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.
