NOTE: These definitions will be available for reference at any time by clicking on the 'Glossary' button on the left hand side of your screen.

• Androgynous/Androgny - Exhibiting approximately equal proportions of masculine and feminine characteristics simultaneously. Independence from the gender roles specified by society.
  
• Asexual - One who has no significant interest in sexual activity, or who identifies as asexual.
  
• Biphobia - The oppression or mistreatment of bisexuals, either by heterosexuals or by lesbians or gay men.
  
• Bisexual - An individual who identifies as such due to physical, spiritual and or emotional attraction with people of both genders. Bisexuals need not be 'equally' attracted to, or have had equal sexual experience with, both genders
  
• Butch - Masculine or macho dress and behavior, regardless of sex or gender identity.
  
• Camp - A form of humor, in which one makes fun of one's oppression by taking on and exaggerating stereotypes which the oppressor projects onto the oppressed.
  
• Celibate - One who is not sexually active with anyone else.
  
• Coming out - a sometimes lifetime process of self-acceptance and revelation to others.
  
• Cross Dresser - To wear clothes, makeup, etc., regardless of the motivation, which are appropriate for another gender role than the gender assigned one at birth.
  
• DOMA - Defense Of Marriage Act. Passed in 1996, it purports to give states the "right" to refuse to recognize same sex marriages performed in other states, and creates a federal definition of "marriage" and "spouse" for the first time ever in our country's history. Marriage is defined as "a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife" and spouse is defined as "a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife." Marriages not fitting this description would not be eligible for any of the benefits offered by the federal government.
• Domestic Partnership - in general, a long-term commitment between two adults who reside together and are financially and emotionally interdependent.
  
• Drag - Clothes, often unusual or dramatic, especially those considered appropriate to another gender.
  
• Drag Queen - A transvestite who employes dramatic clothes, makeup, and mannerisms, often for other people's appreciation or for its shock value.
  
• ENDA - Employment Non-Discrimination Act. If passed, ENDA would extend federal employment protections currently based on race, religion, gender, national origin, age and disability to sexual orientation. The bill would prohibit employers from using an individual's sexual orientation as the basis for employment decisions, such as hiring, firing, promotion or compensation.
  
• Female Impersonator - A male who on specific occasions, cross dresses and employs stereotypical feminine dialog, voice, and mannerisms for the entertainment of other people.
  
• Femme - Feminine or effeminate dress and behavior, regardless of sex or gender identity.
  
• GLBT - Acronym for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
  
• Gay - A homosexual man who identifies as such due to physical, spiritual and/or emotional attraction to or a relationship with another man
  
• Gender Expression - Appearance that does not conform to societal definitions for a person's gender (cross dressers, 'butch' women, 'feminine' men, androgenous persons).
  
• Gender Identity - The psychological gender of a person, regardless of what gender the person was born.
  
• Gender Role - Rules assigned by society that define what clothing, behaviors, thoughts, feelings, relationships, etc. are considered appropriate and inappropriate for members of a given gender.
  
• HCPA - Hate Crimes Prevention Act. If passed, would remove the current restriction stating that a hate crime can occur only if the victime is engaged in one of the "federally protected activities," 1) enrolling in or attending a public school or public college; (2) participating in or enjoying a state or local service, program, facility, or activity; (3) applying for or enjoying employment; (4) serving as a juror; (5) traveling in or using a facility of interstate commerce; and (6) enjoying certain places of public accommodation. Fails to address crimes based on the victim's sexual orientation, disability, or gender.
  
• Hermaphrodite - Medically, one who has partially expressed primary or secondary sex characteristics. In the extreme, one who has both female and male primary and secondary sex characteristics. This is now considered a derogatory term, and has been replaced by the term Intersex.
  
• Heterosexism - The attitude that heterosexuality is the only sexual orientation. Heterosexism often takes the form of ignoring gays and lesbians, or discounting their experience altogether
  
• Heterosexual - One whose sexual or romantic attractions are primarily to members of another gender or sex.
  
• Homophobia - Apprehension, fear and/or hatred of GLBT persons
  
• Homophobe - One who hates, fears, and oppresses people because one perceives them to have sexual or romantic attractions to members of the same sex.
  
• Homosexual - An individual who identifies as such due to physical, spiritual and/or emotional attraction with people of the same sex.
  
• Ingroup Language - Terms or phrases that are okay when used by members of a group, but are offensive when used by outsiders (for example, 'queer' or 'dyke')
• Intersex - One whose external genitalia at birth do not match the standards for male or female, or one whose sex glands do not totally match the sex assigned at birth, or one whose sexual development does not match the sex assigned at birth.
  
• Lesbian - A homosexual woman who identifies as such due to physical, spiritual and/or emotional attraction to or a relationship with another woman
  
• LLEEA - Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act. If passed, would give local law enforcement officials the resources they need to combat hate crimes based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender or disability.
  
• Oppression - Systematic, supported by society, mistreatment of and misinformation about people who are perceived to be members of a particular group. Mistreatment includes economic and social marginalization, which ranges from not including members of the group in one's circle of friends and media reports on and representations of society; the cold shoulder; snide comments, verbal harrassment, assault, rape, and murder, all based on the perception that the target person is a member of that group.
  
• Outing - The act of publicly revealing another person's sexual orientation. Considered inappropriate in the current political and social climate by most of the gay community.
  
• Pass - To be perceived by others as a member of the group one chooses, instead of as a member of another group, especially of the gender one was assigned at birth.
  
• Pink Triangle - A symbol that originated in Nazi Germany, the pink triangle was used to mark gay prisoners in concentration camps.
  
• Primary Sex Characteristics - Inclusive term for male penis, prostate and testicles, and for the female clitoris, vagina, uterus and ovaries.
  
• Queer - Reclaimed derogatory slang for the sexual minority community, not accepted by all members of the sexual minority community.
  
• Rainbow Flag - A symbol used worldwide since 1978 signifying gay unity and diversity.
  
• Secondary Sex Characteristics - General term including facial and body hair, vocal timbre and range, breast size, weight distribution.
  
• Sexism - Oppression of women as women.
  
• Sexual Minority Community - Those people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, etc.
  
• Sexual Orientation - The preferred term used when referring to an individual's physical, spiritual, and/or emotional attraction to the same and/or opposite gender.
  
• Sexual Reassignment Surgery - A surgical procedure which changes one's primary sex characteristics from those of one sex, to those of another sex, to align them with one's gender identity.
  
• Sodomy - Term for illegal sex acts. Sodomy is not synonymous with 'gay sex.' The legal definition and particular sexual acts covered, differ in each state, and usually apply to heterosexual couples as well.
  
• Transgender - A broad term for anyone whose identity or behavior falls outside of stereotypical gender norms. Includes transsexuals, cross dressers, transvestites, intersex, etc.
  
• Transsexual - One who changes (or is in the process of changing) one's sex to align with one's gender identity.
  
• Transvestite - One who mainly cross dresses for pleasure in the appearance and sensation. May be of any gender identity.
  
• Unisex - Clothing, behaviors, thoughts, feelings, relationships, etc. which are considered appropriate for members of both genders.