Glossary of English gender and sex terminology: Difference between revisions

* '''Latin@''' or '''Latinx'''. A gender-inclusive form of "Latino"/"Latina" (meaning a person with [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Latin_America Latin American] heritage). This word is controversial within Latino groups<ref name="Bojorquez">{{Cite web |title='Latinx' term growing in popularity, but not among all Latinos |author=Bojorquez, Kim |work=The Columbian |date=5 February 2021 |access-date=5 February 2021 |url= https://www.columbian.com/news/2021/feb/05/latinx-term-growing-in-popularity-but-not-among-all-latinos/}}</ref>, thus should be used with caution.

* '''[[lesbian]]'''. A person who identifies as a woman (or woman-aligned nonbinary person), who is romantically or sexually attracted to women (or women and women-aligned nonbinary people).

* '''[[LGBT]]'''. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. Can be extended to LGBT+, LGBTQIA, etc. to explicitly show inclusion of other groups.

* '''LGR'''. [[Gender recognition|Legal Gender Recognition]].

* '''male to female transsexual (MTF)'''. A trans woman.

[[File:Maverique.png|thumb|[[Maverique]] flag, by Vesper H., 2014. Yellow: nonbinary, not derived from female (pink) or male (blue), but its own (yellow, a primary color can't come from any color mix). White: independence from the spectrum of other genders (colors). Orange: inner conviction.<ref>queerascat June 15, 2014. [http://queerascat.tumblr.com/post/88853893401/this-is-the-flag-that-ive-designed-for-maverique http://queerascat.tumblr.com/post/88853893401/this-is-the-flag-that-ive-designed-for-maverique]</ref><ref>Vesper H. 2014. [http://maveriques.tumblr.com/flag http://maveriques.tumblr.com/flag]</ref>]]

* '''[[maverique]]'''.  A specific nonbinary gender identity "characterized by autonomy and inner conviction regarding a sense of self that is entirely independent of male/masculinity, female/femininity or anything which derives from the two while still being neither without gender nor of a neutral gender."<ref>Vesper H. (queerascat). June 26, 2014. [http://queerascat.tumblr.com/post/89448452041/maverique-definition-reworded-06-21-14-a http://queerascat.tumblr.com/post/89448452041/maverique-definition-reworded-06-21-14-a]</ref>

* '''misgender'''. To address someone in a way that contradicts their gender identity. This can be accidental, but if intentional, it can be an example of discrimination against transgender people (cissexism).<ref>"Misgender." ''Susan's Place Transgender Resource Wiki.'' [https://susans.org/wiki/Misgender]</ref>

* '''monosexual'''. A catchall term for sexual orientations that are attracted to only one gender (homosexual or heterosexual).

* '''MT*'''. Male to unspecified transgender. This term includes all transgender people who were assigned male at birth.

* '''MTF'''. Male-to-female transsexual (or transgender). A trans woman.

* '''[[multigender]]''' people have more than one gender identity, either at the same time, or sometimes changing between them.

* '''multiromantic.''' ''See polyromantic.''

* '''[[Mx]]'''. Coined in 1982 or earlier.<ref>Nat Titman, "When was the Mx gender-inclusive title created?" August 28, 2014. [http://practicalandrogyny.com/2014/08/28/when-was-the-mx-gender-inclusive-title-created/]</ref> Pronounced ''mux, mix, mixture,'' or ''mixter.'' A gender-neutral title.

==N==

* '''NB''' or '''nb'''. An abbreviation for [[nonbinary]]. In some contexts this abbreviation means "non-Black", so the alternate abbreviations '''nbi'''/'''NBI'''/'''NBi''' or '''NBY'''/'''nby''' can be used to avoid confusion when talking about nonbinary people.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=queersoph |number=1432121681003302917 |author=soph |title=just a heads up to friends (no one has done this lately so it’s not an indirect) that nb/NB stands for non-black, nbi/NBI or nby/NBY is an abbreviation for non-binary |date=29 August 2021}}</ref>

* '''[[neopronouns]]'''. Any pronoun that is not traditionally part of the language. In English, neopronouns are any third-person pronouns other than he/him, she/her, they/them, or it/its.  

