LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF GENDER
DYNAMICS IN THE PHILIPPINES
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Article II, Section 5 – Philippine Constitution
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“The protection of life, liberty, and property,
and the promotion of the general welfare are
essential for the enjoyment by all people of
the blessings of democracy”
o Government must protect people, their
freedom, property, and welfare.
Article II, Section 11 – Philippine Constitution
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“The State values the dignity of every
human person and guarantees full respect
for human rights”
o Every person deserves respect, dignity,
and human rights.
“The State recognizes the role of women in
nation-building, and shall ensure the
fundamental equality before the law of
women and men”
o Men and women are equal before the
law and both contribute to nationbuilding.
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Article II, Section 15 – Philippine Constitution
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“The State shall protect and promote the
right to health of the people and instill health
consciousness among them”
o Everyone has the right to health, and
the State must promote and protect it.
Pre- Colonial Gender Norms
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Women enjoyed substantial equality with
men
o Community leaders
o Right to own property
o Right to divorce and remarry
o Entitled to share of conjugal earnings
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Historical Gender Laws
Article II, Section 14 – Philippine Constitution
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Greater tolerance and practice of gender
fluidity/identity
o Gender is not binary
o Practice of gender crossing is accepted
o Viewpoints are far more inclusive
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Spanish Civil Code 1889
o Law that regulates the major aspects of
Spanish Civil law and its colonies
 Regulated civil law in Spain and its
colonies.
Civil Code 1949
o Philippine version of codification of
private law relating to property, family,
and obligations
 Philippine laws on property, family,
and obligations.
Family Code of 1987
o Basic law covering persons and family
relations governs marriages, legal
separations, property relations between
spouses, and parental authority among
others
 Governs marriage, family relations,
property, and parental authority.
Magna Carta of Women
o Comprehensive women’s human rights
law that seeks to eliminate
discrimination through the recognition,
protection, fulfillment, and promotion of
the rights of Filipino women
 Protects women’s rights and aims to
eliminate discrimination.
Reproductive Health Law
o Law that guarantees universal and free
access to nearly all modern
contraceptives for all citizens and
promoting sex education
 Promotes access to reproductive
healthcare, contraceptives, and sex
education.
SOGIE Equality Bill
o Series of bills filed in Congress which
aims to set into law measures to prevent
various economic and public
accommodation-related acts of
discrimination against people based on
their sexual orientation, gender identity,
or expression
 Proposed measures to prevent
discrimination based on sexual
orientation, gender identity, and
expression.
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Family Code of 1987
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Title I – Marriage
o "A special contract of permanent union
between a man and a woman entered
into in accordance with law for the
establishment of conjugal and family life.
It is the foundation of the family and an
inviolable social institution whose
nature, consequences, and incidents
are governed by law and not subject to
stipulation, except that marriage
settlements may fix the property
relations during the marriage within the
limits provided by this Code."
 Special Contract: Cannot be altered
or dissolved by mutual agreement,
unlike ordinary civil contracts.
 Permanent Union: Intended to last
for life, ending only through specific
legal processes like annulment or
nullity.
 Between a Man and a Woman:
Requires contracting parties to be a
biological male and female.
 Inviolable Social Institution:
Protected by the State as the
family's foundation, with terms
governed by law rather than private
agreement (except for prenuptial
property settlements).
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Title II – Legal Separation
o Annulment
 A legal ruling that erases a marriage
by declaring the marriage null and
void and that the union was never
legally valid.
 Marriage is declared legally
invalid, as if it was never valid.
o Legal Separation
 It ends the marital obligations and
the property relations between the
spouses, but the marriage bond is
not dissolved. This means that
legally separated spouses still
cannot marry someone else.
 Spouses live separately, but the
marriage still exists. They
cannot remarry.
o Divorce
 A legal dissolving, termination, and
ending of a legally valid marriage. A
divorce ends a legal marriage and
declares the spouses to be single
again.
 Marriage is legally ended, and
both spouses can be considered
single again.
How to legally dissolve a marriage?
o Foreign Divorce
 Applies when one of the partners
was a foreign citizen at the time of
the divorce. If not, it cannot be used.
o Void Marriages
 Marriage is considered invalid from
the beginning.
 Grounds are found under Articles
35, 36, 37, 38, and 53 of the Family
Code.
