Ally - A term that describes a person who speaks out or takes actions on behalf of someone else or for a group that they are not a part of.

Androgynous - Identifying and/or presenting as neither distinguishably masculine nor feminine.
 

Asexual - A person who does not experience sexual attraction, but may experience other forms of attraction (e.g., intellectual or emotional).

Bi - Bisexual.

Bisexual - An umbrella term that describes a person who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to people of more than one gender. Other terms for this might include: pansexual, fluid, omnisexual, or queer.

Butch  - Commonly used to refer to masculinity displayed by a female but can also refer to masculinity by a male.

Cisgender - A term that describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex assigned to them at birth.

Coming Out - The process in which a person first acknowledges, accepts and appreciates their sexual orientation or gender identity and begins to share that with others.

Cultural Competence - The ability to know one’s culture and to interact effectively with people of different cultures. In a school this includes behaviors, attitudes, policies, and structures that enable educators to work effectively cross-culturally.

Drag Queen/Drag King - A man who dresses as a woman, typically as a performance. A woman who dresses as a man, typically as a performance. This is different from transgender (see definition below).

FTM (Female to Male) - A term referring to a person, assigned female at birth who identifies and lives as a male. See transgender boy or man.

Gay - A term that describes a person who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to others of the same gender.

Gender - A person’s internal sense of self as male, female, both or neither (gender identity), as well as one’s outward presentation and behaviors (gender expression). Gender norms vary among cultures and over time.

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Gender Binary - The idea that there are two distinct and opposite genders — male and female. This model is limiting and doesn’t account for the full spectrum of gender identities and gender expressions.

Gender Expansive - An adjective used to describe people that identify or express themselves in ways that broaden the culturally defined behavior or expression associated with one gender.

Gender Expression - How a person expresses their gender through outward presentation and behavior. This includes, for example, a person’s name, clothing, hairstyle, body language and mannerisms.

Gender Identity - An internal, deeply felt sense of being male, female, a blend of both or neither—how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. One’s gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth.

Gender Role - A set of social and cultural beliefs or expectations about appropriate behavior for men/boys or women/girls. Gender roles can vary from culture to culture. Strict gender roles can limit a person’s development.

Gender Role Stereotyping - Stereotypes based on social and cultural beliefs or expectations about appropriate behavior for men/boys or women/girls. This can limit children’s aspirations, achievements and well-being.
 

Gender Spectrum - The broad range along which people identify and express themselves as gendered beings or not.

Genderqueer - People who transcend the boundaries of the gender binary. People who may define themselves as being both male and female, neither male nor female, or as part of a spectrum of other possible gender identities.

Gender Transition - The process by which some people strive to more closely align their outward identity with the gender they know themselves to be. To affirm their gender identity, people may go through different types of transitions.

• Social Transition - This can include a name change, change in pronouns, and change in appearance, clothes or hairstyle.

• Legal Transition - The process of updating identity documents, such as birth certificates and drivers’ licenses, to reflect a person’s authentic gender and name. Different states and localities have different rules, often making this process very challenging.

• Medical Transition - For children, this may include the use of hormone blockers to delay the onset of puberty. It may also include cross-sex hormones to induce a puberty that is more consistent with the child’s gender identity, or for adults, to promote physical changes. It can also include gender affirmation surgery after age 18.

 

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