LGBTTTIQQ Definitions:

The acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, Two-Spirit, intersex, queer and questioning.

(OPHA Positive Space Manual – June 2006)

Lesbian:

A female homosexual.

• The term lesbian is derived from Lesbos, a Greek island home to Sappho, a poet and teacher who loved other women.

Gay:

A term for homosexual. This can refer to both males and females, (for example “the gay community”) but is increasingly used to refer to men only.

Bisexual:

Someone who is attracted physically and emotionally to persons of the same and opposite sex.

• Bisexuals are not necessarily attracted equally to both men and women and not always attracted to both men and women at the same time.

• Bisexuality is often thought of as a "phase" on the way to coming out as gay or lesbian, but for many people, being bisexual is a life-long sexual identity.

• Not all people are comfortable with this term because gender is fluid and more varied than this term presumes.

Transsexual:

Someone who has an intuitive, life-long conviction that he or she is of the opposite gender to the one they were assigned at birth. A transsexual person experiences acute gender discomfort (“gender dysphoria”) and is thereby driven to change their physical sex by having surgery (known as Sex Reassignment Surgery or SRS) and taking hormones (testosterone or estrogen), and wearing gender specific clothing.

• This process of change is known as transitioning.

• Transsexuals may be referred to as female-to-male (ftm; a transman) or male-to-female (mtf; a transwoman).

• A transwoman should absolutely be referred to as 'she' and a transman as 'he'.

• Some transsexuals prefer not to “come out,” but instead, to blend in as “regular” men or women.

• TS (transsexual) / TG (transgender) people may identify as gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual or otherwise. Many are now “coming out” as Tran queers (gay transmen and lesbian transwomen).

Transgender:

Self-identifying term for someone whose gender identity or expression differs from traditional gender roles.

• Can apply to masculine lesbians or effeminate/ feminine men who are psychologically and/or physically androgynous

• Transgender is also often used as an umbrella term in English-speaking North America to refer to everyone who crosses gender roles in one way or another including transsexuals, drag queens, transvestites etc.

• Transgender people, as a rule, do not desire to alter their bodies by means of hormones and/or surgery, focusing instead on expanding their gender identity mentally and expressing their gender role through non-binary (“third gender/third sex”) behavior. In some cases, however, a transgender person might move through the sexual-gender spectrum to subsequently identify as transsexual.

Cross Dresser:

A person who wears clothing associated with the opposite gender, generally for erotic enjoyment.

• This term has replaced the term “transvestite”.

• Many cross-dressers are heterosexual men.

• “A cross-dresser wears women’s clothes because they are women’s clothes. A transwoman wears women’s clothes because she is a woman.” (Michael A. Gilbert, aka Mikki Alicia)

Drag Queen, Drag King:

Someone who dresses up in clothing of the opposite gender for fun and entertainment.

• A man who dresses up as a woman to attend a social function is called a “Drag Queen”, a woman is called a “Drag King”.

• Though drag is often associated with gay or trans communities, assumptions should not be made as to the person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Female Impersonator:

A man who dresses as a woman to perform professionally in public.

Transpeople:

An umbrella term which includes those persons who identify as transsexual, transgender, Two-Spirit, intersex, genderqueer, gender-diverse, queer and/or questioning. (Also synonymous with “trans community” or “trans population.”)

Two-Spirit:

An English term coined within queer aboriginal populations to describe a person’s spiritual nature as being comprised of both male and female spirits.

• Two-Spirit people often had elevated status as spiritual healers (shamans) in their communities.

• People who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual or who have multiple gender identities may identify as two-spirit. However, people who identify as two-spirit do not necessarily identify with these non-native terms

Intersex:

A person who has some mixture of male and female genetic and/or physical sex

characteristics.

• The term "hermaphrodite" used to be used, but is now considered inappropriate and offensive.

• Intersex children have often been subjected to surgery and assignment to male or female gender based on medical opinion.

Queer:

An umbrella term that encompasses a broad range of sexual and gender identities, behaviours and expressions.

• Previously a derogatory term, this word has been reclaimed by the queer community, who use it proudly.

• Queer expresses political and cultural statements and attitudes.

GenderQueer:

A recent term coined by young people who experience a very fluid sense of both their gender identity and their sexual orientation

• They prefer to be open to relocate themselves on the gender and sexual continuums.

Questioning:

People who are questioning their gender identity or sexual orientation.

• They may choose to explore other options in terms of gender and sexual identification and presentation.

• In some cases they may experience confusion and/or conflict.