This glossary has been produced by members of LGBTQ+ youth groups in England with Dr Lucy Jones from the University of Nottingham. We hope it helps you to understand the language used by many young LGBTQ+ people to describe their lives and their identities, and to support them through their journey into adulthood.
Glossary of words
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- Not identifying as any gender – whether female, male, or non-binary. Agender people are genderless.
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- Being an ally means that you actively support LGBTQ+ people and challenge discrimination and inequality wherever you see it.
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- An umbrella term to describe people who don't experience sexual attraction. Some asexual people occasionally experience sexual attraction to a specific person they have a strong bond with (known as demisexual), and some experience little or no romantic attraction (known as aromantic).
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- An item of clothing to help flatten the chest safely. This can be very important for some LGBTQ+ people.
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- Being prejudiced towards someone and/or discriminating against them based on the fact they identify as bisexual.
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- Being attracted to more than just one gender. Some bisexual people might be more attracted to one particular gender more than another.
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- Short for 'cisgender', this is when your gender identity lines up with the sex you were assigned at birth.
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- Sharing your gender or sexual identity with other people. Some young people come out as queer or questioning rather than as anything more specific; it's important not to rush them to "pick a label".
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- Many trans people use this term to refer to their given name at birth, which they no longer use. It's important to use the name(s) people are most comfortable with.
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- Dressing up and performing as a different gender to the one you usually identify with.
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- LGBTQ+ families come in all shapes and sizes, and LGBTQ+ people can still have children if they want to (whether biologically or through adoption/fostering). Just because somebody's LGBTQ+, you shouldn't assume they necessarily do or don't want a family.
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- There are many different flags to represent different LGBTQ+ identities. Many LGBTQ+ people choose to display or wear them as a way of showing pride in their identity or to signal their identity to others.
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- It's common for people to move through different identities throughout their lives. Sexual and gender identities aren't necessarily fixed forever once someone comes out. Equally, bi and pan people can still identify as such even if they settle down with one person; they don't become straight or gay depending on the gender of their long-term partner.
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- Traditionally, this is a sexual identity label used to mean 'homosexual'. However, some young people now use 'gay' more as an umbrella term which points to the whole LGBTQ+ community, rather than as a specific label.
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- Some trans people take hormones or have surgery which supports their gender identity. Not all trans people want to do this. In the UK, only those over 16 can take hormones and only those over 18 can have surgery.
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- A feeling of distress or discomfort that some trans and non-binary people feel because their gender identity doesn't line up with the sex they were assigned at birth. Not all trans and non-binary people experience gender dysphoria.
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- How someone expresses or presents their gender identity outwardly. This can include the clothes they wear and how they style their hair, for example, as well as things like their body language.
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- A form of non-binary gender. This is a flexible gender identity that shifts; sometimes you might feel more masculine, sometimes more feminine.
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- How a person feels about their gender, for example that they're non-binary or female. Gender doesn't necessarily have anything to do with biology or the sex assigned to someone at birth.
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- Any crime (including verbal abuse) which targets the victim because of a particular characteristic, such as their gender or sexuality. It's important to support LGBTQ+ people who wish to report hate crimes, but please don't do it on their behalf without asking them as it may put them at risk.
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- Being prejudiced towards people and/or discriminating against them because of their sexuality. Homophobic acts aren't necessarily always violent and can also include language use such as slurs and offensive jokes.
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- Using language which doesn't specify or assume that an experience is only shared by one gender, such as saying "people" rather than "women" in the context of pregnancy and menstruation.
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- When your biological sex characteristics don't fit neatly into the boxes of 'female' or 'male'. Some intersex people identify with a binary gender, others identify as non-binary. Importantly, not all intersex people feel part of the LGBTQ+ community, but some do.
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- LGBTQ+ people often use labels (for example, 'lesbian') to describe their gender and/or sexual identity. Not everybody wants to use a label, though, and they can carry different meanings for different people. The important thing is to respect the way that someone describes their own identity, and to not question or deny the labels they use.
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- Somebody who is attracted only to other women. Not all people who identify as lesbian necessarily also identify as women; some non-binary people use the label, too.
