Wiki

An FAQ on transgender topics will be added here in the future.

Glossary of Queer Terms

• Asexual & Aromantic

  No sexual or romantic attraction. Also: ace or aro

• Assigned gender at birth

  Based on physical characteristics, a gender is assigned to the baby at or before birth, based on the idea of a biological sex. If the person later identifies exclusively with this gender, they are cis; otherwise they are trans. Abbreviation: AGAB

• Biological sex

  Outdated notion that physical characteristics such as hormones, chromosomes, and anatomy determine a person's gender and can be clearly assigned to one of two categories (male and female). This notion does not hold true in various ways — e.g. for inter and trans people.

• Bisexual & Biromantic

  Sexual or romantic attraction to two or more genders. Example: A man who feels attraction to both women and men. Also: bi. See also: pan

• Cis

  A person who identifies exclusively with the gender they were assigned at birth. Example: A woman who was assigned female at birth. Also: cisgender. Opposite of: trans

• Deadname

  If a person changes their name due to their gender identity, their old name assigned at birth is referred to as their "deadname." This name should only be used in exceptional circumstances, such as to avoid an involuntary outing.

• Gender identity

  Refers to the gender with which a person identifies. This gender does not have to correspond to the gender assigned at birth.

• Heterosexual & Heteroromantic

  Sexual or romantic attraction to a different gender. Example: A man who feels attraction to women. Also: hetero

• Homosexual & Homoromantic

  Sexual or romantic attraction to the same gender. Example: A man who feels attraction to men. Also: gay. See also: lesbian

• Inter

  A person whose physical sex characteristics do not match the normative idea of female or male bodies. This can be at the anatomical, genetic, and/or hormonal level. Intersex variation can be discovered at birth, during puberty, or even in adulthood (e.g. when trying to conceive). Example: A person with XY chromosomes ("male") and high estrogen levels ("female"). Due to the great diversity, this is also referred to as variations of sex characteristics. Opposite of: peri. Also: intersex (outdated, misleading & derogatory)

• Lesbian

  A homosexual and/or homoromantic woman is also referred to as a lesbian.

• LGBTQIA+

  Stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer, Inter, Asexual/Aromantic/Agender. The plus stands for other queer identities not explicitly named in the acronym. Many variations exist, e.g. LSBTQIA, LGBTQIA+, LGBTIQ, LGBT

• Misgendering

  Means that a person is (intentionally or unintentionally) assigned to the wrong gender. Example: Using someone's deadname or not using the correct pronouns. Can be painful for those affected and should be avoided wherever possible.

• Neopronouns

  Newly coined words used as pronouns by people who do not identify with the "traditional" pronouns "she" and "he" (e.g. some non-binary people). Example: "dey" and "deren" in German.

• Non-binary

  A person who does not, or not exclusively, identify with one of the binary gender identities (man, woman). Non-binary is not a "third gender" but an umbrella term for a multitude of gender identities. Examples: agender (no gender), bigender (multiple genders), genderfluid (changing genders). Also: genderqueer, non-binary, or enby

• Outing

  Disclosure of a romantic or sexual orientation or gender identity. Example: "Mom, Dad, I'm gay." After this process, the person is described as out. Also: coming out

• Pansexual & Panromantic

  Sexual or romantic attraction to all genders. Example: A man who feels attraction to people regardless of their gender. Also: pan. See also: bi

• Pronouns

  Short words used to replace a person's name in a sentence when talking about them (3rd person). Example: "she" and "her" in the sentence: "She goes to her house." See also: neopronouns

• Peri

  A person whose innate physical characteristics correspond to the notion of a clear biological sex. Example: A person with XY chromosomes ("male"), high testosterone ("male"), etc. Opposite of: inter. Also: endo or dya

• Queer

  Collective term for people outside society's romantic, sexual, and/or gender expectations. See also: LGBTQIA+

• Romantic orientation

  Describes whether and for which people someone can have romantic feelings ("being in love"), often based on their gender. Romantic orientation does not have to align with sexual orientation — a person can, for example, be homosexual and aromantic.

• Sexual orientation

  Describes whether and for which people someone can feel sexual attraction, often based on their gender. Sexual orientation does not have to align with romantic orientation — a person can, for example, be homosexual and aromantic.

• Gay

  A homosexual and/or homoromantic man is also referred to as gay.

• Trans

  A person who does not, or not exclusively, identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. Example: A woman who was assigned male at birth. Opposite of: cis. Also: transgender, trans-identified. (Outdated, misleading & derogatory: transsexual)

• Variations of sex characteristics

  Synonym for inter. Also: VdG (German abbreviation)