Library - Informational Materials
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 G L O S S A R Y O F L G B T - R E L A T E D T E R M S |
| Androgynous | Having both feminine and masculine feelings and behaviors regardless of sexual orientation or gender. |
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| Bi | Person who is attracted to all genders. Bi-phobia is prevalent in both the homosexual and heterosexual communities. People in same-sex and straight relationships may be bi-identified and therefore should not be assumed to be gay or straight. |
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| Bisexuality | Sexual, emotional, and/or romantic attraction to all genders. It is normal, has no known cause, and is not an illness. |
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| Breeder | A negative word used to stereotype heterosexuals. |
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| Butch | Someone displaying outwardly male characteristics. |
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| Coming Out | Literally coming out of the closet. In other words, to disclose one's sexual orientation to one's self or others. Also describes the process of becoming aware of one's orientation or identity. |
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| Drag | Literally, Dressed As A Girl. Shakespearean stage direction when all roles were acted by men. Directed actor as to costume. Modern usage applies to males who dress in female clothing and vice-versa. A drag queen is a male; drag king, female. |
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| Dyke | A negative word used to stereotype masculine women. |
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| Fag / Faggot | A negative word used to stereotype effeminate men. Applied to homosexuals during the Spanish Inquisition when they were burned for their “crimes” (from Latin meaning “a bundle of stick”). |
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| Femme | Someone displaying outwardly female characteristics. |
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| Gay | A male-identified person attracted to other male-identified people. Also used to describe homosexual people the way mankind is used to describe both men and women. Also used to refer to a culture or community. |
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| Gender | The biological sex of an individual based on anatomy, chromosomes and hormones; male, female or intersexed |
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| Gender Expression | Adherence to cultural norms for feminine, masculine or androgynous behavior/dress. |
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| Gender Identity | The psychological sense of being male, female, both or neither. |
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| Hate Language Terms | Used within the LGBT communities, but are seen as insults when used by people not within those communities. Can include lezzie, dyke, queer, queen, bulldagger, trannie, sissy, homo, fag, faggot, etc. The most ambiguous such term today is (arguably) queer, which, given the unwieldiness of "gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender," has become an acceptable catch-all term in some social circles, particularly on the West Coast of the United States. Straight people are advised to use this term with care and only with friends, as described above. When in doubt, use gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender. |
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| Heterosexism | The false assumption that everyone is or should be heterosexual because it is assumed to be the only acceptable and viable life option. This assumption often leads to discrimination based on sexual orientation; a form of homophobia. |
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| Heterosexuality | Sexual, emotional, and/or romantic attraction to different genders. It is normal, has no known cause, and is not an illness |
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| Homophobia | The irrational fear, dislike or hatred of homosexuals or bisexuals which often results in acts of discrimination, sometimes even violence. |
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| Homosexuality | Sexual, emotional, and/or romantic attraction to the same gender. It is normal, has no known cause, and is not an illness. s |
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| In The Closet | Keeping one's sexual orientation secret. People may be closeted about being transgender as well. Origin is from drag language i.e. "You can only tell he's gay by the female clothes in his closet." |
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| Intersexed / Hermaphrodite | Person born with exterior reproductive organs that exhibit the physical characteristics of both sexes or neither sex, or ambiguous organs are known as hermaphrodites. |
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| Lesbian | A female-identified person attracted to other female-identified people. Origin is from Fourth-century Christian attack on Sappho's (of the isle of Lesbos) memory and reputation. Some self-identify as "dykes," not lesbians. |
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| Lesbigay | Abbreviation for Lesbian, Bisexual and Gay. |
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| LGBT / GLBT | Abbreviations for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered. |
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| Masculinity / Femininity | Gender-role stereotypes, differing from culture-to-culture. Across cultures, these roles are not innate to sexual orientation or gender-identity. |
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| Lesbian | Slang for homosexual who openly acknowledges their sexual orientation. |
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| Partner | Positive term for the significant other of gays or lesbians in a committed relationship. Also, use of this word instead of “wife” and “husband” encourages inclusiveness for heterosexual couples. |
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| Sexual Orientation | The deep-seated direction of one's sexual attraction towards the same gender, different genders, or all genders. Sexual orientation is on a continuum and not a set of absolute categories. It is one of four components of an individual’s sexuality, the others being gender identity, gender expression and gender. |
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| Straight | Person who is attracted to different genders. It is the same type of slang description as trans, lesbian, and gay. |
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| Transgender | Literally, to cross gender lines. Someone whose occasional appearance or whose gender identity differs from conventional expectations of masculinity or femininity. This umbrella term can include transsexuals, crossdressers, drag queens and kings, transvestites, masculine women, effeminate men, long-haired men, short-haired women. |
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| Transsexuality | Having one's "brain sex" or chemical gender-identity be in contrast to one's anatomical sex. Some, but not all, transsexual people re-shape their bodies with hormones and surgery to make their gender-presentation match their identity. |
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| Transvestite / Crossdresser | A heterosexual man who dresses as a woman for sexual gratification. Many are married, have children and professional careers. While this does describe some people, it is a stereotype incorrectly applied to all crossdressers. |
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- Can't find your word in the list above?
- You can submit questions or requests for additional definitions to our Southern California chapter web site:
- feedback form
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New definitions will be added to the web page.
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Informational Materials
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