LGBTQIA+ Glossary of Terms

Cisgender – agreeing with the sex assigned to you at birth.

Gender dysphoria – psychological distress surrounding gender identity that differs from the sex assigned to them at birth.

Gender identity – a person’s internal sense of their own gender, such as being a woman, a man, both, neither, or another gender. It may or may not align with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Gender nonconforming or gender non-binary – someone who does not identify with either the male or female gender.

Gender-affirming care – health care that supports the patient’s gender identity and provides safety throughout the clinical experience.

Gender-affirming hormone therapy – an individual may choose to take hormones (such as testosterone or estrogen) during gender transition
Heteronormative – a term to describe the assumption that heterosexuality is the default or “normal” sexuality in society.

Heterosexual – someone who is attracted to the opposite sex.

Implicit bias – unconscious bias, beliefs or stereotypes that shape how we understand the world and our decision-making. Everyone has implicit bias, even if they don’t intend to. You can be made aware of your implicit bias, and it can change.

Intersectionality – the way in which our social identities overlap and interact with systems of privilege and oppression.

LGBTQIA+ – an acronym that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and more to represent sexual orientations and gender identities.

Sexual minority women – women who identify with a sexuality other than heterosexual.

Sexual orientation – referring to who someone is sexually attracted to, i.e., lesbian, gay, heterosexual, bisexual, etc.

Transgender – someone whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned to them at birth.