Terms We Use

A non-exhaustive guide to the LGBTQIA+ terminology we use:

Agender
A person who does not have a gender

Aromantic/Aro
An umbrella term for those who experience zero, varying, or infrequent romantic attraction

Arophobia
The irrational hatred or fear of someone because they are or are perceived to be aromantic

Asexual/Ace
An umbrella term for those who experience zero, varying, or infrequent sexual attraction

Bi+
Sexual or romantic attraction towards more than one gender, or towards those of your own gender and other gender(s)

Bigender
Someone who has two genders

Cisgender
A person whose gender aligns with the sex they were assigned at their birth

Demigender
Someone who identifies partially, but not wholly, with a particular gender e.g. demiboy

Demi (sexual and romantic)
Sexual or romantic attraction that only develops after forming an emotional bond

Gay
A man or non-binary person with sexual or romantic attraction towards men
(also an umbrella term for anyone with any attraction towards those of the same gender)

Gender Binary
The misconception that there are only two genders, and the assumption that all people are either men or women

Genderfluid
Refers to a person who does not identify with a fixed gender

Gender Non-Conforming
A cis or trans person of any gender, who does not conform to cultural expectations of behaviour or expression of their gender e.g. a cis man who wears a dress

HBT
The acronym for homophobic, biphobic and/or transphobic

Homoromantic
Someone who is romantically attracted to people of the same gender

Intersex
A person (of any gender) born with any variation of sex characteristics
e.g. those assigned male at birth who have xxy chromosomes (klinefelter syndrome)

Lesbian
A woman or non-binary person with sexual or romantic attraction towards women

LGBTQIA+
Lesbian, gay, bi, trans, questioning, queer, intersex, asexual, pan, non-binary + more!

Non-binary
An umbrella term for all genders that are outside of the gender binary of “man” and “woman” (wholly or partially; all or some of the time)

Pan
Sexual or romantic attraction towards others without regard to their gender

Phobia
The irrational fear or hatred of LGBTQIA+ people (or those perceived to be LGBTQIA+)
can be broad (e.g. anti-LGBTQIA+ hate) or specific (e.g. transphobia, lesbophobia, acephobia, homophobia)

Pronouns
Words we all use to refer to ourselves, others & objects in conversation
e.g. she, xe, they, he, we, us, you, I, it

Queer
A reclaimed term for those outside “heterosexual, heteroromantic, and/ or cisgender”

Questioning
Self-exploration of your own gender or sexuality. It’s healthy to explore & question – and it doesn’t always mean you’re LGBTQIA+!

Straight
Sexual or romantic attraction to people of the other binary gender

Trans
A person whose gender does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth
e.g. a non-binary man who was assigned female at birth

For more information please get in touch.

Alternatively, you can email hello@proud2be.org.uk or call 0333 772 1187.

proud2be._