With it being June, and thus Pride Month, we decided to follow up on our previous post about the history of Pride Month with a post serving as a quick primer to some LGBTQIA+ identities and common terms to be familiar with. This is by no means a comprehensive list! Those who want to learn more should check out the resources we’ve listed at the bottom of this blog post. There are a lot more terms explained throughout those websites which could serve to be even more helpful.

It’s important to be able to understand some of the more basic aspects of the LGBTQIA+ community as it can help when trying to work with clients in that community or even to help support or understand loved ones in your life. Everyday we come into contact with those who are part of this community, whether we know it or not, and the way we speak about these concepts and terms can make a huge impact on others. The more understanding we have, even if just basic, is critical in providing the care and support people need.

One important thing that must be understood before getting into the terms in general is that sex, gender, and sexuality are all very different and separate from each other. While many people use these terms interchangeably, especially sex and gender, they should be understood as completely different concepts that all play a role in how we interact with the world and how the world interacts with us.

Sexual orientation specifically refers to an individual’s sexual desire towards another person (or lack thereof). Sex is based on characteristics assigned by the medical community and society, usually based on genitals, to categorize individuals into primarily binary categories. Also known as the sex assigned at birth. Gender, on the other hand, is a social construction that categorizes individuals into male, female, or a third category. Socially considered to be based on external appearances or qualities (hair length, clothing choice, voice and mannerisms, etc), though there is no true defined set of characteristics that belong to any one gender or gender expression.

There are many common acronyms that are used to describe the LGBTQIA+ community and the acronyms have gotten progressively more and more inclusive over time. LGBT was the most common acronym, first coming into conversation about sex, sexuality, and gender in the 90s. However, since then, as the spectrum of gender and sexuality are being better understood and more discussed, we have added onto that acronym to reflect that. It is important to understand that no one acronym can ever fully represent the full scope of identities for this group, which is why we often see a “+” at the end. The acronyms LGBTQQIAA, 2SLGBTQQIAA, and SOGIE also exist, along with many others

Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Aromantic are the agreed upon most common understanding of the letters in the longest common form of the acronym (2SLGBTQQIAA). SOGIE stands for Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression. Some claim the second A stands for Ally, many argue that Allies should not be considered part of the acronym (even though they are important to the community and do good work) and that it stands for Aromantic or that a second A does not need to be included. However, there is no one consensus on this matter and it depends on individual interpretation.

