Glossary of terms

Affirming gender ( also known as gender reassignment)

The process of adopting a lifestyle and/or body that matches a person’s sense of their gender. The process may take some time, involve a number of different but related processes and often starts before an individual undertakes any changes to his or her pubic identity (see Transexual).

Bisexual

A person who is sexually and emotionally attracted to people of both sexes.

Coming out

The process through which an individual comes to recognise and acknowledge their sexual orientation. Coming out often involves a decision to be open about one’s sexual orientation. In the action plan, ‘coming out’ is also used to describe the processes through which transgender and intersex people come to recognise and acknowledge their gender identity and intersex condition respectively.

Cross-dresser

Someone who had an inescapable emotional need to identify as a member of the opposite gender, on a temporary or permanent basis.

Gay

Refers to a person whose primary emotional and sexual attraction is toward people of the same sex. It is often used to describe individuals who are open about their sexuality and who self-identify as gay. However, the term is most commonly applied to men. The term lesbian is commonly used to describe women whose primary emotional and sexual attraction is for other women.

Gender identity

A person’s sense of identity defined in relation to the categories of male and female. This term is primarily used in relation to people whose gender identity does not match their biological sex. However, it is important to note that not everybody identifies exclusively with one sex or the other. Some people may identify as both male and female, while others may identify as male in one setting and female in other. This suggests a gender continuum, rather than simply an opposition between one gender (male) and another (female).

Genderqueer

People who do not identify as, or who do not express themselves as, completely male or female. Genderqueer people may or may not identify as transgender.

Heterosexism

The belief that everyone is, or should be, heterosexual and that other types of sexuality are unhealthy, unnatural and a threat to society. Heterosexism also assumes that sex and gender (and the relationship between the two) are fixed and not open to change.

Homophobia

The fear and hatred of gay and lesbian people and of their sexual desires and practices.

Homosexual

An individual whose primary sexual attraction is toward people of the same sex.

Internalised homophobia

The internalisation of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality, on the part of gay men and lesbians.

Internalised transphobia

The internalisation of negative attitudes and feelings toward transgenderism, on the part of transgender people.

Intersex

A biological condition where a person is born with reproductive organs and/or sex chromosomes that are not exclusively male or female. The previous term for intersex was hermaphrodite.

Lesbian

A woman whose primary emotional and sexual attraction is toward other women. The term is often used to designate women who identify as same sex attracted, as opposed to women who have sex with other women, but who do not self-identify as lesbian.

Men who have sex with men (MSM)

Men who engage in sexual activity with other men, but who do not necessarily self-identify as gay.

MTF, M2F (male-to-female), FTM/F2M (female-to-male), Transwoman, Transman/Transguy, Trannyboy/boi, Trannygirl, Trans masculine, Trans feminine, Tranz, bi-gendered, third sex, polygendered, pangendered, transbutch, transfag, trannydyke, androgyne

These are all terms that transpeople might use to describe themselves. This is not a definitive list, there are probably many, many more.

Queer

An umbrella term that includes a range of alternate sexual and gender identities, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender. It is often used as an identity by younger people

Same sex attraction

Attraction toward people of one’s own gender. The term is commonly used in the context of young people whose sense of sexual identity is not fixed, but who experience sexual feelings toward people of their own sex.

Transgender

Refers to someone whose identify or behaviour falls outside stereotypical gender norms. It usually refers to individuals who do not identify with the gender assigned to them at birth. The terms male-to-female and female-to-male transgender persons are used to refer to individuals who are undergoing or have undergone a process of gender affirmation (see Transsexual).

Transphobia

Fear and hatred of people who are transgender or transsexual.

Transsexual

Refers to individuals who are born anatomically male or female but have a profound identification with the gender opposite to that assigned to them at birth. It usually refers to people who are making, intend to make, or have made the transition to the gender with which they identify. It also includes people who wish to make the transition, but are prevented from doing so. Transition refers to a number of different though related processes, including changes to a person’s outward appearance, hormone treatment and surgical gender reassignment (see Affirming gender).

Women who have sex with women (WSW

Women who engage in sexual activity with other women, but who do not necessarily self-identify as lesbian.

• Resources