* '''[[neutrois]]'''. Coined by a neutrois person named H. A. Burnham in 1995.<ref>Axey, Qwill, Rave, and Luscious Daniel, eds. “FAQ.” Neutrois Outpost. Last updated 2000-11-23. Retrieved 2001-03-07. [http://web.archive.org/web/20010307115554/http://www.neutrois.com/faq.htm]</ref> Having one nonbinary gender identity that is neutral. Not female, not male, and not a mix. Some neutrois people are transsexual, experience gender dysphoria, and want to get a physical transition.<ref>"Define." ''Neutrois Nonsense.'' [http://neutrois.me/neutrois]</ref>

* '''[[Nonbinary|non-binary gender]]''', '''nonbinary gender''', or '''nonbinary'''. An umbrella term for all who don't identify as just female or male. Though there are many kinds of nonbinary gender identities, some people identify as "nonbinary" only.

* '''non-op'''. A trans person who hasn't gotten surgery, and doesn't desire surgery in the future.

* '''[[nounself pronouns]]'''. In 2014, a community of nonbinary people on the social blogging site Tumblr.com came up with the idea of adapting any noun of one's choosing into a third-person pronoun, to create a wide variety of very personal and descriptive pronouns. The pronoun sets can be themed around concepts that have nothing to do with gender, such as nature, technology, or abstract concepts.  

==O==

* '''[[orchiectomy]]'''. A kind of genital surgery.

* '''out'''. If someone is said to be out, that means they are open about their LGBT+ identity. If someone is said to have been outed, that means that their LGBT+ identity was made public by someone else, against their will.<ref name="GreenPeterson">{{cite web|title=LGBTTSQI Terminology|date=2006|last1=Green|first1=Eli R.|last2=Peterson|first2=Eric N.|url=http://www.trans-academics.org/lgbttsqiterminology.pdf|work=Trans-Academics.org}}</ref>

==P==

* '''[[Packing|packer]]'''. An artificial soft phallus. Nonbinary and/or transgender people on the [[transmasculine]] spectrum may wear these in their clothes as part of making a more male body shape.

* '''[[pangender]]'''. A nonbinary gender identity that is made of a mix of all genders<ref name="gender-word">{{Cite web |title=By the end of this post, "gender" may not look like a real word anymore |author=Cottle, J.M. |work=A Fine Line |date=12 June 2011 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://jmcottle.com/by-the-end-of-this-post-gender-may-not-look-like-a-real-word-anymore/}}</ref>. Or a fluid gender that could potentially be any gender. However, "all" and "any" don't include genders that belong only to certain cultures or ethnic groups to which the person isn't entitled.

* '''panromantic''' The romantic orientation of being attracted to all genders.

* '''pansexual''' The sexual orientation of being attracted to all genders.

* '''passing'''. When a person is seen by others as their true gender, not as the gender they were assigned at birth. Some transgender people dislike this word, saying it gives the idea that they are being dishonest, when they are trying to be seen as they really are.<ref>"Passing." [https://susans.org/wiki/Passing]</ref>

* '''perisex'''. Adjective meaning "not [[intersex]]".<ref name="Lanquist">{{Cite web |title=Definitions |author=Lanquist, L.A. |work=Trans Narrative |date= |access-date=19 June 2020 |url= https://lalanquist.com/definitions/}}</ref><ref name="themeaningofbi">{{Cite web |title=What tf is perisex |author= |work=Correcting Bisexuality Definitions One at a Time |date=17 July 2016 |access-date=19 June 2020 |url= https://themeaningofbisexuality.tumblr.com/post/147553978486/what-tf-is-perisex}}</ref> Synonyms: endosex, dyadic.

* '''polyamory.''' A long-term romantic and/or sexual relationship between more than two people at the same time, all of whom consent to the arrangement.<ref name="hallelujah-labels"/>

* '''[[polygender]]'''. A gender identity in which a person has more than one gender identity, at the same time, or a mix.<ref name="gender-word" /><ref name="hallelujah-labels"/>

* '''person perceived as a man (PPM)''' and '''person perceived as a woman (PPW)'''. Created by Rabbit KM in 2015. People perceived as men are usually seen and treated as men, but who don't identify as male. For example, masculine nonbinary people, and some trans women. Vice versa for people perceived as women. This term is useful for people who often get misgendered.<ref>Rabbit KM (queercrip). "Terms we need: PPW/PPM (people perceived as women/men)." April 11, 2015. [http://queercrip.tumblr.com/post/116160527412/terms-we-need-ppw-ppm-people-perceived-as http://queercrip.tumblr.com/post/116160527412/terms-we-need-ppw-ppm-people-perceived-as]</ref>

* '''presentation'''. "The totality of one’s appearance, including attire, voice, behavior, body language, etc."<ref name="hans">{{cite web|title=Gender terms.|last=Hans|first=T. Aaron|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20020614112429/http:/alisha_clarke.tripod.com/readings/gender_terms.htm|url=http://alisha_clarke.tripod.com/readings/gender_terms.htm|archive-date=14 June 2002}}</ref>

* '''[[pronouns]]'''. Words that stand in for nouns. In a trans or nonbinary context this usually refers to singular third-person pronouns such as he/him/his, she/her/hers, they/them/theirs, ze/hir/hirs, etc. Pronouns are part of a person's [[gender expression]].