 Art. 35: Underage, no authority,
no license, bigamy
 Art. 36: Psychological incapacity
 Art. 37: Incestuous marriages
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Art. 38: Marriages against public
policy
 Art. 53: Failure to meet
requirements before remarriage
o Voidable Marriages
 Starts valid but can be voided
 Art. 45 Grounds:
 No parental consent (18–21)
 Unsound mind
 Fraud
 Force, intimidation, or undue
influence
 Physical incapacity to
consummate
 Sexually transmissible disease
Provisions that may seem Discriminatory
o The Exercise of Parental Consent
 Applies to those 18–21 years old.
 Requires parental/guardian consent
to marry.
 Consent follows this order: Father
→ Mother → Surviving Parent →
Guardian.
o The Exercise of Parental Authority and
Legal Guardianship
 Father and mother jointly exercise
parental authority.
 If they disagree, the father's
decision prevails.
 Exception: A court order can provide
otherwise.
o The Administration and Enjoyment of
Conjugal Partnership
 Both spouses jointly manage
community property.
 In case of disagreement, the
husband’s decision prevails.
 The wife may appeal to the court for
a remedy.
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Title III – Rights and Obligations Between
Husband and Wife
o Outlines the personal, non-property
duties that spouses owe to each other
and their joint responsibilities in
managing the household.
Title IV – Property Relations Between
Husband and Wife
o Governs how money, assets, real
estate, and liabilities are owned,
managed, and divided during and after
the marriage.
RA 9710: Magna Carta of Women
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Comprehensive women's human rights
law
o Seeks to eliminate discrimination
against women
o Recognizes, protects, fulfills, and
promotes rights of Filipino women
especially those in the marginalized
sector
Translates CEDAW principles into
Philippine law.
o Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against
Women’s (CEDAW)
o Promotes gender equality and
protection from discrimination.
o Defines gender discrimination, State
obligations, and substantive equality.
o Recognizes rights under International
Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
Major Rights and Key Provisions
o Protection from all forms of violence,
including those committed by the state
o Protection and security in times of
disaster, calamities and other crisis
situations
o Participation and representation
Equal access and elimination of
discrimination against women in
education, scholarships, and training
o Equal participation in sports
o Non-discrimination in employment in the
field of military, police, and other similar
services
Salient Features of the Law
o 50–50 Gender Balance
 Aim for equal representation of
women and men in third-level
government positions within 5 years.
 Women should comprise at least
40% of development planning and
program implementation.
o Leave Benefits
 Women employees may receive 2
months of leave with full pay.
 Applies when undergoing surgery
due to gynecological disorders.
 Requires at least 6 months of
continuous aggregate service within
the last 12 months.
o Equal Employment Opportunities
 Women must not be discriminated
against in the military, police, and
similar services.
 Women should have the same
promotion opportunities, pay
increases, benefits, and awards as
men.
 These should be based on
competency and quality of
performance.
o Equal Access to Education
 Women must have equal access to
education, scholarships, and
training.
 Discrimination against women
students and faculty because of
pregnancy outside marriage is
prohibited.
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This includes expulsion, nonreadmission, and denial of
enrollment.
o Fair Portrayal of Women in Media
 Media and films should avoid
discriminatory or degrading
portrayals of women.
 Media should promote awareness of
women's dignity, roles, and
contributions to the family,
community, and society.
o Government Responsibility
 The government must take action to
end discrimination against women.
 It must ensure substantive equality
between men and women.
 The government should review,
amend, or repeal discriminatory
laws.
Laws that are Discriminatory
o Revised Penal Code – (a) Articles 333
and 334: on adultery and concubinage
 Adultery – Article 333
 Committed by a married woman
who has sexual intercourse with
another man who knows she is
married.
 Easier to prove because proof
of sexual intercourse is
sufficient.
 Both the wife and her paramour
receive the same penalty: up to
6 years imprisonment.
 Concubinage – Article 334
 Applies to a married man who:
o Keeps a mistress in the
conjugal home;
o Has sexual intercourse
under scandalous
circumstances; or
o Lives with his mistress
elsewhere.
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Harder to prove because one of
these specific circumstances
must be established.
 Husband: lower penalty, up to 4
years and 1 day.
 Concubine: destierro
(banishment), not imprisonment.
RA 8353, Redefining Rape by Focusing
on Lack of Consent
 Existing provision:
 Under Art. 266-A, rape required
the use of force, threat,
intimidation, fraudulent
machination, or grave abuse of
authority.
 The focus was on the means
used by the offender.
 Proposed provision:
 Defines rape as a sexual
assault committed without the
person’s consent.
