LGBT Glossary
Gay
A term used to describe a man whose primary
emotion and sexual attraction is towards other men.
Can be used also to describe women who are same
sex attracted
Lesbian
A women whose primary emotional and sexual
attraction is towards other women
Bisexual
A women or man who has emotional or sexual
attraction towards more than one gender
Transgender
Queer
Transsexual
Intersex
A term that refers to a person who’s gender does
not conform to the gender they were assigned at
birth
A term that includes a range of alternative
sexualities and gender identities, including lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender. Not all LGBT people
use this term
A term for people whose gender identity is different
from their assigned sex at birth. Often transsexual
people alter or wish to alter their bodies through
hormones or surgery in order to make it match their
gender identity
A biological term where a person is born with
reproductive organs and or sex chromosomes or
secondary sex characteristics which are not
exclusively male or female
Gender queer
A person who, while identifying as a particular
gender, may exhibit characteristics or behaviour
more typical of another gender
Gender identity
A person’s sense of identity defined in relation to
the categories of male and female
Sexual
orientation
The expression of a person’s desires, sexual
activities, behaviours, characteristics in relation to
their sexual preferences and interpersonal
relationships
Gender
expression
Term that refers to how someone demonstrates
their gender through the ways they act, dress,
behave or interact
Biological sex
The organs, hormones and chromosomes that
make us male or female.
Female = vagina, ovaries, XX chromosomes
Male = penis, testes, XY chromosomes
Transitioning
The process of transgender or transsexual people
recognising their different gender identity and
making steps to adopt the lifestyle and / or physical
characteristics of the gender that they identify with
Coming out
The processes of telling somebody you are lesbian,
gay, bisexual or trans. Can be to friends/family/work
colleagues