Gender dysphoriaĭescribes the extreme discomfort that a person feels because their assigned sex at birth does not match their gender identity. Also referred to as sex reassignment surgery or gender confirming surgery. Gender affirming surgeryĪ surgical procedure that enables an individual’s body to be more congruent with their gender identity. Fundamentally different from sex assigned at birth, gender is often closely related to the role that a person plays or is expected to play in society.
GenderĪ social construct used to classify a person as a man, woman or some other identity. A person does not need a specific sexual experience - or any sexual experience - to identify as gay. The term can be used by men, women or individuals who identify as nonbinary. Gayĭescribes a person who is attracted, emotionally and/or physically, to someone of the same gender. Not all nonbinary individuals prefer or use this term. Enby is the phonetic pronunciation of “ NB,” which stands for nonbinary. Enbyĭescribes a person who does not identify as exclusively male or exclusively female and usually prefers “they” as a pronoun. Cisgender, which is pronounced sis-gender, describes only a person’s gender identity - not their sexual or romantic attractions. Cisgenderĭescribes a person whose gender identity matches the sex - male or female - originally identified on their birth certificate (i.e., people who are not transgender). A person does not need to have had specific sexual experiences - or any sexual experience - to identify as bisexual.
Bisexualĭescribes a person who is attracted to both men and women. These gender identities can be binary - male and female - or include nonbinary identities. People who are bigender may experience two gender identities at the same time or at different times. Bigenderĭescribes a person who has two genders. Asexuality differs from celibacy in that a person who is celibate is sexually attracted to others but chooses to abstain from sex. Asexualĭescribes a person who is not sexually attracted others and has no desire to engage in sexual behavior. Heterosexual and cisgender people can be allies, as well as individuals from within the LGBTQ community. Allyĭescribes a person who supports, both publicly and privately, the LGBTQ community and equality in its many forms. Some agender individuals see themselves as genderless, while others see themselves as gender neutral. Sexual and Gender Identity Terms to Know Agenderĭescribes a person who does not identify as male or female or some combination of male and female. This post defines some common terms - and promotes the use of accurate, authentic and inclusive language - so that social workers, educators, foster parents and others are better equipped to support LGBTQ youth, serve as their advocates and help them thrive. LGBTQ youth are also overrepresented in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems and more likely to drop out of school than their fellow classmates. Young people in the LGBTQ community face higher rates of rejection, violence, suicide and homelessness when compared to their general population peers. Growing up identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning ( LGBTQ) is even harder, according to national data.