Cis/ cisgender
a person whose gender matches the sex they were assigned at birth - note this term might be controversial to some
LGBT+
Lesbian
a woman who is attracted to women
Gay
a gender-neutral term for people who are primarily attracted to people of the same gender
Bi/bisexual
a person who is attracted to more than one gender
Trans
an umbrella term to describe people whose gender is not the same as, or does not sit comfortably with, the sex they were assigned at birth, including trans men, trans women, non-binary people, and cross-dressing people
+
other non-heterosexual identities, e.g.
-
Asexual: someone who does not experience sexual attraction, although they may still be sexually and / or romantically partnered,
-
Pansexual: someone who is attracted regardless of gender. Can be synonymous with bisexual
Queer
A term that may be used by non-heterosexual and / or non-cisgender people to describe themselves. This is a reclaimed slur and so should not be used by people outside of the LGBT+ community or in relation to someone who has not explicitly self-identified as ‘queer’
Misgendering
referring to a person as the wrong gender (accidentally or intentionally)
Deadnaming
referring to a trans person by the name that they used before they transitioned. This may be done either accidentally or intentionally
Family of origin
the family in which a person was raised
Chosen family
a group of people who are committed to supporting each other, as society expects families to offer support. This can be a group of friends or partners who live together, or a broader community support network
Being out
being openly LGBT+
‘Outing’ someone is the non-consensual disclosure of someone’s LGBT+ identity
