Providing affirming care necessitates an understanding of terms that are unique to the SGM community. In addition to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, two-spirit, or other minority sexual and gender identities (LGBTQIA2+), here are key terms you should know. Please note this list is not exhaustive and is ever-changing.

• Affirmed gender: an individual’s innate gender identity

• Ally/allyship: individuals who support marginalized groups
• Androgenous: characteristics of both femininity and masculinity expressed through sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation
• Assigned sex at birth: biological status (genetic, hormonal), reproductive organs, or the appearance of external genitalia (anatomical and physiological characteristics) present at birth that correspond with male or female chromosomes.
  • AFAB: assigned female at birth
  • AMAB: assigned male at birth
  • UAAB: unassigned at birth
  • Intersex: individual born with biological sex characteristics that aren’t traditionally associated as male or female; possibly ambiguous genitalia or both male and female sex organs. Intersex individuals include a wide range of gender identities and sexual orientations. Intersexuality does not refer to sexual orientation or gender identity (see “intergender” below).
• Gender: social, cultural, psychological, and/or emotional traits, often influenced by societal expectations, that attempt to classify individuals along a spectrum of man, woman, neither, or a blend of both.
• Gender affirmation: healthcare, societal, or legal regulations that allow a person to safely express their gender identity (e.g., allowing an individual to select preferred pronouns; providing an individual with hormone therapy and/or surgery).
• Gender identity: psychological sense of self with respect to femininity, masculinity, neither, or a blend of both; does not always correspond with assigned sex or biology.
  • Agender: identity dose not include gender or does not have a gender
  • Cisgender: gender identity matches the sex at birth
  • Gender diverse; gender expansive: gender identity, expression, or perception extends beyond the female/male binary
  • Gender dysphoria: discomfort or psychological distress when an individual’s gender identity does not align with their sex assigned at birth, or vice versa.
  • Gender expression: external presentation or appearance of gender identity; may include behavior, clothing, body characteristics, or voice.
  • Genderfluid: without a fixed gender identity, may identify as a mix of genders, or may fluctuate among genders.
  • Gender neutral: describes something that is not gendered such as pronouns, salutations, titles, or spaces (bathrooms, locker rooms); not used to describe people.
  • Gender queer: an individual who experiences gender as both male and female, neither male nor female, or a gender not categorized. Also known as gender expansive.
  • Intergender: gender identity that lies in the middle between the binary genders of female and male; may be a mix of both.
  • Intersectionality: multiple characteristics, experiences, and events influence a person’s identity. May include race, ethnicity, social class, age, disability status, religion, sexual orientation, and gender.
  • Multigender or bigender: more than one gender
  • Nonbinary (NB): used as an adjective for genders other than the binary man/woman.
  • Pangender: gender identity/expression is not limited to one gender and may include all genders.
  • Queer: refers to all individuals who are LGBTQIA2+ or anyone that doesn’t conform to societal norms for gender and/or sexuality. Previously a negative term, queer has been accepted by the LGBTQIA2+ community and broadly used to indicate a rejection of heteronormativity; some use “queer” to specifically describe their own fluid identities.
  • Transgender: gender differs from the sex assigned at birth; may identify as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, nonbinary, genderqueer or other; trans or trans+ may be used as a shortened term
    • Transgender male: assigned female sex at birth and identifies as male;
      • May still have female organs that require breast, ovarian, or cervical cancer screening
    • Transgender female: assigned male sex at birth and identifies as female;
      • May still have male organs that require testicular and prostate cancer screening
  • Transitioning: process of aligning with one’s gender identity, which may include social (e.g., mannerism), legal (e.g., name change), or medical (e.g., physical or hormonal) changes.
  • Two-spirit: leaders within Native American communities who possess both masculine and feminine spirits and are considered sacred and spiritual.
• Sexual orientation: pattern of sexual and/or emotional attraction (e.g., physical, romantic, or emotional) to individuals of a different sex/gender, the same sex/gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender; may exist on a spectrum and is independent of gender identity.
  • Asexual: experiences little to no sexual attraction toward persons of any gender.
  • Bisexual: attracted to more than one sex or gender, such as both men and women.
  • Demisexual: individual does not experience sexual attraction unless there is a strong emotional, but not necessarily romantic, connection with someone.
  • Gay: individuals attracted to people of the same sex and/or gender.
  • Heteronormative: the belief that only a relationship (i.e., marriage, cohabitating) between a heterosexual cisgender man and heterosexual cisgender woman is appropriate, while all others are viewed as inappropriate.
  • Heterosexual/straight: females with an attraction to males, and males with an attraction to females.
  • Intersex: an individual with reproductive organs that are not exclusively male or female.
  • Lesbian: females who are attracted to other females and may partner exclusively with females.
  • Men who have sex with men (MSM): appropriate to use within a medical context; does not imply sexual identity or sexual orientation and is not synonymous with gay and bisexual men.
  • Pansexual: the capacity to form attraction to those of any gender identity.
  • Polyamorous: romantic or sexual relationship with more than one person, with all individuals knowing and consenting.
  • Questioning: uncertain or exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • Women who have sex with women (WSW): appropriate to use within a medical context; does not imply sexual identity or sexual orientation and is not synonymous with lesbian or bisexual women.
  • “+”: everything on the gender and sexuality spectrum that letters and words don’t yet describe.

Pronouns