* '''[[pumping]]'''. A body modification to the phallus, which may be part of the physical transition of trans people in the female-to-male spectrum.

* '''[[queer]]'''. A reclaimed slur for the LGBT+ community, and an umbrella term for identities that are not heterosexual and/or not cisgender. Some people use this as the name for their nonbinary gender identity.

* '''[[questioning]]'''. The process of figuring out one's sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

* '''[[LGBT|QUILTBAG]]'''. Queer, undecided, intersex, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, asexual, gay.  

* '''same-gender loving (SGL).''' Romantic and/or sexual attraction to the same gender. Originated in Black communities.<ref name="UWM" />

* '''secondary sex characteristics'''. "Physical characteristics that emerge with the onset of puberty, including but not limited to: facial and body hair growth, muscle development, voice changes, breast development, and the ability to reproduce."<ref name="hans" />

* '''sex reassignment surgery'''. "A term used by some medical professionals to refer to a group of surgical options that alter a person's sex to match their sex identity."<ref name="Berkeley2013" /> Generally this refers to the category of procedures colloquially called [[bottom surgery]], but might also be used for other surgeries sometimes.

* '''she-male'''. An offensive word for a transgender woman. This word should be reclaimed only by trans women. Other people shouldn't use it.

* '''[[singular they]]'''. A gender-neutral pronoun that has been standard English for over a thousand years. During the last two centuries, grammarians dispute whether it is good grammar, or if a different word should be used as a gender-neutral pronoun instead.

* '''[[sissy]]'''. From "sister." An offensive word for a feminine boy. Also, a [[transfeminine|trans-feminine]] sexual identity.<ref>"Sissy." ''Susan's Place Transgender Resource Wiki.'' [https://susans.org/wiki/Sissy]</ref>

* '''SOFFA'''. Short for Significant Others, Friends, Family, and Allies. This means people who aren't LGBT+, but who care about and help LGBT+ people.<ref name="UWM" />

* '''SRS.''' Sex Reassignment [[Surgery]]. Generally this refers to the category of procedures colloquially called [[bottom surgery]], but might also be used for other surgeries sometimes.

* '''stealth'''. In the transgender community, this means that a transgender person is living so that other people see them as the gender they want to be, while keeping it a secret that they are transgender.<ref>"Passing." ''Susan's Place Transgender Resource Wiki.'' [https://susans.org/wiki/Passing]</ref> Transgender women and transgender can be closeted, out, or stealth. In a culture that doesn't recognize nonbinary genders, it is impossible to be a stealth nonbinary person, because that society has no nonbinary role to enter. In that situation, the only two options are to be closeted (you make sure nobody knows you're nonbinary) or out (you make sure everybody knows you're nonbinary, which isn't stealth).

* '''STP'''. Acronym for "stand-to-pee (device)". Designed to be used by [[AFAB]] people to allow them to urinate standing up, and thus may be of interest to [[transmasculine]] individuals. The device may resemble a cis man's penis or it may take some other form. It may also be called by the slang term "pisser".<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Trans technologies and identities in the United States |title= Technologies of Sexuality, Identity and Sexual Health |year=2012 |page=190-191 |last1=Plis |first1=Ryan |last2=Blackwood |first2=Evelyn}}</ref>

* '''T.''' In the transgender community, the [[Hormone therapy|hormone]] testosterone.

* '''TG'''. Short for "transgender".

* '''[[third gender]]'''. In anthropology, an umbrella term for ethnic non-cisgender/non-heterosexual gender roles, which may be analogous to transgender and sometimes nonbinary genders. Some consider this phrase offensive, and people should reclaim it only with caution.

* '''TMA'''. Stands for "[[transmisogyny]] affected". Used in social justice discussions as a descriptor for people who experience transmisogyny.<ref name="DSJG">{{Cite web |title=Diversity and Social Justice Glossary {{!}} Multicultural Affairs |author= |work=UMass Lowell |date= |access-date=22 September 2020 |url= https://www.uml.edu/student-services/Multicultural/Programs/dpe-glossary.aspx}}</ref>

* '''TME'''. Stands for "[[transmisogyny]] exempt". Used in social justice discussions as a descriptor for people who do not experience transmisogyny.<ref name="DSJG" />

* '''[[tomboy]]'''. A girl or woman whose [[gender expression]] is [[masculine]] may be called a tomboy or may self-identify as such.

