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LGBTQIA Terminology

Comprehensive terms

UC Davis has a list of comprehesive terms related to both the LGBTQIA community as well as general social justice terms.  Many of the terms and definitions below are ever-evolving and changing and often mean different things to different people.  They are provided as a starting point for discussion and understanding.  Please see the list at http://lgbtqia.ucdavis.edu/educated/glossary.html

Common definitions at UC San Diego

Beginning Fall of 2015, the entire University of California system began collecting data on UC freshmen and transfer applicants to the nine undergraduate campuses regarding sexual orientation and gender identity through voluntary self-identification.  With this process, UC San Diego has accumulated more expansive data on concepts relating to sexuality and gender.  For these puposes, specific definitions were adopted, and are listed below:

Sexual Orientations

        Asexual – A person who does not experience sexual attraction or desire.

Bisexual – A person whose primary sexual and affectional orientation is toward people of the same and other genders, or toward people regardless of their gender.

Gay – A sexual and affectional orientation toward people of the same gender.

Heterosexual/Straight – A sexual orientation in which a person feels physically and emotionally attracted to people of a gender other than their own.

Lesbian – A woman whose primary sexual and affectional orientation is toward people of the same gender.

Gender and Gender Identity

Gender Identity– A social construct used to classify a person as a man, woman, Trans Male/Trans Man, Trans Female/Trans Woman, Genderqueer or other identity.

Transgender – Used most often as an umbrella term; some commonly held definitions: 1) someone whose gender identity or expression does not fit within dominant group social constructs of assigned sex and gender; 2) a gender outside of the man/woman binary; 3) having no gender or multiple genders.

Gender Non-Conforming – People who do not subscribe to gender expressions or roles expected of them by society.

Gender Queer – A person’s whose gender identity and/or gender expression falls outside of the dominant social norm for their assigned sex, is beyond genders, or is some combination of them

Trans Man/Trans Male – A female-to-male (FTM) transgender person who was assigned female at birth, but whose gender identity is that of a man.

Trans Woman/Trans Female – A male-to-female (MTF) transgender person who was assigned male at birth, but whose gender identity is that of a woman.

Male – a person’s own understanding of themselves as a man based on their gender and gender expression.

Female - a person’s own understanding of themselves as a woman based on their gender and gender expression.

Different Identity - A person who does not use one of the gender identity options provided.  Providing specific wording is not required.