t incredibly solid on this, it’s safe to say that trans* people are far more likely than their cisgender peers (including LGB people) to be the victims of violent crimes and murder.
See also: homophobia, biphobia, transphobic
TRANSMASCULINE
Describes people who were assigned female at birth, but identify with masculinity to a greater extent than with femininity.
TRANSPHOBIC
a word used to describe an individual who harbors some elements of this range of negative attitudes, thoughts, intents, towards trans* people.
See also: transphobia
TRANSSEXUAL
a person who identifies psychologically as a gender/sex other than the one to which they were assigned at birth. Transsexuals often wish to transform their bodies hormonally and surgically to match their inner sense of gender/sex.
See also: transgender
TRANSWOMAN
An Identity label sometimes adopted by male-to-female transsexuals or transgender people to signify that they are women while still affirming their history as assigned male sex at birth.
See also: trans, transgender, transman
TRANSVESTITE
a person who dresses as the binary opposite gender expression (“cross-dresses”) for any one of many reasons, including relaxation, fun, and sexual gratification (often called a “cross-dresser,” and should not be confused with transsexual).
See also: cross-dresser
TUCKING
The process of hiding one’s penis and testes with tape, tight shorts, or specially designed undergarments.
TWO-SPIRIT
is an umbrella term traditionally used by Native American people to recognize individuals who possess qualities or fulfill roles of both genders.