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 non-binary gender 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.

Numerals and symbols

  • *e, h*, h*s, h*s, h*self.[1][2] Called "splat pronouns," this set of third-person gender-neutral pronouns uses an asterisk to make ambiguity between "he" and "she." Some software in the 1990s used these.[3]

A

  • a. A third-person gender-neutral pronoun in some archaic as well as living British dialects.[4]
  • ace. Short for asexual, which see.[5]
  • ag, aggressive. Another word for stud, which see. This label should only be used by people of color.[6]
  • AGAB. Assigned Gender At Birth. Most people are either Assigned Female At Birth (AFAB) or Assigned Male At Birth (AMAB).
  • AGP. Short for autogynephilia, which see.[7]
  • AFAB. See AGAB.
  • agender. 1. Some who call themselves agender have no gender identity (genderless). 2. Some who call themselves agender have a gender identity, which isn't female or male, but neutral.
  • ala, alum, alis, ?, ?.. A set of third-person gender-neutral pronouns created in 1989.[8]
  • AMAB. See AGAB.
 
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."[9][10]
  • ambonec. A nonbinary "gender identity in which you identify as both male and female, yet you also identify as neither, at the same time."[11][12][13]
  • androgyne. This word is used for a wide variety of gender nonconforming and non-binary gender identities and gender expressions.
  • androphilic. A romantic or sexual orientation in which a person feels attraction to men or masculinity.[14]
  • aporagender. Coined in 2014, from Greek apo, apor "separate" + "gender".[15] A nonbinary gender identity and umbrella term[16] 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).[17]
  • aromantic. A romantic orientation in which a person doesn't feel romantic attraction to people of any gender.[18]
  • asexuality. A sexual orientation in which a person doesn't feel sexual attraction to people of any gender.
  • autoandrophilia. To feel sexually aroused by the thought of being or dressing like a man. Some see this as an offensive word.[19]
  • autogynephilia. To feel sexually aroused by the thought of being or dressing like a woman. Some see this as an offensive word, because it pathologizes and invalidates the experiences of trans women in an attempt to divide them from cross-dressing men.[20]

B

  • bear. A specific kind of masculine gay male gender identity.[21]
  • 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.
  • bicurious. A person who wants to have sex with more than one gender.[22]
  • bi-gender, bigender. Bigender individuals have two gender identities, at the same time, or at different times.[23]
  • 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. The two binary genders are female and male.
  • 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.
  • biphobia. Discrimination against people who are bisexual.[24]
  • biromantic. A romantic orientation in which a person feels romantic attraction to more than one gender.[25]
  • bisexuality. 1. (Obsolete) Intersexuality.[26] 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.[27]
  • 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.[28]
  • 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 male (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.
  • ce, cir, cir, cirs, cirself. A set of gender-neutral pronouns created in 2014.[29]
  • chapstick lesbian. A lesbian who doesn't try to look feminine.[30]
  • che, chim, chis, chis, chimself. A set of gender-neutral pronouns listed in Merriam Webster's Dictionary of English Usage under epicene pronouns.[31]
  • cisgender. From Latin cis "on the same side of" + "gender," "coined in 1995 by a transsexual man named Carl Buijs."[32] 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.
  • cissexual. Non-transsexual. A kind of cisgender.[33]
  • co, cos, cos, cosself. Coined by Mary Orovan in 1970, from Indo-European *ko. A gender-neutral pronoun set.[34]
  • 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."[35]
  • contrasexism. Apparently this is an early clinical term for a “gender identity and role disturbance” used in “Westphal, 1869.”[36]
  • cross-dreamer. Coined by cross-dreamer Jack Molay.[37] 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.[38]
  • cross-dresser. "Someone who wears clothes associated with another gender part of the time."[39] A cross-dresser may consider themself to be cisgender or transgender.

D

  • demiboy. A gender identity that is male-like, or both male and genderless.[40]
  • demifluid. A gender identity for "someone whose gender is partially fluid (genderfluid) with the other part(s) being static; an example could be: one part of their gender is 'woman' while the part that fluctuates is 'man' and 'genderqueer'."[41]
  • demiflux. A gender identity for "someone whose gender is partially fluid with the other part(s) being static; this differs from 'demifluid' as '-flux' indicates that one of the genders is neutral; an example could be: one part of their gender is 'genderqueer' while the part that fluctuates is 'agender' and 'woman'."[42]
  • demigender. An umbrella term for nonbinary gender identities that have a partial connection to a certain gender.
 
Demigirl flag. Pink: female. White: agender or nonbinary gender. Gray: partial.
  • demigirl. A gender identity that is female-like, or both female and genderless.[43]
  • deminonbinary. Deminonbinary, or demienby, is a gender identity for someone who partially identifies as nonbinary.[44]
  • demiguy. A demiboy, which see.
  • demiromantic. A romantic orientation in which a person feels romantic attraction only after getting to know someone.[45]
  • DGAB. Short for Designated Gender At Birth. Most people are either Designated Female At Birth (DFAB) or Designated Male At Birth (DMAB).
  • DFAB. See DGAB.
  • Disorders of Sex Development (DSD). Any kind of intersex condition.
  • DMAB. See DGAB.
  • domestic partner. "One who lives with their beloved and/or is at least emotionally and financially connected in a supportive manner with another. Another word for spouse, lover, significant other, etc."[46]
  • 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.
  • DSD. See Disorders of Sex Development.
  • 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.
  • dyke. A lesbian. Some consider "dyke" an offensive word, so only lesbians should reclaim it.

E

  • e, em, eir, eirs, eirself. A set of gender-neutral pronouns, made popular by writer Michael Spivak in the 1980s.[47] There are many similar sets with small differences.
  • effeminate. A feminine man. Some see this as an offensive word.[48]
  • em, ?, ems, ems, ?. A set of gender-neutral pronouns created in 1977 by "Jeffrey J. Smith, [who] felt strongly enough about them to start the Em Institute and put out the Em Institute Newsletter".[49]