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

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

Gay

Description

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.

Gender affirming treatment

Description

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.

Gender dysphoria

Description

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.

Gender expression

Description

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.

Gender fluid

Description

A form of non-binary gender. This is a flexible gender identity that shifts; sometimes you might feel more masculine, sometimes more feminine.

Gender identity

Description

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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