 Consent means a voluntary
agreement to engage in the
sexual act.
 Focus shifts to the absence of
consent.
Raising the Age of Sexual Consent
 Old Law – Art. 266-A(1)(d), RPC
 Age of sexual consent: 12 years
old.
 Sexual intercourse with a child
below 12 was automatically
considered statutory rape.
 This applied even if the child
appeared to consent.
 Updated Law
 Age of sexual consent was
raised to 16 years old.
 Sexual activity with a minor
below 16 can constitute rape.
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Close-in-age exception:
o Criminal liability may not
apply when the age
difference is not more than
3 years, provided the act is
consensual, non-abusive,
and non-exploitative.
RA 10354: Responsible Parenthood and
Reproductive Health Act of 2012
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Description
o It is an act providing for a national policy
on responsible parenthood and
reproductive health. The law, which
stemmed from the strong advocacy of
stakeholders and the commitment of the
Government, is a point for convergence
of multi-sectoral efforts toward the
improvement of health outcomes of the
country. It mandates the government to
adequately address the needs of
Filipinos on responsible parenthood and
reproductive health.
 Establishes a national policy on
responsible parenthood and
reproductive health.
 Requires the government to address
the reproductive health needs of
Filipinos.
 Aims to improve health outcomes in
the country.
 Promotes cooperation among
different sectors toward better
reproductive health.
o Republic Act 10354 or the Responsible
Parenthood and Reproductive Health
Law of 2012 (RH Law) is a national
policy that mandates the Philippine
government to comprehensively
address the needs of Filipino citizens
when it comes to responsible
parenthood and reproductive health.
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Salient Features of the Law
o Access to services on Reproductive
Health (RH) and Family Planning (FP),
with regard to the informed choice of
individuals and couples who will accept
these services
 The bill mandates the government
to "promote, without biases, all
effective natural and modern
methods of family planning that are
medically safe and legal.
 Definition of Terms
 Family Planning
o Helps couples/individuals
decide the number and
spacing of their children and
provides information and
safe methods to plan
pregnancy.
 Contraceptives
o Safe and effective methods,
devices, or products that
prevent pregnancy without
destroying a fertilized ovum.
 Abortifacient
o A drug or device that
causes abortion, destroys a
fetus, or prevents a fertilized
ovum from being implanted,
as determined by the FDA.
 RA 10354 – Section 3(j)
 Abortion remains illegal and
punishable by law.
 Women experiencing postabortion complications must still
receive proper medical care.
 They must be treated in a
humane, nonjudgmental, and
compassionate manner.
 Healthcare providers must
follow the law and medical
ethics.
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Maternal Health Care services, including
skilled birth attendance and facilitybased deliveries
 Reduce and Eliminate
 Maternal Death
 Fetal Death
 Infant Mortality
 Miscarriage
 Promote and Improve
 Maternal Health
 Infant Survivability
 Responsible Parenthood
Reproductive Health and Sexuality
Education for the Youth
 Section 14
 The State shall provide ageand development-appropriate
reproductive health education to
adolescents.
 It should be taught by properly
trained teachers.
 It applies to both formal and
non-formal education.
 It should be integrated into
relevant subjects.
Regular Funding for the Law's Full
Implementation
 Government officials must support
and properly fund reproductive
health programs.
 They must not restrict or prevent
legal and medically safe RH
services.
 They must not force or coerce
anyone to use RH services.
 They must not withhold or refuse
funding for reproductive health
programs.
 Acts that hinder the implementation
of the RH Law are prohibited.
GENDER SENSITIVITY AND AWARENESS
Gender Awareness
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Understanding that there are socially
determined differences between women and
men based on learned behavior. These
affect their ability to access and control
resources. (Inter-agency Network for
Education in Emergencies)
o Gender roles are influenced by society
and learned behavior.
and often requires women-specific projects
and programs to end existing inequalities. RA 10354
o Gender equity means taking action to
achieve fairness and reduce inequality.
Gender and Development
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Equity leads to Equality
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Gender Sensitivity
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Process by which people are made aware of
how gender plays a role in life through their
treatment of others. Aimed at understanding
and considering the societal and cultural
factors involved in gender-based exclusion
and discrimination
o Being aware of and avoiding unfair
treatment based on gender.
