Skip to main content

LGBTQIA Definitions

Here is a list of definitions for LGBTQIA students. People may identify with a variety of identities, and more definitions can be found here.

  • Lesbian:  A female identified person who is attracted to other female identified people.
  • Gay:  A male identified person who is attracted to other male identified people. While many people use this term only to refer to gay men, others use it as a general term to include both men and women: for example, “the gay community.”
  • Bisexual:  A person who is attracted to two genders. For example, they may be attracted to male identified and female identified persons or female identified and gender variant identified persons.
  • Trans/Transgender: Those who transgress societal gender norms; often used as an umbrella term to mean those who defy rigid, binary gender constructions, and who express or present a breaking and/or blurring of cultural/stereotypical gender roles. A Transgender person may or may not modify his/her/hir body through hormones or surgery.
  • Queer:  An inclusive term which refers collectively to bisexual people, lesbians, gay men, trans folks, and others who may not identify with any of these categories but do identify as queer. While “queer” has often been used as a hurtful, oppressive, term, many people have reclaimed it as an expression of power and pride.  However, there are members of the community who do not identify with this term and still experience it as insulting.
  • Intersex: A person born with biological characteristics (anatomy, chromosomes, and/or hormones) that exist outside the current system of sex assignment. Approximately 1.7% of the population.
  • Asexual: A person who does not experience sexual desire. This person may or may not feel romantically attracted to people.