Agender
A term to describe an of experience of identifying without a gender
Allyship
A term to describe a practice wherein one makes a conscious and intentional commitment to advocating for a community; this involves engaging in behaviors that support and uplift that community and its members
Bigender
A term to describe a gender identity that incorporates two genders, either simultaneously or varying between the two. These could be binary or non-binary gender identities.
Cisgender
A term used to describe someone whose gender identity is aligned with the sex they were assigned at birth.
Cross-Dresser
A term to describe someone who wears clothes that are associated with a gender that is not their own. While crossdressing is an act of gender non-conformity, crossdressers are typically not trans-identified, although some are. The term transvestite is still used in other countries and cultures but has, for the most part, been replaced with crossdresser in the U.S.
Gender Confirming Efforts
Refers to any process which will affirm and reflect one’s gender expression. Medical processes and surgeries may include sex reassignment surgeries (for primary and secondary sex characteristics), hormone replacement therapies, and electrolysis. Note that the term “sex change” is derogatory as it spectacularizes and hypersexualizes transgender individuals. Other examples of gender confirming efforts include tucking, packing, or binding one’s anatomy; undergoing vocal training; and choosing an affirming pronoun.
Gender Expression
A term to describe the ways an individual outwardly represents or expresses their gender identity to others through behavior, clothing, hairstyles, voice, mannerisms, and other cues.
Gender Identity
How an individual sees or feels about their own gender, and their understanding of their inner self as a man, woman, both, neither, or something else entirely. It can also manifest in how an individual relates to and moves through the world in terms of their behavior, presentation, clothing, relationships, and so on.
Gender Non-Conforming
A term to describe either an individual who or a behavior which challenges normative gender roles, expressions, and identities
Genderqueer
A term to describe a gender identity that defies binary gender identities (man/trans man and woman/trans woman), and may blend, negate, challenge, or skew traditional understandings of masculinity/femininity.
Non Binary
A term to describe a gender identity that is outside of binary gender identities (man/trans man and woman/trans woman) in some way.
Privilege
An unearned, special advantage or right that a person is born into or acquires during their lifetime based on a personal quality or characteristic (race, gender, socioeconomic status, ability, nationality, etc.) People who are cisgender experience privilege in numerous ways, including not having to undergo costly medical procedures to align their body with their identity, not dealing with the discomfort or fear of being misgendered, and knowing they can use a genderspecific bathroom without fear of harassment and violence.
Sex Assigned at Birth
A marker of male or female designated to an infant upon their birth or during gestation based on anatomy, chromosomes, and hormones.
Transgender
A term used to describe someone whose gender
identity is, in some way, not aligned with the sex they
were assigned at birth.
Transition
A term which refers to processes of changing primary and/or secondary sex characteristics, gender expression, and other attributes (name, pronoun) to be in alignment with one’s gender identity. While any transgender person may choose to transition (including genderqueer/non-binary/agender individuals), transition is not necessary to be transgender. While some transgender people deeply desire transition, some may never seek to transition. Transition includes medical, legal, and social aspects. See gender confirming efforts for more information.
Transsexual
A term used to describe someone who has one or multiple medical procedures (reassignment surgeries, hormone replacement therapies, etc.) focused on aligning their sex and gender identity.
Trans Man
A term to describe a person who was not assigned male at birth but who identities as a man
Trans Woman
A term to describe a person who was not assigned female at birth, but who identifies as a woman