There are many terms related to the field of gender and sexuality. The GSRC has put together a fantastic glossary to define these terms. In addition, check out the videos below to see some common terms explained!
Sex: The identification of the biological/physical anatomy most often categorized as male or female.
Gender: The range of characteristics associated with men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them by society.
Sexual Orientation: One’s sexual attraction to other people.
LGBTQIA: An acronym for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual”. It can be expanded to include other identities as well, including ally, pansexual, two-spirit, etc.
Intersectionality: The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage; a theoretical approach based on such a premise.
Pronouns: Pronouns are used in place of a proper noun (like someone’s name). We use pronouns most often when referring to someone without using their name.