Terminology
Gender Expression:
The manifestation of one’s gender identity through clothing, hairstyle, voice, and so on. Person's behavior, mannerisms, interests, and appearance that are associated with gender.
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Gender Identity:
One’s internal sense of identifying as a woman, man, neither of these, both, or another gender(s). Can correlate with sex assigned at birth, or can differ from it.
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Gender Non-Conforming:
An umbrella term referring to people who do not identify or express themselves in a way that conforms to the traditional norms of the gender binary. Sometimes considered an umbrella term that can include gender identities like genderqueer, genderfluid, and androgynous, to name a few.
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Deadnames:
The birth name of a person who has changed their name as part of their gender transition Cisgender- a person whose gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth
Misgender:
Addressing a person with a word or pronoun that does not correctly reflect the gender that they identify
Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972:
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
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Implicit Bias:
Also known as implicit social cognition, implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. These biases, reside deep in the subconsciousness and encompass both favorable and unfavorable assessments, are activated involuntarily and without an individual’s awareness or intentional control.
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Microaggression:
The subtle ways in which verbal and nonverbal language convey oppressive ideology about power or privilege against marginalized identities.
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Queer:
An inclusive term for those within LGBTQ+ communities. Some individuals claim this identity to recognize the fluidity of sexual attraction and/or gender identity. For many, this is a political identity in resistance to heteronormativity and anything beyond straight/cis. This term is not always seen as inclusive of trans communities, therefore, we commonly refer to our communities as “queer AND trans communities.”
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Non-binary:
An adjective describing a person who does not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. Non-binary people may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between, or as falling completely outside these categories. While many also identify as transgender, not all non-binary people do. Non-binary can also be used as an umbrella term encompassing identities such as agender, bigender, genderqueer or gender-fluid.
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Outing:
Exposing someone’s lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender or gender non-binary identity to others without their permission. Outing someone can have serious repercussions on employment, economic stability, personal safety or religious or family situations.
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Cisgender:
Someone who identifies their gender identity with their sex assigned at birth; the term cisgender is not indicative of gender expression, sexual orientation, and/or physical anatomy.
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Intersex:
An umbrella term that describes people born with variations in their internal and/or external genitalia resulting in bodies that do not fit what society typically defines as “male” or “female”.
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Sex assigned at birth:
Refers to the determination of one’s “biological sex” on the basis of external genitalia. Chromosomes (such as XX or XY) and hormones (such as estrogen or testosterone) are also involved, but hardly ever tested in assigning a sex to an individual.
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Transgender:
An umbrella term that describes many gender identities for people who do not identify with their sex assigned at birth; the term transgender is not indicative of gender expression, sexual orientation, and/or physical anatomy. Trans identity may shift throughout a lifetime.
Sources:
https://www.hrc.org/resources/glossary-of-terms