Gender Equality
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Refers to the principle of equality between
women and men and equal rights to enjoy
conditions in realizing their full human
potentials to contribute to, and benefit from,
the results of development, with the State
recognizing that all human beings are free
and equal in dignity and rights. - RA 10354
o Women and men should have equal
rights, opportunities, and treatment.
Gender Equity
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Refers to the policies, instruments,
programs and actions that address the
disadvantaged position of women in society
by providing preferential treatment and
affirmative action. It entails fairness and
justice in the distribution of benefits and
responsibilities between women and men,
Gender and Development approach focuses
on the socially constructed basis of
differences between men and women and
emphasizes the need to challenge existing
gender roles and relations.
o Focuses on socially created differences
between men and women.
o Challenges existing gender roles and
relationships.
Gender and Development as defined by the
Philippine Commission on Women is a
development perspective and process that is
participatory and empowering, equitable,
sustainable, free from violence, respectful of
human rights, supportive of selfdetermination and actualization of human
potentials.
o Aims for participation, empowerment,
and equality.
o Promotes sustainable and violence-free
development.
o Respects human rights and selfdetermination.
o Supports the development of human
potential.
Sex
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Let’s Define and Appropriate
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Sex Role
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Roles a person is expected to perform as a
result of being man or woman in a particular
culture
Gender Stereotyping
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Refers to “the different biological and
physiological characteristics of males and
females, such as reproductive organs,
chromosomes, hormones, etc”
Refers to "the socially constructed
characteristics of women and men – such as
norms, roles and relationships of and
between groups of women and men.
It varies from society to society and can be
changed.
Roles according to the reproductive function
of a person’s body
Gender Role
Gender
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Usually, men are taller than women.
The most important role of a woman is to
become a mother.
Women are poor at managerial positions.
Only women can conceive and give birth.
Only males can have testicles and can
supply sperm for
fertilization.
Men cannot substantially produce breastmilk
for breastfeeding.
Women are loving and caring while men are
aggressive.
Men think and act more rationally than
women.
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Stereotype
o A label which involves a process of
categorization and evaluation
o Used in conjunction with representations
of social
o An easily grasped characteristic (usually
negative) is presumed to belong to the
whole group
Gender Stereotyping
o Refers to the practice of ascribing to an
individual woman or man specific
attributes, characteristics, or roles by
reason only of her or his membership in
the social group of women or men.
Gender Roles
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A social role encompassing a range of
behaviors and attitudes that are generally
considered acceptable, appropriate, or
desirable for a person based on that
person's biological or perceived sex.
This revolves on how society expect us to
act, speak, dress, groom, and conduct
ourselves based upon our assigned sex.
o Gender roles are society's expectations
of how men and women should behave.
INTRODUCTION TO SOGIE
SOGIE
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Gender roles become Gender issues once it
block people’s capacity to do and to be
o deny males access to the nurturing,
emotive, other oriented world of
domestic life
o deny males access to the nurturing,
emotive, other oriented world of
domestic life
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Exposes the social dimensions of
hierarchical power relations imbedded in
social institutions.
It asserts that there are systematic and
structural causes of gender inequality and
requires their root causes to be addressed.
o Looks at how social structures and
power relationships create inequality.
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The emotional, romantic, and/or sexual
attraction or conduct someone feels towards
the opposite sex (heterosexual), the same
sex (homosexual), both (bisexual) etc.
o Who a person is emotionally,
romantically, or sexually attracted to.
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Gender Identity
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Social Relations Analysis
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Concepts and Terminologies
Sexual Orientation
Is there a problem with Gender Roles?
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SO – Sexual Orientation
GI – Gender Identity
E – Gender Expression
gender, as one's gender can only be
determined by oneself.
o Shows that gender and sexuality can
exist in different forms and may be fluid.
o A person's gender is self-determined.
The experience that an individual feels very
deeply about internally related to their
gender (personal sense of identity), which
can be related or unrelated to their sex
assigned at birth.
o A person's internal sense of their
gender, which may or may not match
their sex assigned at birth.
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Gender Expression
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Refers to the outward manifestation of
gender, i.e. how an individual physically
expresses themselves (through appearance,
how they dress, body language, or physical
behaviors and characteristics.
o How a person outwardly expresses their
gender, such as through clothing,
appearance, or behavior.
SOGIE Spectrum
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Another tool to identify the different aspects
of human gender and sexuality. People's
identities can be fluid. The spectrum shows
how people's identities can be fluid and is
also not a universal tool for determining
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Sex Assigned at Birth
o The assignment and classification of
people as male, female, intersex, or
another sex assigned at birth often
based on physical anatomy at birth
and/or genetic analysis.