* '''[[top surgery]]'''. In the transgender community, euphemism for any gender-validating surgery on a transgender person's breasts/chest.

* '''tranny.''' An offensive word for a transgender woman. This word should be reclaimed only by trans women. Other people shouldn't use it.

* '''trans'''. Short for transgender or transsexual.

* '''trans*'''. The asterisk is meant to include both transsexual and transgender, and/or to indicate the inclusion of nonbinary identities.<ref name="Steinmetz">{{Cite web |title=The OED Just Added the Word 'Trans*.' Here's What It Means |last=Steinmetz |first=Katy |work=Time |date=3 April 2018 |access-date=27 May 2020 |url= https://time.com/5211799/what-does-trans-asterisk-star-mean-dictionary/}}</ref><ref name="Killermann">{{Cite web |title=What does the asterisk in “trans*” stand for? |author=Killermann, Sam |work=It's Pronounced Metrosexual |date= |access-date=27 May 2020 |url= https://www.itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2012/05/what-does-the-asterisk-in-trans-stand-for/}}</ref> Considered offensive by some trans people.<ref name="Garvin">{{Cite web |title=What’s the asterisk in “trans*” mean and why do some find it offensive? |last=Garvin |first=Patrick |work=The LGBTQ+ Experiment |date=18 February 2019 |access-date=27 May 2020 |url= https://lgbtqexperiment.com/2019/02/18/is-there-a-difference-between-trans-and-trans-is-trans-offensive/}}</ref>

* '''[[Cissexism#Transgender-exclusionary feminists|Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists (TERFs)]]'''. A movement of cisgender women who fight against transgender rights, because they believe that transgender people are dangerous.<ref><strong style="color: red; --darkreader-inline-color: #ff1a1a;" data-darkreader-inline-color="">WARNING</strong>: Contains unpleasant verbal content. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/08/04/woman-2</ref> They don't call themselves TERFs, but they do call themselves gender critical or gender abolitionists.

* '''[[transfeminine]]'''. A transgender person who transitions in a feminine direction, but who doesn't necessarily identify as female. They may have a nonbinary gender identity.

* '''trans-feminism''', or '''transfeminism'''. The creation of this word in the late 1990s is credited to Diana Courvant and Emi Koyama.<ref>Alissa Quart, ''Republic of Outsiders: The Power of Amateurs, Dreamers and Rebels.'' p. 36.</ref> A [[feminism|feminist]] movement that takes into account transgender experience and rights.

* '''[[transgender]]'''. An umbrella term for those with gender identities that don't match the genders they were assigned at birth.

* '''[[transition]]'''. The process that individuals typically experiencing gender dysphoria go through to reach their desired social gender role, and/or physicality. There is no one definition of transition, as the term is based on the unique requirements of each individual.

* '''[[trans man]]'''. The correct term for a transgender person who has a male gender identity.

* '''[[transmasculine]]'''. A transgender person who transitions in a masculine direction, but who doesn't necessarily identify as male. They may have a nonbinary gender identity.

* '''[[transsexual]]''', or '''transexual'''. A kind of transgender person who wants to physically transition to a different gender than they were assigned at birth.

* '''[[tucking]]'''. A method that a person can use to hide their penis and testicles, to create a more feminine or androgynous body shape.

* '''[[Cissexism#Trans-misogyny|trans-misogyny]]'''. Discrimination and hate crimes against transgender women.

* '''[[Cissexism#Transphobia|transphobia]]'''. Discrimination and hate crimes against transgender people.

* '''transvestite''' or '''TV'''. Coined by sexologist and openly gay man Magnus Hirschfeld in 1910.<ref>Trans Health editors, “Timeline of gender identity research.” 2002-04-23. [http://www.trans-health.com/2002/timeline-of-gender-identity-research/ http://www.trans-health.com/2002/timeline-of-gender-identity-research/] </ref> A clinical word for a [[cross-dresser]]. Some see "transvestite" as an offensive word, so it should be reclaimed with caution. The meaning of this word has changed a lot since it was coined. Some early sources use this word for transgender and transsexual people: "As late as 1951 many clinicians still used the term 'transvestism' to identify patients with profound gender pathology who requested SRS (Hertz et al., 1961)."<ref>Lothstein, p. 55-56.</ref>

* '''tri-gender''' or '''[[trigender]]'''. Having three different gender identities, or a mix of them, or changing between them.<ref name="hallelujah-labels"/>

* '''[[Two-spirit]]'''. Hundreds of Native American cultures have gender roles in addition to cisgender female and cisgender male. "Two-spirit" is the agreed-upon modern English umbrella term for these gender roles.

