LGBTQ+ Glossary
LGBTQ+ glossary
This list is provided for general guidance purposes and has been developed following best practice from LGBTQ+ organisations in the UK. Please note that terminology is constantly evolving and that this list is not comprehensive. If you require further information please refer to the additional resources at the end of the glossary; the LGBTQ+resources page or contact the EDI team's LGBTQ+ Consultant.
Agender
an individual who has no gender. See 'gender'.
Ally
an individual who works to support and advocate for marginalised groups that they do not belong to, e.g.: “straight ally”.
Asexual
a person who does not experience sexual attraction. Some asexual people experience romantic attraction, while others do not. Asexual people who experience romantic attraction might also use terms such as gay, bi, lesbian, straight and queer in conjunction with asexual to describe the direction of their romantic attraction. See 'sexual orientation'.
Biphobia
systems, beliefs or actions that exclude or oppress bisexual people.
Bisexual/ Bi
a person who is sexually, romantically and/or emotionally attracted to both men and women.
Cisgender or Cis
having a gender that matches the sex assigned at birth; also referred to as being ‘non-trans’. In other words, a man assigned male at birth, or a woman assigned female at birth would be a ‘cisgender man’ or ‘cisgender woman’. See 'gender'.
Coming out
voluntarily disclosing one's sexual orientation, sexuality or gender identity. Also referred to as 'coming out of the closet'. Coming out can be difficult because reactions may vary from acceptance and support to disapproval and rejection. It is often assumed to refer to a single incident but LGBTQ+ people often feel they need to ‘come out’ repeatedly when they meet new people or are in new situations.
Closet
to be ‘in the closet’ means to hide one's sexual orientation, sexuality and/or gender identity. Some LGBTQ+ people may be ‘out’ in some situations and ‘in the closet’ in others.
Deadnaming
calling someone by their birth name after they have changed their name. This term is often associated with trans people who have changed their name as part of their transition. Deadnaming can ‘out’ trans people to others. It is often related to 'misgendering'.
Gay
someone who is sexually, romantically and/or emotionally attracted to members of the same sex. It is often used to refer to gay men but is sometimes used as an umbrella term that includes lesbians or 'gay women'.
Gender
the intersecting social, cultural and behavioural notions that society holds about masculinity and femininity or what it means to be a man or a woman. It is usually assumed from sex assigned at birth.
Gender Dysphoria
distress, unhappiness and discomfort experienced by someone about their physical body not fully matching their gender identity. It is a recognised medical issue for which gender reassignment treatment is available on the National Health Service in Scotland, England and Wales.
Gender Euphoria
a term used by the Trans and Non-binary community to refer to the positive feelings associated with gender affirming experiences. It is a response to the medicalised notion of gender dysphoria which focuses on negative experiences and distress.
Gender Expression
the cultural gender-related cues and behaviours a person uses that are traditionally associated with masculinity and femininity, such as name, pronoun, title, clothing, hair, walk, speech, mannerisms and any other gendered aspects of presentation. It can also extend to which gendered spaces a person uses (such as toilets or changing rooms) and the gender marker they have on documentation (such as their passport and driving licence).
Gender Fluid
the experience of having a gender that varies. This may be variation over time, or in another way, for example according to different environments / settings.
Gender Identity
a person’s inner and deeply held sense of themselves as, for example, a man or woman or non-binary person.
Heterosexual/ Straight
a person who is sexually, romantically and/or emotionally attracted to members of the opposite sex.
Heterosexism
the assumption that all people are heterosexual, and that heterosexuality is the norm.
Homophobia
Systems, beliefs or actions that exclude or oppress gay men and lesbians. In some cases, it is used as an umbrella term that also refers to such practices that impact negatively on bisexual and transgender people too.
Intersex
the experience of being born with sex characteristics (including genitals, reproductive organs and/or chromosome patterns) that vary from typical binary notions of male or female bodies. It is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of natural bodily variations.
Lesbian
a woman who is sexually, romantically and/or emotionally attracted to other women. Some non-binary people also identify as lesbians.
LGBTQ+
an abbreviation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer and Questioning people, it is an umbrella term used to refer to the LGBTQ+ community as a whole.
Misgendering
The act of referring to somebody by the incorrect gender, often by the use of the wrong pronouns or gendered language that does not match their affirmed identity. It is often related to 'deadnaming'.
Non-binary
the experience of having a gender that is neither male nor female, both male and female and/or between, beyond or unrelated to the binary categories of man and woman. Some people use it as an umbrella term, encompassing a spectrum of experiences such as those described under gender fluid and agender.
Queer
the word originated as a slur but has since been reclaimed by some members of the LGBTQ+ community to refer to themselves and can act as an umbrella term for the LGBTQ+ community. It is used by those wanting to reject specific labels of sexual and/or romantic orientation and/or gender identity. It can also be a way of rejecting perceived and exclusionary norms that exist within the LGBTQ+ community (racism, sizeism, ableism etc). It is important to note that it can still be considered offensive depending on the context of who is using it, where and in what way.
Questioning
people who are uncertain about or exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Sex
a person’s biological and physical characteristics, associated with the categories of male and female. Sex is assigned at birth, typically based only on the appearance of the baby’s genitalia, however, it also includes internal reproductive organs, chromosomes, hormones and secondary sex characteristics such as facial hair that typically develop around puberty.
Sexuality
how an individual expresses themselves as a sexual being. It may include thoughts, desires, fantasies, behaviours, roles and relationships.
Sexual orientation
a person’s sexual, romantic and emotional attraction to other people, or lack thereof.
Trans
an umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from their gender assigned at birth. People may use the term ‘trans’ to describe themselves if their own sense of gender (their gender identity) does not match or sit easily with the gender they were assumed to have based on the sex they were assigned at birth.
Transition
the process and/or the period of time during which gender reassignment occurs (whether with or without medical intervention).
Transphobia
Systems, beliefs or actions that exclude or oppress trans people.
Further terms and clarification can be found here: