LGBTIQ Definitions - Boulder County

Understanding how certain terms are used is essential to understanding how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and questioning (LGBTIQ) ... MarshallFireInformation|InformaciónsobreelIncendioMarshall COVIDInformation|InformaciónsobreCOVID—COVIDVaccineProviders|ProveedoresdeVacunasContraCOVID LGBTIQDefinitions BoulderCounty/Families&Adults/LGBTIQ/LGBTIQDefinitions LGBTIQDefinitions LGBTQQIP? Whatdoesthisalphabetsoupmean?Whydoweneedalloftheselabels? Understandinghowcertaintermsareusedisessentialtounderstandinghowlesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,intersex,andquestioning(LGBTIQ)individualsdefineandseethemselvesintheworld. Oneofthemostimportantthingstounderstandisthatsexualorientationandgenderidentity/expressionarerelated,buttheyarealsoseparateanddistinct. Uselabelsanddefinitionscarefullyandavoidassumption.Itisoftenbettertoaskpeoplehowtheydescribethemselvesandthenusetheirpreferredself-definitionsandpronouns. SexualOrientation Sexualorientationisanenduringemotional,romantic,sexualoraffectionalattractiontoanotherperson.Itiseasilydistinguishedfromothercomponentsofsexualityincludingbiologicalsex,genderidentity(thepsychologicalsenseofbeingmaleorfemale)andthesocialgenderrole(adherencetoculturalnormsforfeminineandmasculinebehavior). Sexualorientationexistsalongacontinuumthatrangesfrombeingexclusivelygayorlesbiantobeingexclusivelystraightandincludesvariousformsofbisexuality.SexualOrientationisdifferentfromsexualbehaviorbecauseitreferstofeelingsandselfconcept.Personsmayormaynotexpresstheirsexualorientationintheirbehaviors. GenderIdentity/Expression/Presentation Genderidentityishowapersonseesthemselvesintermsofgender(e.g.,male,female,orsomethingelse).Thisisaninternalidentityratherthanaphysicalone.Aperson’sgenderidentitymightnotmatchtheirbody,presentation,orexpression. Genderexpressioniseverythingapersondoestocommunicatetheirgendertoothers.Thisincludes:clothing,hairstyles,mannerisms,wayofspeaking,adornment,etc.Genderexpressioncanvaryforanindividualfromdaytodayorindifferentsituations,butmostpeoplehavearangeofexpressionthatmakesthemfeelmostcomfortable. Heterosexual Heterosexualityisthesexualorientationinwhichapersonisattracted(affectionally,sexually,romantically)topartnersoftheoppositesex.Thisissometimesreferredtoasbeing“straight.” Homosexual Homosexualityisthesexualorientationinwhichapersonisattracted(affectionally,sexually,romantically)topartnersofthesamesex. Thisisaclinicaltermthatissometimesseenasderogatorybecausehistoricallyithasbeenusedasinanegativecontextorasaslur.Itisalsosomewhatun-inclusivebecauseitdoesnotincludebisexual,transgender,orintersexpeople.ManyLGBTIQpeopleprefertousetheterms“gayandlesbian”toidentifysamesexorientation. Bisexual Bisexualityisasexualorientationinwhichpeopleareattractedtopartnersoftheoppositesexaswellaspartnersofthesamesex.BisexualpeoplehaveoftenfaceddiscriminationevenwithintheLGBTIQcommunity.Therearethosewhobelievethatbisexualsareindenialandareactuallygayorlesbian.Researchhasrepeatedlyshownthatmanypeopleareinfactbisexual. Questioning Whenapersonisintheprocessofexploringtheirsexualorientation,theymaychoosetoidentifyasQuestioning.Whetherdoneconsciouslyornot,thisprocessisahealthypartofunderstandingone’sownsexualorientation.Typically,thishappensduringearlypuberty,butcanhappenatanytimeduringaperson’slife. Gender Genderistheconceptofmalenessandmasculinityorfemalenessandfemininity.One’sgenderidentityisthesenseofone’sselfasmaleorfemaleanddoesnotrefertoone’ssexualorientationorgenderrole.Genderisnotanabsoluteandformanyindividuals,itexistsonacontinuum. Sexreferstothebiologicalcharacteristicsofapersonatbirth,whilegenderrelatestohisorherperceptionofbeingmaleorfemaleandisknownasthegenderrole. Genderrolereferstothebehaviorsanddesirestoactincertainwaysthatareviewedasmasculineorfemininebyaparticularculture. Acultureusuallylabelsbehaviorsasmasculineorfeminine,butthesebehaviorsarenotnecessarilyadirectcomponentofgenderorgenderidentity.Itiscommoninourculturetocallthebehaviors,styles,orinterestsshownbymalesthatareusuallyassociatedwithwomen“effeminate”andtocalltheboyswhobehavethisway“sissies.”Womenorgirlswhohaveinterestsusuallyassociatedwithmenarelabeled“masculine”or“butch,”andthegirlsareoftencalled“tomboys.” Transgender Transgender,orsimply“trans,”isanumbrellatermusedtodescribethosewhotranscendconventionalexpectationsofgenderidentityorexpression.Likeanyumbrellaterm,manydifferentgroupsofpeople,withdifferenthistoriesandexperiences,getassociatedwithinthegreatertranscommunity–suchgroupsinclude,butarecertainlynotlimitedto,peoplewhoidentifyastranssexual,genderqueer,gendervariant,genderdiverseandrogynous,etc. Atransgenderpersonissomeonewhosegenderidentitydoesnotcorrespondwiththeirbiological/physicalgender.Genderidentityreferstoaperson’sinternalsenseofbeingorfeelingmale,female,orsomethingelse.Forexample,atransgendermanisapersonwhowasbornphysicallyfemale,butidentifiesasmale,whileatransgenderwomanisapersonwhowasbornphysicallymale,butidentifiesasfemale. CenterforExcellenceforTransgenderHealth CrossDressers Straight-identifiedmaleswhowearwomen’sclothesand/ormake-up.Theydonotidentifythemselvesastransgender.Themotivationsforcrossdressingvary,butmostcrossdressersenjoycrossdressingandmayexperiencepleasureandcomfortfromit.Thesepeoplearetypicallysatisfiedwiththeirbiologicalgender. DragQueens/Kings Gaymenwhodressinfemaleclothingforthepurposeofperformancearenotnecessarilytransgenderindividuals.Thechoicethattheseindividualsmaketodressintheclothingoftheoppositesexisnottypicallyamatterofgenderidentity. Thesameistrueofdragkings(i.e.,womenwhodressinmen’sclothing)andmaleimpersonators. Genderqueer Genderqueerindividualsarepeoplewhoviewtheirgenderidentityasoneofmanypossiblegendersbeyondstrictlymaleorfemale.Suchpeoplefeeltheyexistpsychologicallybetweengendersorbeyondthenotionofonlymaleandfemale.Peoplewhofeelthiswaymayormaynotpursuehormonetherapyand/orsurgicalbodymodificationandsometimespreferusinggender-neutralpronouns(e.g.“ze,”hir”).Somepeoplepreferthislabelbecauseitisarejectionoftraditionalgenderlabels.Relatedtermsinclude:genderfluid,genderneutral,bigendered,androgynous,orsimplygenderdiverse. Intersexed Bornwithaspectsofbothfemaleandmalegenitalia,oftenreferredtoas“ambiguousbiologicalsexcharacteristics.” Thesepeoplehaveoftenbeenputthroughgenitalsurgeryasinfants,theirsexhavingbeendecidedbythedoctor.Historically,thiswasfrequentlydonewithouttheparents’consent,thoughthispracticeischanging. Intersexedpeoplemaylatergrowuptohavegenderidentitiesthataretheoppositeofthemanufacturedsexconstructedforthematbirthandhavefeelingssimilartotransgenderindividuals. Aninternationalorganizationhasbeenformedtohelpandadvocateonbehalfofindividualswhoarebornintersexedorwithambiguoussexualcharacteristics. LearnMore ColoradoLGBTLawsandRegulations ColoradoLegislationonBullying TransgenderResourceGuide BVSDTransgenderGuidelines RelatedLinks LGBTIQResourcesinBoulderCounty Trans*ResourcesinBoulderCounty 1-800-RUNAWAY.org ContactUs OASOSProgram Main:303-678-6259 Submitaquestion Website www.BoulderCountyOASOS.org Copyright©2022.BoulderCounty,CO.AllRightsReserved.