Nonbinary Wiki

Glossary of English gender and sex terminology

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Glossaries in other languages

This glossary of English gender and sex terminology shows actual language use. Unless a word is marked with a specific country, assume all these words may be used internationally, in any country where English is spoken.

This could be called a MOGII glossary. This glossary's selection of words has a focus on nonbinary identities, and closely related subjects of gender non-conformity. This glossary also collects words about gender and sexuality, especially words used by or in reference to MOGII identities (transgender, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and asexual), as well as intersex conditions, as these provide essential context, and often have an overlap with the main subject. The glossary includes psychiatric terminology as well as subcultural slang, and obsolete historical terms as well as very new words (neologisms). The words cover identity labels, gender-neutral pronouns, diagnoses, and political issues.

If you put more words into this glossary, try to only put in words that you wouldn't find in the average pocket dictionary. Give sources to show that the word is really used in the way you say, or, if the wiki has an entry about that word, link to it. Keep glossary entries short, about three lines long at most. If they get too long, make a new wiki article for them.

Although it is useful to learn how to understand specialized jargon, you can be more helpful to your readers if you keep your own writing easy to understand. When writing for this wiki, please try to use plain English as much as possible, and use specialized jargon only sparingly, and as needed.

A

 
Androgyne symbol. In 1996, self-identified androgyne Raphael Carter proposed adopting this ambiguous geometric shape, the Necker Cube, as a symbol for androgynes, "because it is either concave or convex depending on how you look at it."[2][3]
  • ambonec. A nonbinary "gender identity in which you identify as both male and female, yet you also identify as neither, at the same time."[4][5][6]
  • androgyne. This word is used for a wide variety of gender nonconforming and non-binary gender identities and gender expressions.
  • androphilic. A romantic and sexual orientation in which a person feels attraction to men or masculinity.[7]
  • aporagender. Coined in 2014, from Greek apo, apor "separate" + "gender".[8] A nonbinary gender identity and umbrella term[9] for "a gender separate from male, female, and anything in between while still having a very strong and specific gendered feeling" (that is, not an absence of gender).[10]
  • aromantic. A romantic orientation in which a person doesn't feel romantic attraction to people of any gender.[11]
  • asexuality. A romantic and sexual orientation in which a person doesn't feel attraction.

B

  • berdache. An old word used by European-American people and anthropologists for gender roles in Native American cultures that are now called two-spirit.
  • bi. Short for bisexual, which see.
  • bi-gender, bigender. Bigender individuals have two gender identities, at the same time, or at different times.[12]
  • binarism. Discrimination against ethnic groups and cultures that recognize non-binary genders, based on the sexist belief that there are only two genders (nonbinary erasure).
  • binary gender. A gender identity that fits neatly into only one of the two genders in a gender binary system.
  • binder. An undergarment that a person can wear to make their chest look flat. Transgender men wear these so they have a male body shape, if they haven't had surgery to that effect. Some non-binary people wear these to flatten breast tissue.
  • biological boy. A less correct term for an AMAB person, which see.
  • biological girl. A less correct term for an AFAB person, which see.
  • bisexuality. 1. (Obsolete) Intersexuality.[13] 2. A sexual orientation in which a person feels sexual attraction to two or more genders, this can include nonbinary genders.
  • boi. From "boy." A gender identity that is masculine and queer. Beyond that, the specific definition varies greatly across the LGBT community.[14]
  • bottom. A person who takes a submissive role in sexual activity.
  • bottom surgery. In the transgender community, euphemism for any gender-validating surgery on a transgender person's reproductive organs or genitals.
  • boydyke. A person who identifies as a lesbian woman, and has a masculine gender expression.[15]
  • butch. A masculine gender identity or expression, which some see as a non-binary gender.

C

  • CAFAB. See CAGAB.
  • CAGAB. Coercively assigned gender at birth. Most people are either coercively assigned female at birth (CAFAB) or coercively assigned male at birth (CAMAB). Unlike AGAB and GAAB, CAGAB emphasizes that the gender was assigned against the person's will, and implies that the person was abused as a child.
  • CAMAB. See CAGAB.
  • cisgender. From Latin cis "on the same side of" + "gender," "coined in 1995 by a transsexual man named Carl Buijs."[16] A person who isn't transgender. The Latin prefix cis ("on the same side of") is the opposite of the Latin prefix trans ("to the other side of").
  • cissexism. A form of sexism, specifically, a way of thought in which only cisgender people are seen as normal or right. Cissexism is harmful to all kinds of transgender people, including non-binary people.
  • closet. To be "in the closet" means that a person is keeping their gender identity and/or sexual orientation a secret.
  • come out. "To recognize one's sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex identity, and to be open about it with oneself and with others."[17]
  • cross-dreamer. Coined by cross-dreamer Jack Molay.[18] Someone who feels sexually aroused by the thought of being a different gender than the one they were assigned at birth. They may or may not cross-dress or consider themselves transgender.[19]
  • cross-dresser. "Someone who wears clothes associated with another gender part of the time."[20] A cross-dresser may consider themself to be cisgender or transgender.

