Glossary of Queer-Related Terms

Bisexual - An individual (female or male) who is attracted to and may form sexual and affectionate relationships with both men and women. The term may be used to refer to a socio-political identity, a sexual behavior or both. Identification with any particular "label" may be culturally, economically, generationally, geographically, or politically influenced. Other terms may include (but are not limited to): "bi" or "ac/dc." Alternately, individuals may not identify with any label.

Butch - 1) Masculine or macho dress and behavior, regardless of sex or gender identity. 2) A sub-identity of lesbian, gay male, or bisexual, based on masculine or macho dress and behavior (see femme). 3) "Butch it up" To exaggerate masculine behaviors usually for others entertainment.

"Closeted"/"Out" or "Out of the Closet" - Being "closeted" refers to not disclosing one's sexual orientation. "Coming out" is the process of first recognizing and acknowledging non-heterosexual orientation. to oneself and then disclosing it to others. This usually occurs in stages and is a non-linear process. And individual may be "out" in some situations or to certain family members or associates and not others. Some may never come out to anyone besides themselves.

Co-Parent - Refers to parents raising a child together. Sometimes refers to the non-biological or non-adoptive parent raising a child.

Crossdresser - A general term for anyone who dresses in clothes that are usually considered by society to belong to the opposite sex (including female impersonators, she-males, and gender benders, as well as transgendered people). Crossdresser is sometimes used as an alternate term for transvestite.

Drag Queen - A gay man who cross-dresses, often using exaggerated stereotypical feminine mannerisms for the entertainment of himself and/or others. Similarly, there are women who are drag kings.

Family of Choice - Persons forming an individual's social support network and often fulfilling the functions of blood relations. Many lesbian and gay people are rejected when their families learn of their sexual orientation or may remain "closeted" to their biological relatives. In such cases it is their partner/significant other and close friends who will be called on in time of illness or personal crisis.

Family of Origin - Biological family or the family in which one was raised. These individuals may or may not be part of a person's support system.

Femme - 1) Feminine or effeminate dress and behavior, regardless of sex or gender identity. 2) A sub-identity of lesbian, gay, or bisexual based on feminine or effeminate dress and behavior (see butch).

Gender Identity - One's psychological sense of oneself as a male or female.

Gender Dysphoria - The unhappiness or discomfort experienced by those whose genitalia do not match their gender identity.

Gender Queer (or Genderqueer): A person who redefines or plays with gender, or who refuses gender altogether. A label for people who bend/break the rules of gender and blur the boundaries.

Gender Roles - The socially constructed and culturally specific behavior and appearance expectations imposed on women (femininity) and men (masculinity).

Gender-variant / Gender non-conforming: Displaying gender traits that are not normatively associated with their biological sex. “Feminine” behavior or appearance in a male is gender-variant as is “masculine” behavior or appearance a female. Gender-variant behavior is culturally specific.

Heterosexism - The institutionalized assumption that everyone is heterosexual and that heterosexuality is inherently superior to and preferable to homosexuality or bisexuality.

Heterosexual Privilege - The benefits granted automatically to heterosexual people that are denied to gay men and lesbians.

Homophobia - The irrational fear or hatred of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuals or homosexual behavior.

Internalized Homophobia - The experience of shame, aversion, or self-hatred in reaction to one's own feelings of attraction for a person of the same sex. Lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals who are socialized in our homophobic society often internalize negative stereotypes and develop some degree of low self-esteem and self-hatred.

Internalized Oppression - The process by which a member of an oppressed group comes to accept and live out the inaccurate myths and stereotypes to the oppressed group.

Intersex: Intersexuality is a set of medical conditions that feature congenital anomaly of the reproductive and sexual system. That is, intersex people are born with "sex chromosomes," external genitalia, or internal reproductive systems that are not considered "standard" for either male or female. The existence of intersexuals shows that there are not just two sexes and that our ways of thinking about sex (trying to force everyone to fit into either the male box or the female box) is socially constructed.

Institutional Oppression - Institutional arrangements of a society used to benefit one group at the expense of another, illustrated through the use of language, media, education, economics, religion, etc.

Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) - Terms is often used when discussing sexual behavior. Is inclusive of all men who participate in this behavior regardless of how they identify their sexual orientation. The acronym MSM is conventionally used in medical literature. Also used: Women who have Sex with Women (WSW).

Partner or Significant Other - Primary domestic partner or spousal relationship(s). May be referred to as "girlfriend/boyfriend," "lover," "roommate," "life partner," "wife/husband" or other terms.

Passing (to pass) - To be able to successfully assume the gender role opposite of physical sex when interacting with society.

Power of Attorney - Legal document in which one person authorizes another person to act in their behalf. A Durable Power of Attorney remains valid even in case of incapacitation (often the time it becomes most useful). Separate powers of attorney are needed for health care decisions and for finances.

Queer - Originally a synonym for "odd", this word became a derogatory expression for gays in the 20th Century.   Even though many people still use "queer" as an anti-gay epithet, a movement emerged in the 1980s that calls itself queer.  Used in this way, queer means sexually dissident, but not necessarily gay.  Many gays, transsexuals, bisexuals and even heterosexuals whose sexuality doesn't fit into the cultural standard of monogamous heterosexual marriage have adopted the "queer" label. 

Sexual Orientation - The inclination or capacity to develop intimate emotional and sexual attractions and/or relationships with people of the same gender (lesbian, gay), the other gender (heterosexual), or either gender (bisexual).

Sexual Reassignment Surgery (SRS) - A surgical procedure designed to modify one's primary sexual characteristics (genitalia) from those of one sex to those of another (penis to vagina, or vagina to penis).

Straight Ally - A non-lesbian, -gay man or -bisexual whose attitudes and behaviors are anti-heterosexist in perspective and who works towards combating homophobia and heterosexism, both on a personal and institutional level.

Transgender (TG) - A person whose anatomical sex and gender identity are not congruent. They may live full-time in their self-identified gender role and may use hormone therapy but do not feel the need for SRS (Sex Reassignment Surgery). Some people classify transgenders as "Non-Operative Transsexuals." Transgendered is also used by some as an umbrella term to include everyone from transvestites to transsexuals.

Transsexual (TS) - A person who feels "trapped in the body of the wrong sex." They frequently seek hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery (SRS), and are sometimes categorized as "pre-operative" or "post-operative." Some TS's are "non-operative" due to medical, financial, family, or job considerations, or because they don't feel the need for a surgical change. It is estimated that there are about an equal number of male-to-female (MTF) and female-to-male (FTM) transsexuals.

Transvestite (TV) - From Latin, literally translates as "crossdresser;" a clinical term which some feel has a pejorative connotation. Refers to those who get erotic (fetishistic) or emotional pleasure from occasionally wearing clothes of the opposite sex and feel compelled to do so. Most are male, heterosexual, and many are married. A recently coined term, bigendered, is an alternate term for transvestite which more accurately describes men who are comfortable with their assigned gender role most of the time, but occasionally feel a need to express their feminine side.

Two Spirit - The term adopted by the Native GLBT Two Spirit community for persons claiming both sexes or genders. In many native tribes these are spiritual leaders, healers and teachers, and are very special people in their tribes, very respected and very much leaders. More than 160 tribal languages have terms for men who live as women and/or women who live as men. This phenomenon was driven underground by the negativity of Western culture towards this kind of behavior, and particularly by the attempts by missionaries and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to destroy the Native culture and replace it with Western values.

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