Ally – Someone who does not identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community but is supportive of the group, often advocating for their rights and providing safe, inclusive areas for various people.
Aromantic – An individual who does not experience romantic attraction and does not need or want romantic relationships. These individuals often find fulfillment in other types of relationships, such as friendships and families, and do not find that anything is missing due to a lack of romantic relationships. May identify as sexual orientation, as well. Sometimes shortened to Aro.
Asexual – An individual who does not experience sexual attraction, or only experiences sexual attraction under very specific circumstances. They may identify any kind of romantic attraction (or lack thereof) along with this identity (such as: gay-romantic, bi-romantic, etc). Often shortened to Ace. This is not the same as celibacy, which refers to an active decision to refrain from sexual activity regardless of sexual attraction.
Bisexual – Someone who is sexually attracted to people of their own gender and people of other genders. Typically in the past, this was understood to mean someone who was attracted only to men and women, but as understanding of gender spectrums have evolved, so has the understanding of this term. While some individuals may have a specific set of genders they are attracted to, others may have many.
Cis(gender) – An individual who identifies with the gender they were assigned at birth that coincides with the social or cultural understanding of the sex assigned at birth (often based on sex characteristics).
Cisnormativity – An oppressive belief and assumption that everyone identifies, or should identify, with the gender or sex they were assigned at birth. Often excludes the considerations and needs of trans people and gender non-conforming individuals.
Deadname – A name an individual no longer uses to identify. This is often a legal name given at birth. Referring to someone by their deadname (deadnaming someone) is often considered rude or hurtful, depending on the intention behind it. It is important to respect someone’s lived or chosen name even if it differs from their legal name as not everyone can afford to legally change their name.
Gay – A man who is attracted to other men. In the past, this was referred to as homosexual or homophile. While some men still refer to themselves this way, more commonly now it is considered a medicalized term that was created to pathologize men who were attracted to men.
Gender affirming (care, surgery) – Health care (both mental and physical) that includes therapy, medications, and surgery to affirm and meet the needs of trans individuals.
Gender dysphoria – Distress felt by a trans individual due to incongruencies in gender identity and physical characteristics or others’ perceptions of them. For example, a transwoman may feel gender dysphoria due to having a deeper voice than she would be comfortable with.
Gender euphoria -The joy a trans individual can feel from gender affirming experiences, such as being able to wear their hair how they like, receiving gender affirming care, or being able to dress how they wish. This is something that many are pushing to be the focus of trans care (such as, how can we promote more gender euphoria in trans individuals) as opposed to gender dysphoria, which only focuses on the struggles of being trans.
Gender non-conforming – An individual who may or may not be trans who presents in a way that does not conform with traditional gender expectations for their gender assigned at birth. Often, this is seen in how someone physically presents but can also be how they define their social role, as well.
Heteronormativity – An oppressive belief or assumption that everyone identifies as heterosexual (or straight). This often ignores the lived realities of many people who do not identify this way and can also put individuals in a difficult position about self-disclosing their sexual or romantic orientation.
Intersex – An individual who is born with “ambiguous” sex characteristics. This can be seen as having genitals or other physical sex characteristics that do not conform with stereotypical expectations of “male” or “female”, could be a combination of chromosomes that do not fit expectations, or hormone levels that do not “match” the idea of what “males” or “females” should have. Individuals can have any combination of these attributes, as well. Often, individuals are assigned a sex or gender based on “best guess” practices as infants, with many going through unnecessary and often harmful surgical procedures to have their bodies conform to societal and medical categories, often for the comfort of the parents or doctors. Intersex individuals were referred to as hermaphrodites in the past, a term that is now considered outdated and harmful.
Lesbian – A woman who identifies as loving or being sexually attracted to other women. In the past, this was referred to as homosexual or homophile.
Misgendering- Referring to someone as being a gender that they do not identify with. Sometimes this is done because we assume gender based on how someone looks (assuming that someone with short hair, no visible breasts, and a deep or ambiguous voice is a man), other times this is done intentionally (such as when someone purposefully refers to someone they know is a transwoman as “sir”). This can be very upsetting for trans individuals and can contribute to dysphoria.
Non-binary – Someone who identifies as neither a woman or a man. This could be someone who identifies as a third gender or no gender. Often uses any number of pronouns (including pronouns that match their sex assigned at birth or don’t, or could be a combination of pronouns).
Pansexual – An individual who identifies as being sexually attracted to many different genders. Some people use this interchangeably with bisexual while others feel it is completely separate.
Queer – An umbrella term for any number of different identities. In the past, this was seen exclusively as an offensive term whereas now with the younger generations the idea has been that they have taken back the term. It is only appropriate to use this term if you identify as LGBTQIA+ and it is not appropriate to use it haphazardly for individuals, as not everyone is okay with this label.
Questioning – A term for someone who is still questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity. This being included in the acronym allows space for those who may still not be sure of where they are in their journey with their identity without forcing them to make a choice they may not identify with later.
Trans(gender) – An individual who does not identify as the sex they were assigned at birth. This is an umbrella term for anyone who fits into this category, though we often see it applied more frequently to transmen and transwomen. A trans person may or may not be out, may or may not have socially transitioned in every aspect of their lives, and may or may not have medically transitioned. There is no one or right way to be trans.
Transition – The process of someone coming to publicly present as their gender. This can be done slowly, by socially transitioning in stages (such as to close loved ones and then to work and then to public in general), or it can be done all at once depending on the individual’s comfort level. It can involve appearance changes (or not), pronoun or name changes (or not), and could involve hormone treatments or surgeries (but does not have to). People transition in their own way and at their own pace.
Two Spirit – A gender identity specific to Indigenous peoples in North America. There are many different ways this can be defined and they are culturally determined by specific Nations and their history. Often, these individuals serve important social roles in their communities.

Resources:

https://www.aecf.org/blog/lgbtq-definitions

https://www.lgbtqiahealtheducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Glossary-2020.08.30.pdf

https://lgbtqia.ucdavis.edu/educated/glossary#g

https://whatsonqueerbc.com/woq-bc-stories/what-does-the-acronym-mean