 Sex classification given at birth,
usually based on physical anatomy
or genetics.
Gender Binary
o A system of classifying sex and gender
into two distinct and disconnected forms
of masculine and feminine. It can be
referred to as a social construct or a
social boundary that discourages people
from crossing or mixing gender roles, or
from creating other third (or more) forms
of gender expression.
 Classifying gender into only male
and female.
Heteronormativity
o Reflects social structures and practices
which serve to elevate and enforce
heterosexuality while subordinating or
suppressing other forms of sexuality. It
defines a world view that assumes
and/or promotes heterosexuality as the
normal or preferred sexual orientation.
 Treating heterosexuality as the
normal or preferred sexual
orientation.
Sexual Fluidity/Gender Fluid
o The idea that sexual
orientation/attraction can change over
time, and depending on the situation at
hand. A gender fluid person may at any
time identify as male, female, agender,
or any other non-binary identity, or some
combination of identities.
 Sexual attraction or gender identity
can change over time.
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Transition
o Refers to a person’s process of
developing and assuming a gender
expression to match their gender
identity. Transition can include: coming
out to one’s family, friends, and/or coworkers; changing one’s name and/or
sex on legal documents; hormone
therapy; and possibly (though not
always) some form of surgery. It’s best
not to assume how one transitions as it
is different for everyone
 Process of developing a gender
expression that matches one's
gender identity.
Gender-neutral
o The idea that policies, language, and
other social institutions (social
structures, gender roles, or gender
identity) should avoid distinguishing
roles according to people's sex or
gender.
 Avoiding distinctions based on sex
or gender in policies, language, and
institutions.
Genderqueer/non-binary
o Most used to describe a person who
feels that their gender identity does not
fit into the socially constructed “norms”
associated with their sex assigned at
birth/biological sex. Individuals who
identify as neither male nor female (but
as another gender), as somewhere in
between or beyond genders, or as a
combination of genders.
 Gender identity that does not fit
exclusively into male or female.
Straight/Heterosexual
o Refers to a person who is emotionally,
romantically, and sexually attracted to
people of the opposite sex. Also
sometimes generally used to refer to
people whose sexualities are societally
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normative. Alternately referred to as
“heterosexual”
 Emotionally, romantically, or
sexually attracted to the opposite
sex.
Gay
o Generally refers to a man who is
attracted to men. Sometimes refers to
all people who are emotionally,
romantically, and sexually attracted to
people of the same sex; sometimes
“homosexual” is used for this also.
 Generally, a man attracted to men;
can also refer to same-sex attraction
generally.
Lesbian
o Generally refers to a woman who is
attracted to women. Sometimes refers
to all people who are emotionally,
romantically, and sexually attracted to
people of the same sex; sometimes
“homosexual” is used for this also.
 Generally, a woman attracted to
women.
Bisexual
o Refers to individuals who are attracted
to both men and women; sometimes
used more broadly to refer to people
who are attracted to others whose
gender is like their own and to people
whose gender is not like their own.
 Attracted to both men and women,
or more broadly, to people of similar
and different genders.
Pansexual
o Refers to being open with attraction to
members of all sexual orientations and
or gender identities including
heterosexual/straight, gay, lesbian,
bisexual, transgender, etc.
 Attraction that can include people of
all gender identities or orientations.
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Asexual
o Not sexually attracted to anyone and/or
no desire to act on attraction to anyone.
Does not necessarily mean sexless.
Asexual people sometimes do
experience affectional (romantic)
attraction.
 Experiencing little or no sexual
attraction.
Cisgender
o Refers to Non-trans. From a Latin prefix
meaning “on the same side, ” as
opposed to trans – which means
“across. ” It is a term for someone who
exclusively identifies as their sex
assigned at birth – men who were
assigned male at birth and women who
were assigned female at birth. The term
cisgender is not indicative of gender
expression, sexual orientation, hormonal
makeup, physical anatomy, or how one
is perceived in daily life.
 Gender identity matches the sex
assigned at birth.
Androgynous/androgyny
o Where gendered behaviors,
presentations and roles include aspects
of both masculinity and femininity.
People of any gender identity or sexual
orientation can be androgynous, but it is
often favored by nonbinary people as a
means to externally express their
gender identity. Androgyny can include
dressing in way where one is unable to
tell if they are male or female.
