What this is:
This is a glossary of terms written by our chapter, meant to be referenced when you feel unsure of what a word we use means. This isn’t meant to be read all in one go, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask us at any point. We also have a printable version that can be found here.
the glossary
Ableism- The system of discrimination and exclusion that oppresses people who have disabilities.
Agender- A person who has no gender or doesn’t strongly align with any gender.
Ally- A person who is not marginalized but works to support marginalized people in a variety of ways.
Androgynous- Used to describe something or someone as having elements of both femininity and masculinity.
Aromantic- Experiencing little or no romantic attraction, sometimes used as an umbrella term.
Asexual- Experiencing little or no sexual attraction; a person who is asexual (ace) may still wish to engage in romantic relationships, sometimes used as an umbrella term.
A-spec- Identifying as somewhere on the asexual and aromantic spectrum.
Assigned Sex- The sex a person is assigned at birth.
Assimilation- The process by which a minority group comes to hold the values, behaviors, and beliefs of the majority group, often losing their own culture in the process.
Bigender- Identifying as any two genders simultaneously (Not to be confused with “bisexual”).
Binding- The act of using a constrictive garment, typically referred to as a binder, to flatten one’s chest.
Biphobia- The discrimination and exclusion against bisexual people.
Bisexual- Being attracted to two or more genders (Not to be confused with “bigender”).
Cisgender- Identifying with the sex you were assigned at birth; sometimes mistakenly referred to as a negative term or a slur.
Cisheterosexism- The system of discrimination at the intersection between cissexism and heterosexism, focused on upholding the gender binary and a standard idea of straightness (See “cissexism” and “heterosexism”).
Cissexism- The system of discrimination and exclusion that focuses on upholding the gender binary, resulting in the oppression of nonbinary and trans people. This term is used as an alternative to transphobia because of the implications of the -phobia ending (See gender binary and transphobia).
Closeted- Describes a person who is not open about their LGBTQ+ identity (See “out”).
Colonialism- The practice by a state of acquiring control and power over other areas and people, often with the direct aim of economic dominance. (Settlers often impose their own religion, language, economic systems, and cultural practices on the occupied peoples.)
Deadname- The birth name or old name of a trans person who no longer uses or identifies with that name (See “misgender”).
Demigender- An umbrella term for nonbinary people who have a partial connection to a binary gender.
Demiromantic- A form of aromanticism where one experiences romantic attraction only after a strong emotional bond has already formed.
Demisexual- A form of asexuality where one experiences sexual attraction only after a strong emotional bond has already formed.
E- Used to refer to the hormone estrogen.
Exorsexism- The specific discrimination and exclusion nonbinary people face.
FTM- An acronym standing for “Female to Male”; this term is often regarded as outdated and shouldn't be used for someone without their express permission (See “MTF”).
Gay- A term used to describe people who are emotionally, romantically, or sexually attracted to people of the same gender (See lesbian).
Gender- A social construct used to classify people as a man, woman, or other identity. This is different from what someone’s sex assigned at birth is (See assigned sex and sex).
Gender Affirming Surgery (GAS)- Surgical procedures that can help people adjust their bodies to match their gender more closely. Not every trans person will desire or have resources for surgery. (This term should be used in place of the outdated terms “sex change”, “sexual reassignment surgery (SRS)”, and “genital reconstruction surgery”.)
Gender Binary- The false concept that there are only two genders, man and woman, usually accompanied by the implication that gender is biologically determined.
Gender Dysphoria- A feeling of disconnect between one's body and their gender, or between how others view them and their gender (See “gender euphoria”).
Gender Euphoria- A positive feeling one gets when being properly gendered (See “gender dysphoria”).
Gender Expression- The ways in which one communicates their gender through things like clothing or mannerisms.
Gender Fluid- A gender identity that changes between two or more genders.
Gender Flux- A gender identity that changes in intensity.
Gender Identity- The gender one has or identifies with.
Gender Neutral- The quality of being not gendered.
Genderqueer- A gender identity that often has to do with not conforming or subscribing to society’s gendered expectations or ideas, sometimes used as an umbrella term (See “cisheterosexism” and “nonbinary”).
Generational Trauma- A type of collective trauma that has been passed down through a community, often based on a recollection of a terrible event that happened to a group of people.
Heteronormativity- The idea that being straight is the standard or norm, and the automatic assumption that individuals are straight.
Heterosexism- The system of discrimination and exclusion that oppress people who are not straight, or who do not fit society's ideas of straightness. This term is used as an alternative to homophobia because of the implications of the -phobia ending (See “homophobia” and “cissexism”).
Homophobia- The system of discrimination and exclusion that oppress people who are not straight, or who do not fit society's ideas of straightness. This term is sometimes considered outdated because of the implications of the “-phobia” ending. (See “heterosexism”).
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)- A process some trans people choose to go through to change the dominant sex hormone in their body.
Institutional Power- The authority that entities such as governments, religious institutions, and corporations wield to uphold or change societal standards towards their own interests.
Internalized Oppression- When a marginalized group uses the methods of the oppressors against itself, which can manifest on an individual or group level.
Intersectionality- A term used to describe the way that multiple systems of oppression interact for those with multiple marginalized identities.
