Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender + What does it mean?
Lesbian: A girl or woman who is emotionally and/or sexually attracted to other girls or women.
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Gay: someone who is emotionally and/or sexually attracted to people of the same gender. Some women prefer to refer to themselves as gay women rather than lesbian, although the word gay is most commonly used in reference to men
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Bisexual: A person who is emotionally and/or sexually attracted to men or women.
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Pansexual: A person who is emotionally and/or sexually attracted to anyone regardless of sexual Orientation, gender identity or transgender identity.
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Transgender: An umbrella term for those whose gender identity or expression differs in some way from the gender identity assigned to them at birth and conflicts with the ‘norms’ expected by the society they live in. Included in the overall transgender umbrella are transsexual people, non-binary gender identities and cross-dressing people.
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Cisgender: Individuals who have a match between the sexual Orientation, gender identity or transgender identity they were assigned at birth, their bodies and their personal identity. In other words those who are not, or do not identify as transgender.
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Non-Binary: Gender identities or transgender identities that are not exclusively male or female. People can be both male and female, neither, or their gender identity or transgender identity may be more fluid (i.e. unfixed and changeable over the course of time). Many view gender identity or transgender identity as a one dimensional spectrum with male on one end, female on the other, and non-binary in the middle – but the reality is that gender is often more complex.
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Asexual: A person who does not experience sexual attraction. Asexual people can experience platonic attraction but may have no sexual desire or need within their relationships.
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Queer: An umbrella term used for diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or transgender identities that are not heterosexual and do not fit within a gender binary. It may be used to challenge the idea of labels and categories such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. It is important to note that it is an in-group term, and may be considered offensive to some people.
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Intersex: Someone whose biological sex is different in some way from what is traditionally considered clearly male or female. There are many ways to be intersex, it’s not just about external genitalia. It can also be as a result of differences in reproductive systems, chromosomes, or hormones. This may be apparent at birth or become apparent later in life - often at puberty, or when trying to have a child. Some people never find out that they’re intersex.
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Heterosexual: someone who is emotionally and/or sexually attracted to people of the opposite gender identity.
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Straight Ally: An ally, straight ally is a heterosexual and cisgender person who supports equal civil rights, gender equality, and LGBT social movements, challenging homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia.
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+: The + recognises that there are more ways to identify and describe sexual Orientation, gender identity or transgender identity beyond the acronym.
Gender Pronouns:
Pronouns are the way that we refer to people in place of their name or in third person, Pronouns have an implied gender such as “he” to refer to a man/boy or “she” to refer to a woman/girl. People may also may jump to conclusions about the sexual Orientation, gender identity or transgender identity of a person based upon their appearance or their name. In both cases, these conclusions aren’t always correct, the most important thing you can do is ask someone what their pronouns are and what they would like you to use. When you use someone’s correct pronouns, it serves to create an inclusive environment where you demonstrate that you care for and respect them.
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However some people don't identify as any of these and can use their own way of identifying themselves, that's why it's so important to ask.
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