Living in the 21st century, we all know that a person’s gender is not just limited to male or female.
The world has seen the emergence of many different genders and sexual orientations over a few years. And in this case, the more the merrier.
The LGBT community has for years struggled to be as vocal as they should be.
Though the community has gained a lot of support all over the world, there still is a long way to go.
And the first order of business is to understand and acknowledge that being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or any other gender is as normal as being a straight male/female.
There are so many hardships the LGBTQ community goes through every day.
From hate to abandonment and sometimes death penalties, this is what people of the LGBT community have been through. And in some places, still, are.
People to this day tend to be ignorant when it comes to recognizing different genders.
One common misconception when it comes to knowing the community is the inability to differentiate between genders and sexual orientation.
Being a member of LGBTQIA isn’t just being gay.
There are so many different terms describing different sexual orientation and genders within the LGBT community.
Here, we’ll be discussing some general terms associated with the LGBTQ community. They can be terms defining one’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or some specific terminologies.
Androgyne.
An androgyne is a person identifying as neither man nor woman, however, having both masculine and feminine physical traits.
Asexual.
An asexual is a person who isn’t sexually attracted to anyone or have a desire for partnered sexuality.
Bigender.
Bigender is a person having two genders, either simultaneously, or separately, without concealing any of those identities.
Bisexual.
Bisexual is a person that is physically, emotionally or sexually attracted to both male and female. Or even towards people regardless of their gender.
Cisgender.
Cisgender is a person that identifies according to what they were at birth. For example, if a person is born with female genitals who identifies as female, she is cisgender.
Demisexual.
Demisexual is a sexual orientation where a person only feels sexually attracted to someone with whom they could share an emotional bond.
Gay.
Gay is a man who is physically and sexually attracted to people of the same gender. It is also a generic term for the entire LGBTQ community.
Gender Dysphoria.
This is a medical diagnosis that occurs before one can go through a hormonal and surgical reassignment.
Gender Fluid.
This is a term given to people whose gender identification shifts within or outside of societal or gender-based expectations.
They can feel more like a girl one day and more like a boy the next.
Hermaphrodite.
Hermaphrodite is a medical term to describe a person born with both ovaries and testicles.
Heterosexual
Heterosexual is a person who is physically, emotionally, and sexually attracted to the people of the same gender.
Homophobia.
Homophobia is hatred or irrational fear towards homosexuality and homosexuals.
Homosexual.
Homosexual is a person who is physically, emotionally, and sexually attracted to people of the same sex.
Intersex.
Intersex is a condition where people have genital, chromosomal or any other physical characteristics that can’t typically be labeled as either male or female.
Lesbian.
Lesbian is a female who is romantically, physically, and emotionally attracted to other females.
LGBT.
LGBT is an abbreviation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender which refers to the community as a whole. Some also use the term LGBTQIA where QIA stands for Queer (or Questioning), Intersex, and Asexual.
Non-Binary.
Non-binary is a way of describing gender that is outside of gender binary, i.e. male or female.
Pansexual.
Pansexual is a term describing someone that is sexually, physically, or emotionally attracted to all or any other genders.
Queer.
Queer is an umbrella term referring to sexuality and gender diverse people.
It was originally a derogatory term describing the members of the LGBT community.
However, today it is a self-identifying commitment to counter culture. All thanks to four gay men from ACT UP who named themselves Queer Nation.
Questioning.
Questioning is a term describing people that are in the process of exploring their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
Transgender.
Transgenders are people whose gender identities are different from what they were at birth.
It is also an umbrella term to refer to all the gender diverse people.
Transphobia.
Transphobia is a term describing the fear and specific hatred towards the transgender people and the community.
