People know about the meaning of LGBT but do not know that there are many ways to identifies oneself in the category of sexual orientation and gender. By educating oneself, there will be less ignorance and more love. Want to become more educated? Attend PRIDE, talk to your local GSA (there’s one here on campus!), and attend their seminars. Below is a list of common terms and their meanings:
Lesbian- identified as a woman who is attracted to other women
Gay- identifies as man who is attracted to other men
Bisexual- identifies as a person who is attracted to their own gender as well as another gender
Trans- a person whose identifies with a gender they were not assigned at birth
Questioning- a person who is unsure how they identify
Queer- this word is used to embody the entire community. However, this word is still highly offensive so it is best not to use it!
Asexual- a person who does not have sexual attraction. This confuses people so to clarify, asexual individuals can have romantic relationships and are not necessarily celibate.
Pansexual- identifies as a person who is attracted to all genders.
Cisgender (common referred to as cis) – a person who identifies with the gender of which they were assigned upon birth
Intersex- person whose anatomy does not fit standard definition of male or female.