• Ally/Straight Supporter

    A person who supports and honors the diversity of sexual orientation, acts accordingly to challenge homophobic remarks and behaviors and explores and understands these forms of bias within him- or herself.

  • Androgyne

    A person whose appearance or self-expression is a mix of feminine and masculine traits and/or behaviors, and who is not identifiable as either male or female in the context of social standards of masculinity and feminitity.

  • Asexuality

    A sexual orientation generally characterized by not feeling sexual attraction or desire for partnered sexuality. Asexuality is distinct from celibacy, which is the deliberate abstention from sexual activity. Some asexuals do have sex. There are many diverse ways of being asexual.

  • Bigender/Pangender

    This term refers to people who have two (bigender) or more (pangender) gender identities. These identities may co-exist or present alternately. Bigender people may describe themselves as both a man and a woman, as third gender, or as other genders outside the man/woman binary.

  • Biphobia

    A term used to refer to the fear or hatred of people who are bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, or nonmonosexual, including associations with infidelity, promiscuity and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.

  • Bisexual

    A person emotionally, romantically, sexually and relationally attracted to both men and women, though not necessarily simultaneously; a bisexual person may not be equally attracted to both sexes, and the degree of attraction may vary as sexual identity develops over time.

  • Cisgender

    A term used to refer to a gender identity that society considers to "match" the biological sex assigned at birth. The prefix "cis" means "on this side of" or "not across from." A term used to call attention to the privilege of people who are not transgendered.

  • Closeted/In The Closet

    To be "in the closet" means to hide one's identity in order to keep a job, a housing situation, friends, or in some other way to survive. Many LGBTQ individuals are "out" in some situations and "closeted" in others.

  • Coming Out

    A term commonly used to describe the on-going process of becoming aware of one's sexual orientation. This may include accepting it, acting on it, and telling others about it. Coming out can be difficult for some because reactions vary from complete acceptance and support to disapproval, rejection and violence.

  • Cross-Dressing

    To occasionally wear clothes traditionally associated with people of the other sex. Cross-dressers are usually comfortable with the sex they were assigned at birth and do not wish to change it. "Cross-dresser" should NOT be used to describe someone who has transitioned to live full-time as the other sex, or who intends to do so in the future. Cross-dressing is a form of gender expression and is not necessarily tied to erotic activity. Cross-dressing is not indicative of sexual orientation.

  • Discrimination

    Discrimination constitutes any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference or other differential treatment that is directly or indirectly based on the prohibited grounds of discrimination and which has the intention or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human and civil rights. Discrimination also includes incitement to discriminate and harassment. Article 2, paragraph 2, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ("ICCPR") lists the prohibited grounds of discrimination as “race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status," with "other status" being recognized as including gender identity and sexual orientation.

  • Domestic Partnership

    Civil or legal recognition of a relationship between two people (domestic partners) that sometimes extends limited protections to them.