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- An acronym to represent lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and questioning people. The plus symbol is inclusive of all other non-cisgender and non-heterosexual identities, too. A longer version of the acronym is also often used, and includes intersex and asexual people: LGBTQIA+.
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- Using pronouns or words which refer to someone as the wrong gender, whether deliberately or by mistake. This can be devastating for trans and non-binary people, so it's best to use gender-neutral language and provide gender-neutral facilities (such as toilets, where young LGBTQ+ people can be at particular risk of misgendering) wherever possible.
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- A title which, unlike Ms or Mr, is gender neutral rather than specifying a particular binary gender identity. Anybody can use Mx, no matter their gender identity, but providing this as an option (for example, on forms) is a good way of being inclusive of non-binary people.
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- Pronouns that have been created as alternatives to she/he/they, such as "ze" and "hir". Some LGBTQ+ people use these pronouns to refer to themselves because they better fit how they feel about their gender identity.
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- When your gender identity can't be defined as either female or male (the gender binary).
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- When your gender or sexual identity is shared with others without your permission, whether maliciously or not. If someone comes out to you, you should always ask if they'd like you to keep this information private.
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- A gender identity where you might feel feminine, masculine, and non-binary simultaneously.
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- A sexual identity where you're attracted to people based on them as individuals, regardless of their gender (also called being 'gender blind').
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- People who have more than one partner, where everybody involved is aware of and consents to the relationships.
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- An event that happens in towns and cities around the world to draw the public's attention to LGBTQ+ rights, and to celebrate being part of the LGBTQ+ community.
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- An updated version of the rainbow flag which includes black and brown to represent LGBTQ+ people of colour, and the trans flag colours of blue, pink, and white. The flag symbolises an inclusive and diverse LGBTQ+ community.
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- Parts of grammar like 'she', 'his', and 'theirs'. Everyone uses pronouns, even if they're not LGBTQ+. It's really important to use the pronouns you've been asked to; this is a key way of respecting people's gender identity. If you're not sure what pronouns someone uses, it's best to refer to them as "they" rather than assume you know their gender identity based on their appearance or name. Also, don't assume someone's gender identity from their pronouns; some non-binary people might still use 'she' or 'he', for example.
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- Medication to temporarily stop the hormones associated with puberty. These can be life-saving for young people experiencing distress as their bodies change during adolescence, but are also reversible (if you stop taking them, puberty resumes).
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- This can be used as an umbrella term for all LGBTQ+ people and a way of indicating your membership to the LGBTQ+ community. The word was mostly used as a slur in the past, which means not everyone's comfortable using it, but for many younger people its use is now positive.
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- The rainbow flag was developed in the 1970s and is symbolic of the LGBTQ+ community around the world. Its colours represent love, community and pride.
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- A sexual identity label meaning 'heterosexual'.
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- Pronouns which are gender-neutral. They/them pronouns can be used in combination with gendered pronouns (for example, "my pronouns are she/they") to indicate a gender fluid identity or to show that someone doesn't identify as exclusively non-binary or gendered.
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- Short for 'transgender', this is when your gender identity doesn't line up with the sex you were assigned at birth. Some trans people identify with a binary gender (for example, a trans man) and some hold non-binary identities.
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- A flag used to show trans pride, with the light blue and light pink symbolising traditional binary gender and the white representing non-binary and neutral gender identities.
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- A trans person whose gender identity and presentation is primarily feminine. This can include both trans women and non-binary people.
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- The process of changing your gender presentation, whether social (for example, taking a new name and wearing certain clothes), medical (for example, through hormone therapy), or legal (such as. on official documents like passports).
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- A trans person whose gender identity and presentation is primarily masculine. This can include both trans men and non-binary people.
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- Being prejudiced towards people and/or discriminating against them because they're not cisgender. Transmisogyny is a particular form of transphobia against trans women and transfeminine people in particular.
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- A term that's been used historically in medical contexts to refer to a transgender person who has had, or who wishes to have, gender affirming treatment. The term is used less nowadays because there's greater understanding that you can identify as trans without necessarily having gender dysphoria or wanting treatment.