==U==

* '''ultergender'''. A proposed term describing "[[intersex]] people who identify as a gender other than their assigned gender at birth, but do not feel the term 'transgender' describes them"<ref>{{cite web |date=12 October 2017 | title=Ultergender |author=intersex-education |url=https://ultergender.tumblr.com/post/166332955580/ultergender}}</ref>

* '''WLW'''. Short for "woman who loves women" (when used as singular noun)/"women who love women" (when used as plural noun). Used as an [[umbrella term]].

* '''WSW'''. Short for women who have sex with women. They may or may not identify as bisexual or lesbian.<ref name="JHUglossary" />

* '''womxn'''. A [[feminist]] spelling of "woman" which is meant to A) avoid containing the word "[[men]]" and B) highlight the inclusion of women of color, [[trans women]], [[nonbinary women]], and otherwise LGBTQ+ women.<ref name="Mosher-womxn">{{Cite web |title=BWW Interview: Karen Cecilia of The Womxn Poetry/Storytellers Evening at Bar Bayeux |last=Mosher |first=Stephen |work=BroadwayWorld.com |date=14 August 2020 |access-date=26 August 2020 |url= https://www.broadwayworld.com/cabaret/article/BWW-Interview-Karen-Cecilia-of-The-Womxn-PoetryStorytellers-Evening-at-Bar-Bayeux-20200814|quote=By using the X in womxn it is to means to recognise "women" to be inclusive of transgender, nonbinary, women of color and part of the LBGTQ+ community.}}</ref><ref>https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/womxn</ref> Ebony Miranda, a nonbinary feminist in Seattle, defined it as including "women and those affected by [[misogyny]]".<ref name="Kerr2019">{{Cite web |title=What Do Womxn Want? |last=Kerr |first=Breena |work=New York Times |date=14 March 2019 |access-date=1 August 2020 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/14/style/womxn.html}}</ref> This word has received criticism for excluding queer women and women of color from the word "woman".<ref name="katg_Thel">{{Cite web |title=The label “Womxn” is doing the opposite of what you want. — Kat Griffin |author=Griffin, Kat |date=1 July 2020 |access-date=9 March 2021 |url= https://www.katgriffin-actor.com/kat-writes/2020/7/1/the-label-womxn-is-doing-the-opposite-of-what-you-want}}</ref>

* '''womyn'''. A variant spelling of "woman" or "women", pronounced the same way, but without including the words "man" or "men". The term "womyn" was promulgated in lesbian journals of the 1970s, but fell out of favor in the 21st century due to becoming associated with [[TERF]]s.<ref name="Gory">{{Cite web |title=How The Letter "X" Creates More Gender-Neutral Language |author=Gory, Rory |work=Dictionary.com |date=6 August 2019 |access-date=11 February 2021 |url= https://www.dictionary.com/e/letter-x-gender-neutral-language/}}</ref>

* '''womyn-born womyn'''. A euphemism for "[[cis]] woman". Some groups of women use this term to highlight the biological and social experience of growing up as and living as an AFAB (assigned female at birth) person.

==X==

* '''[[English neutral pronouns#Xe|xe]]'''. Several sets of gender-neutral pronouns use "xe" in the nominative form.

* '''[[xenogender]]'''. Coined by Baaphomett in 2014. "A gender that cannot be contained by human understandings of gender; more concerned with crafting other methods of gender categorization and hierarchy such as those relating to animals, plants, or other creatures/things."<ref>"Masterpost of genders coined by Baaphomett." 2014. ''MOGAI Archive.'' [http://mogai-archive.tumblr.com/post/91736136744/masterpost-of-genders-coined-by-baaphomett] {{dead link}}</ref> An umbrella term for many nonbinary gender identities defined in reference to very different ideas than female or male.

==Z==

* [https://jmcottle.com/hallelujah-its-raining-labels/ J.M. Cottle, "Hallelujah, it's raining labels."]

* [http://web.archive.org/web/20050308185631/http:/www.chaparraltree.com/raq/angels.shtml Raphael Carter, "Angel's Dictionary."]

<references/>