Our LGBTQ+ A-Z gives an outline of key terms and labels split into gender and sexuality.
Whether you’re questioning your own identity or here to learn more about our community remember you don’t have to fit a neat label – you can just be you.
If you feel like you need to talk about your sexuality or identity more, we are here for you.
Before you start
We’ve outlined a couple of key concepts for you:
Gender Identity – Our internal sense of our own gender.
Gender Expression – Our external physical appearance and behaviour that is related to gender. For example, the way you dress, the cosmetics you do or don’t use, your behaviour and the pronouns you use.
Gender Binary – Binary refers to the traditional genders of man and woman.
Sexual Orientation – Who we are attracted to. This could include sexual attraction, romantic attraction or lack of sexual/romantic attraction.
Gender
Agender – Someone who is Agender doesn’t relate to traditional gender identities like man or woman and instead feels gender neutral.
Androgynous – Gender expression which is both masculine and feminine at the same time.
Bigender – Someone who moves between being traditionally male and female. One day they could feel male, the next female.
Butch – Typically used by women who express themselves in a masculine way. Can also be used by people who present very masculine regardless of gender.
Cisgender – This describes someone who aligns with the gender they were assigned at birth for example cis woman or cis man.
Demi-boy – Someone who identifies with a masculine identity but is not totally binary. An example could be someone that is masculine and non-binary.
Demi-girl – Someone who identifies with a feminine identity but is not totally binary. An example could be someone that is feminine and non-binary.
Femme – Can refer to feminine gender expression or even feelings. Sometimes it’s used alongside other terms for identity like Trans-femme (a feminine trans woman/person).
Gender Fluid – A term that refers to someone whose feelings about their gender and gender expression are fluid, shifting between different identities over time.
Gender non-conforming – Someone who does not conform to traditional gender stereotypes and identifies outside of the gender binary.
Genderqueer – Someone who identifies outside of the gender binary and/or rejects the binary. Connects to other terms like non-binary, genderfluid and gender non-conforming.
Non-binary – Someone who identifies in a way other than male or female. This is an umbrella term for all people who aren’t a binary gender. Some non-binary people have a more specific identity (see bigender, agender, genderfluid, demi-girl/boy)
Masc – Can refer to masculine gender expression or even feelings. Sometimes it’s used alongside other terms for identity like Trans-masc (a masculine trans man/person).
Trans – An umbrella term for anyone who does not identify with the gender that they were assigned at birth. Is often used as a prefix to a gender marker.
- Trans woman – Someone assigned male at birth and now identifies as a woman.
- Trans man – Someone assigned female at birth and now identifies as a man.
- Trans Non-binary – Someone who doesn’t identify with the gender they were assigned at birth and doesn’t identify with binary man or woman.
Transgender – Someone who does not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth.
Queer – An umbrella term for anyone who identifies as LGBTQ+.
Some people choose to identify as queer as it is less specific and can be a way to express multiple identities at once. For example, someone who is both gender non-conforming and bisexual may choose to identify as queer.
Some people prefer not to use the term queer, and that’s okay too. We all get to decide which words we use to describe ourselves.
Questioning – Someone who is questioning their gender. Maybe they thought they were cis and now find themselves feeling non-binary. Questioning gender is totally normal and something that can happen at any point in our lives and more than once.
Sexuality
Aromantic (ARO) – Someone who experiences little or no romantic attraction to anyone. This is sometimes abbreviated as ‘aro.’
Asexual (ACE) – Asexuality is a sexual orientation. It means experiencing little to no sexual attraction. This is sometimes abbreviated as ‘ace.’ ‘Asexual’ and ‘aromantic’ are umbrella terms, which means there are many identities included within the asexual and aromantic spectrums (you may see this referred to as a-spec).
Bisexual – Someone who is both romantically and/or sexually attracted to men and women.
Demi-romantic – Someone who is only able to form a romantic connection with someone after first creating a strong bond with the person. Part of the Ace/Aro Spectrum
Demi-sexual – Someone who is only able to form a sexual connection with someone after first creating a strong romantic or personal bond with the person. Part of the Ace/Aro Spectrum.
Gay – A term normally used for people who are romantically or sexually attracted to the same gender as themselves.
- Gay man: Men who are attracted to men.
- Gay woman: Women who are attracted to women.
Lesbian – A woman who is romantically or sexually attracted to other women.
Pansexual – Someone who is attracted to all genders
Queer – An umbrella term for anyone who identifies as LGBTQ+.
Some people choose to identify as queer as it is less specific and can be a way to express multiple identities at once. For example, someone who is both gender non-conforming and bisexual may choose to identify as queer.
Some people prefer not to use the term queer, and that’s okay too. We all get to decide which words we use to describe ourselves.
Questioning – Someone who is questioning their sexual orientation. Maybe they thought they were only attracted to women and now find themselves having feelings about men as well. Questioning sexuality is totally normal and something that can happen at any point in our lives and more than once.
Straight – Someone who is attracted to the opposite gender to them. For example, a woman who is only romantically or sexually attracted to men.
For full article: https://lgbtyouth.org.uk/lgbt-a-to-z/
