Sexuality and Gender Diversity Definitions

Sexuality and Gender Diversity Definitions

The rainbow flag is a symbol of the growing movement to accept, celebrate, and embrace sexual diversity, and to support efforts that aim to end discrimination. Whether or not you identify as a member of the LGBTQ2+ community, you can still be part of the movement to end discrimination. Let's begin by clarifying a few terms...

• LGBTQ2+ is an abbreviation for - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, 2-Spirited, Intersexed, Queer/Questioning, and Allies. The purpose is usually to use an inclusive term for anyone with diverse sexual orientation or gender identity.

Sexual orientation refers to a person's sexual and romantic attraction.

• Heterosexuality or "straight" refers to primary romantic attraction to people considered to be the opposite sex or gender.
• Homosexuality refers to sexual and romantic attraction to people of the same sex or gender as themselves.
• Lesbian refers to a woman whose primary sexual and romantic attraction is to other women.
• Gay refers to a man whose primary sexual and romantic attraction is to other males. “Gay” is also used as an inclusive word that includes gay men, lesbians, bisexual people, and sometimes transgender people. An example is Ottawa's Gay Pride Parade.
• Bisexuality refers to sexual and romantic attraction to people of more than one sex and/or gender.
• Asexuality (non-sexual) refers to neither sexual attraction to others, nor desires to be sexual with partners.
• Pansexuality or Omnisexuality refers to the attraction to people of all genders, or the feeling that gender does not play a part in sexual attraction.
• Sex (or designated sex) is about how we understand our bodies as male or female, including whether we're born with a penis or a vulva.

Gender identity is usually assigned at birth based on visible genitals. For most people, this sex assignment also fits their gender expression and experience. For some, their assigned sex does not match their gender expression and experience.

• Cisgendered refers to a person who feels that their body, their gender experiences, expression, and identity match with one another.
• Transgendered refers to a person who identifies more strongly with a gender other than the one which they were assigned with at birth.
• Transsexual people are transgender people who take hormones and have surgery to change their bodies to how they feel on the inside.
• Gender Non-conforming (or Gender Queer): describes a person who identifies as neither a man, nor a woman.
• Gender fluid is a gender identity which varies over time. A gender fluid person may at any time identify as male, female, gender non-conforming, or any other non-binary identity.
• To many people, “Queer” encompasses the entire LGBTQ2+ community.
• A Questioning person isn't sure about their sexual orientation, or is in the process of figuring it out.
• Women who have sex with women (WSW) is a term that describes any women who has sex with women, whether they identify as gay, bisexual, straight, or otherwise. This term is often used in a health care setting.
• Men who have sex with men (MSM) describes men who have sex with men, whether they identify as gay, bisexual, straight, or otherwise. This term is often used in a health care setting.
• Female-to-male transsexual people are sometimes referred to as FTMs.
• Male-to-female transsexual people are sometimes referred to as MTFs.
• Two-spirited is a term used to refer to people of aboriginal ancestry who embody the spirit of both genders and experience varying degrees of gender fluidity.