Intersex- An umbrella term for people whose primary or secondary sex characteristics do not naturally fit into society's ideas of “male” or “female”.
Latine/Latinx- A movement within the Spanish speaking community to include Spanish speakers of genders other than male or female. The spelling is a controversial topic, and preferences will vary depending on the person and their Latin heritage.
Lesbian- A community of people who often identify as women or nonbinary people who are attracted exclusively to other women or nonbinary people.
Lesbophobia- The specific type of homophobia directed at lesbians at the intersection of heterosexism and sexism (See “homophobia”).
Misgender- To use the wrong pronouns or name for a trans person (See “deadname”).
Misogynoir- The type of sexism black and brown women face because of both their race and their womanhood.
Misogyny- The contempt and prejudice aimed at women to enforce sexism (see “sexism”).
Monogamy- The practice of have a committed romantic, sexual, and intimate relationship with only one other person.
MTF- An acronym standing for “Male to Female”; this term is often regarded as outdated and shouldn’t be used for someone without their express permission (See “FTM”).
Multigender- Identifying as three or more gender simultaneously (see “bigender”).
Neopronoun- A pronoun that is not “he”, “she”, or “they”. A few examples include “xe/xem/xyr”, “ey/em/eir”, and “fae/faer/faers” (See “pronoun”).
Nonbinary- An umbrella term for people who do not identify as strictly a man or woman.
Non-monogamy- An umbrella term for ethical and consensual relationships outside of the ‘traditional’ two person closed relationship (See “polyamory” and “monogamy”).
Omnisexual- Being attracted to people of any and all genders.
Oppression- The unjust or malicious treatment of a group of people by another group that holds power over them.
Out- To be open with one’s identity as an LGBTQ+ person (See “closeted”).
Outing- Most commonly, to be forced to reveal your identity as an LGBTQ+ person, or to be revealed as an LGBTQ+ person to someone without permission; one can also be outed based on race, religion, or other marginalized statuses.
Pansexual- Being attracted to people regardless of gender or being attracted to people of all genders.
Passing- When a person of a marginalized identity is perceived as being a part of a non or less oppressed group. This can be a matter of safety but often carries baggage of assimilation and isolation. This can also leave marginalized people vulnerable to being outed.
Polyamory- The practice of ethical and consensual romantic, sexual, or intimate relationships with more than one person at a time (Not to be confused with “polysexual”) (See “non-monogamy” and “monogamy).
Polysexual- Being attracted to three or more genders, but not all.
Prejudice- A preconceived opinion not based on reason, often directed at a marginalized person or group.
Privilege- A special right or advantage an individual or group receives, often at the detriment of others.
Pronoun- A word used to refer to someone in the third person; examples include “they/them/theirs”, “she/her/hers”, and “he/him/his” (See “neopronoun”).
Queer- An often-reclaimed word meaning someone who does not fall into society’s expectations of cisheterosexism.
Questioning- Being unsure of one’s gender, romantic orientation, or sexual orientation.
Racism- The discrimination directed against a person or group based on their membership or perceived membership of an oppressed minority or marginalized race; this also includes the belief different races possess distinct characteristics, particularly in such a way as to be inferior or superior to each other.
Romantic Orientation- Attraction or non-attraction to people in a loving and romantic way.
Sex- A medical and social construct based around one’s genitalia, chromosomes, hormones, and secondary sex characteristics.
Sex Characteristic- Physical traits which are often associated with a particular sex or gender. This includes primary sex characteristics, like internal or external genitals, and secondary sex characteristics, which include body hair, breasts, voice pitch, height, and body fat distribution.
Sexism- Discrimination based on one’s gender or sex, most frequently towards women.
Sexual Orientation- Romantic, sexual, or emotional attraction or non-attraction to people.
Stealth- A term describing trans people who do not disclose the fact that they are trans in some or all their public and/or private lives.
System of Oppression- The individual, institutional, and societal ways an individual is systematically disadvantaged and treated unjustly for their social identities.
T- Used to refer to the hormone testosterone.
Transgender- A person whose gender is not the same as the sex they were assigned at birth.
Transition- The process of socially, medically, and/or legally “changing” one’s gender.
Transmedicalism- The belief that being transgender is contingent on experiencing a specific type of gender dysphoria and undergoing medial transition. This ideology is often transphobia used by trans people to exclude others they do not perceive as ‘trans enough’ (often nonbinary people or people with culturally exclusive genders), people they perceive as identifying as trans because it is ‘trendy,’ or people they generally feel make the community look less respectable to the oppressing group.
Transmisogyny- The specific type of transphobia and cissexism trans women face at the intersection of misogyny and transphobia.
Transphobia- The system of discrimination and exclusion that focuses on upholding the gender binary and its standards, resulting in the oppression of nonbinary and trans people. This term is sometimes considered outdated because of the implications of the -phobia ending (See “gender binary” and “cissexism”).
Transsexual- A term used to refer to trans people, often regarded as outdated, and shouldn’t be used for someone without their express permission.
Xenophobia- The prejudice and discrimination against people from other countries, especially immigrants; often goes hand-in-hand with racism, but not always (see “racism”).
Last updated 12/6/2021