D

  • demigender. An umbrella term for nonbinary gender identities that have a partial connection to a certain gender, such as demiboy, demifluid, demiflux, demigirl, and deminonbinary. [21][22]
  • demiromantic. A romantic orientation in which a person feels romantic attraction only after getting to know someone.[23]
  • DGAB. Short for Designated Gender At Birth. Most people are either Designated Female At Birth (DFAB) or Designated Male At Birth (DMAB).
  • Disorders of Sex Development (DSD). Any kind of intersex condition.
  • drag. A gender expression that is exaggerated for theatrical performance. Although usually cross-gender, and associated with the gay and lesbian communities, drag of any kind can be done by a person of any gender identity or sexual orientation. Drag kings make a performance out of masculinity. Drag queens make a performance out of femininity.
  • dyadic. A person whose body is not intersex.
  • dyadism. The sexist belief that humans have only two sexes, either female or male, resulting in discrimination against intersex people.

E

  • e, em, eir, eirs, eirself. A set of gender-neutral pronouns, made popular by writer Michael Spivak in the 1980s.[24] There are many similar sets with small differences.
  • effeminate. A feminine man. Some see this as an offensive word.[25]
  • emasculation. A surgery to take away the penis and testicles.
  • enban. Created in the "askanonbinary" blog in 2014, based on the word "enby", which see. A proper noun for a non-binary adult person. A non-binary equivalent of a man or woman. Another blogger, coderqueer, then offered the spelling variant "enbian."[26]
  • enbian. 1. An enban, which see. 2. Of or pertaining to non-binary gender.
  • enbies. See enby.
  • enby. Created in 2013 by a non-binary person named vector (revolutionator).[27] Based on an initialism of "non-binary," "NB". A proper noun for a person with a non-binary gender identity. This is the nonbinary gender equivalent of the proper nouns "boy" or "girl." Plural: enbies.
  • enbyfriend. Coined by Tumblr user Pansycub in 2013, based on the word "enby," which see. A nonbinary gender romantic partner. The nonbinary gender equivalent of a boyfriend or girlfriend.[28]
  • en femme. In cross-dressing communities, this means dressed as a woman.[29]
  • en homme. In cross-dressing communities, this means dressed as a man.
  • eunuch. A person who was assigned male at birth and had some or all of their private parts removed. Some transgender people think of themselves as eunuchs. Some think of eunuch as a non-binary gender identity.[30]

F

  • FAAB. See GAAB.
  • female. Anyone with a female gender identity is female. Regardless of what gender she was assigned at birth, or what kind of body parts she has or wants to have, if she identifies as female, then she is a woman or girl.
  • female to male transsexual (FTM). A trans man. This term was coined by trans man Lou Sullivan, "in response to the custom of medical doctors and psychologists labeling us 'female transsexuals.'"[31] FTM can also mean nonbinary people who transition in a way similar to trans men, and describe themselves as being on the FTM spectrum. Abbreviated FTM, F2M.
  • femme, fem. A queer feminine gender identity or expression, which some see as a non-binary gender.
  • fluid gender. A gender identity that changes.
  • FT*. Female to unspecified transgender. This term includes all transgender people who were assigned female at birth.
  • FTN. Female-to-neuter (or neutrois) transsexual (or transgender).[32]

G

  • GAAB. Gender Assigned At Birth. Most people are either Assigned Female At Birth (FAAB) or Assigned Male At Birth (MAAB). See also: AGAB, CAGAB, DGAB.
  • gaff. An undergarment that helps with tucking, which see.
  • gatekeeper system. In the transgender community, this is slang for the system of health providers that decide whether to allow a transgender person to get gender-validating health care.[33]
  • gender binary. A model of gender that classifies all people into one of two genders, female or male.
  • gender dissonance. Gender dysphoria, which see.
  • gender dysphoria. A clinical term. In transgender people, emotionally painful discontent about some aspect of one's assigned gender. The aspect in question may be social gender dysphoria, body dysphoria, or other specific details, such as voice dysphoria. Some prefer the less clinical terms "gender incongruence" or "gender dissonance."
  • gender expression. "The way in which a person expresses their gender identity through clothing, behavior, posture, mannerisms, speech patterns, activities and more."[34]
  • genderfluid, or gender-fluid. A gender identity that often changes, so that a person may feel one day like a boy, and another day like a girl. Fluid gender.
  • genderflux. A gender identity that often changes in intensity, so that a person may feel one day as though they have almost no gender, or none at all, and another day they feel very gendered. "Whereas genderfluidity is a shift between different genders, genderflux is more like varying intensity." [35]
  • genderfuck. A gender expression that intentionally mixes feminine gender markers with masculine.
  • gender identity. "An individual’s internal sense of gender, which may or may not be the same as one’s gender assigned at birth."[36] Most people identify as the gender that they were assigned at birth. They are described as 'cisgender' by the transgender community, who do not identify with their assigned birth genders.
  • Gender Identity Disorder (GID). "The medical diagnosis in the American Psychiatric