 Expression combining masculine
and feminine characteristics.
Trans
o Anyone whose gender identity and/or
gender expression differs significantly
from what is expected of them in their
culture based on their sex assigned at
birth. This broad category includes
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transgender, transsexual and
genderqueer people, crossdressers,
drag queens and kings, masculine
women and feminine men, and more.
 Broad term for people whose
gender identity/expression differs
from expectations based on sex
assigned at birth.
Trans Female (MtF)
o (or transgender woman, transwoman, or
transsexual woman) is someone
assigned male at birth who now
identifies and lives as a woman.
 Assigned male at birth; identifies
and lives as a woman.
Trans Male (FtM)
o (or transgender man, transman or
transsexual man) is someone assigned
female at birth who now identifies and
lives as a man.
 Assigned female at birth; identifies
and lives as a man.
Transgender
o Refers specifically to people who have
an experience of transitioning (socially
and/or medically) from living as one
gender to living as another gender. more
recently transgender and/or trans has
become an umbrella term popularly
used to refer to all people who
transgress dominant conceptions of
gender, or at least all who identify
themselves as doing so.
 Person whose gender identity differs
from their sex assigned at birth; may
involve social or medical transition.
Transsexual
o A historical original term that is often
considered pejorative similar to
transgender in that it indicates a
difference between one’s gender identity
and sex assigned at birth. Transsexual
often, though not always, implicated
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hormonal/surgical transition. Unlike
transgender/ trans, transsexual is not an
umbrella term, as many transgender
people do not identify as transsexual.
 Historical term for a person whose
gender identity differs from sex
assigned at birth, often associated
with medical transition.
Crossdresser
o Cross-dressing refers to occasionally
wearing clothing of the “opposite”
gender, and someone who considers
this an integral part of their identity may
identify as a crossdresser (note: the
term crossdresser is preferable to
transvestite and neither may ever be
used to describe a transsexual person).
Cross-dressing is not necessarily tied to
erotic activity or sexual orientation.
 Person who occasionally wears
clothing associated with another
gender.
Homophobia
o Negative attitudes and feelings toward
people with non-heterosexual
sexualities; dislike of, or discomfort with,
expressions of sexuality that do not
conform to heterosexual norms.
 Negative attitudes or feelings toward
people with non-heterosexual
sexualities.
Coming Out
o A metaphor used to describe LGBT
people's self-disclosure of their sexual
orientation or their gender identity.
 Disclosing one's sexual orientation
or gender identity to others.
Term
Simple Meaning
Sex Assigned at Birth
Sex classification
given at birth, usually
based on physical
anatomy or genetics.
Gender Binary
Heteronormativity
Generally, a woman
attracted to women.
Bisexual
Attracted to both men
and women, or more
broadly, to people of
similar and different
genders.
Pansexual
Attraction that can
include people of all
gender identities or
orientations.
Asexual
Experiencing little or
no sexual attraction.
Cisgender
Gender identity
matches the sex
assigned at birth.
Androgynous
Expression combining
masculine and
feminine
characteristics.
Trans
Broad term for people
whose gender
identity/expression
differs from
expectations based
on sex assigned at
birth.
Trans Female (MtF)
Assigned male at
birth; identifies and
lives as a woman.
Trans Male (FtM)
Assigned female at
birth; identifies and
lives as a man.
Transgender
Person whose gender
identity differs from
their sex assigned at
birth; may involve
social or medical
transition.
Classifying gender
into only male and
female.
Treating
heterosexuality as
the normal or
preferred sexual
orientation.
Sexual/Gender
Fluidity
Sexual attraction or
gender identity can
change over time.
Transition
Process of developing
a gender expression
that matches one's
gender identity.
Gender-Neutral
Avoiding distinctions
based on sex or
gender in policies,
language, and
institutions.
Genderqueer/Nonbinary
Lesbian
Gender identity that
does not fit
exclusively into male
or female.
Straight/Heterosexual
Emotionally,
romantically, or
sexually attracted to
the opposite sex.
Gay
Generally, a man
attracted to men; can
also refer to same-sex
attraction generally.
Transsexual
Historical term for a
person whose gender
identity differs from
sex assigned at
birth, often
associated with
medical transition.
Crossdresser
Person who
occasionally wears
clothing associated
with another gender.
Homophobia
Negative attitudes or
feelings toward
people with nonheterosexual
sexualities.
Coming Out
Disclosing one's
sexual orientation or
gender identity to
others.