Glossary
Common terms and definitions, collected here for your convenience.
DISCLAIMER: this list of terms is not exhaustive, nor is it meant to be. By virtue of their nature, definitions of identity are somewhat fluid, and can vary according to context, both social and personal. For an expanded, comprehensive list of definitions, we invite you to visit the It Gets Better Project’s LGBTQ+ Glossary.
Queer*
An umbrella term encompassing the myriad people whose identities and erotic practices are not the normative “straight and cisgendered” default accepted by mainstream society.
NOTE: “queer” has a complex history which includes a measure of stigma for some. Please follow the link above for a comprehensive explanation of our use of this term.
2SLGBTQIA+
One of many acronyms used to refer to the queer community and the varied identities therein. This acronym stands for “Two-spirits, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual”. The “+” refers to the expansion and variation of the acronym according to locale.
Intersectionality
A term first coined by feminist civil-rights scholar and activist Kimberlé Crenshaw and which refers to the unique way in which an individual’s combination of identities (race, gender, class, etc.) interact to inform their own unique experience of oppression.
Transgender
Also: trans.
A person whose gender identity differs from that which they were assigned at birth. Some trans individuals identify as male or female, while others use trans as an umbrella for non-binary identities (see “Non-binary”).
NOTE: avoid using transgender as a noun, or with the suffix “-ed”.
Cisgender
Also: cis.
A person whose gender identity aligns with that which they were assigned at birth.
Non-binary
Also: gender nonconforming
An umbrella term for a person whose gender identity and/or expression does not conform to social expectations of gender, particularly in relation to the male-female binary.
Non-binary identities include but are not limited to: agender/gender neutral, bigender, gender fluid, and genderqueer.
Gender-affirming care
The ensemble of a health care system’s policies, practices, and processes through which care providers actively support individuals by recognizing and acknowledging their gender identity.