Otterbein College's GLBTQ Advisory Committee bisexual: this term distinguishes individuals who are romantically attracted to both men and women. There are a number of misconceptions about bisexuality: that it's just a precursor to a same-sex orientation ("bi now gay later"), that bisexuality is a state of sexual confusion, or that's it's not a distinct (or legitimate) category of identity. But advocates for the bisexual community recognize that many individuals have "a deep and lasting sense of themselves as bisexuals" (www.biresource.org).

bicurious: straight- or gay-identified individuals who are curious about forms of sexual intimacy that might be classified as "bisexual."

biphobia: fear, hatred, or discomfort with bisexual individuals or practices.

closet: as both a psychological and social space, the "closet" masks sexual orientation or gender identity with silence and secrecy. GLBTQ people often remain "in the closet" because they fear rejection, discrimination, and violence, or because they're wrestling with internalized sexual prejudice.

Painting: Gelb Rot Blau by Wassily Kandinsky

coming out: recognizing, owning, and publicly declaring one's gender identity or sexual orientation.

GLBTQ & GLBTQA: these letters are acronyms, shorthand for different constituencies in the queer community - gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and intersexed. Q is a placemarker for both "queer" and "questioning," and A stands for "ally."

gay: this term often refers to men who are romantically attracted to other men, although women can be also described as "gay" without causing insult or offense. More generally, the word "gay" distinguishes individuals who experience same-sex attraction as a part of their identity.

"that's so gay": the word "gay" sometimes circulates as slang for "weird," "lame," "stupid," etc. Although some might argue the slang usage isn't a direct commentary on sexual orientation, from a queer standpoint, it's an unenlightened and hurtful use of the word. Essentially, "that's so gay" turns a facet of individual identity into an insult. (To test that proposition, replace the word "gay" with your own name and assess the emotional and social impact of the statement: what if our own names were slang for "weird," "lame," or "stupid"?)
Painting: Im Blau by Wassily Kandinsky

gender identity: The way an individual understands and experiences their own gender. Gender identity extends to self-concept - our inner sense of being male, female, androgynous, gender-neutral, bigendered, two-spirited, or some other gender construct - and the image we present to the world.

gender expression: The way in which an individual expresses and enacts their gender in mannerism, dress, speech tones and patterns, etc. Individual gender expression may or may not match the stereotypical gender roles that are supposed to come with a "male" or "female" body.

gender queer: A person whose gender expression is a conscious rejection of standard gender norms or ideals. Gender queer persons may experience a gender that's in-between or outside the standard male/female binary, and they may prefer gender-oppositional or gender-neutral pronouns.

Painting: Grand Torre, Kiev by Wassily Kandinsky

genderism: The oppressive assumption that individual gender identity or expression should readily conform to a standard gender role that's determined by biological sex. Genderism can be both an individual prejudice or an institutional mechanism of discrimination.

heterosexual: originating in the late nineteenth-century, "heterosexual" was another scientific term designed to distinguish individuals who were sexually attracted to the opposite sex/gender. Although both "heterosexual" and "homosexual" are still widely used, queer theorists and activists contend that they perpetuate reductive labels, sexual oppression, and an "us versus them" mentality.

straight: a slang term used to name individuals who identify as heterosexual.

homosexual: a scientific term first coined in the late nineteenth century, the word "homosexual" turned same-sex desire into a distinct category of identity (like race, nation, or gender). It was implicated in a larger cultural movement to "medicalize" sexuality, which saw same-sex attraction as a disorder or a disease. Because of its stigmatizing clinical connotations, this term is source of contention within the GLBTQ community.

heterosexism: an ideology that systematically punishes, denigrates, and stigmatizes non-heterosexual individuals, practices, and communities. Heterosexism is often grounded in the assumption that heterosexuality is the most "natural" or "moral" expression of sexual orientation. The word "heterosexism" helps to underscore the ways in which anti-gay sentiments perpetuate hatred and discrimination historically associated with sexism or racism.

Painting: Gravitation by Wassily Kandinsky

heterosexual privilege: the rights, benefits, and advantages that straight-identified people enjoy as a result of living in a heterosexist culture. For example, heterosexual privilege ensures that straight-identified persons don't have to defend or explain their orientation; that they don't have to worry about orientation-based harassment, discrimination, or social exile; that they won't be denied medical treatment or religious community because of their sexual identity; and they can turn on the tv or open a magazine knowing that their sexuality will be (positively and pervasively) represented. Heterosexual privilege informs the pressure to "pass" or remain "closeted" that GLBTQ individuals experience.

homophobia: an irrational fear of same-sex desire that may manifest itself as an intense aversion or discomfort with GLBTQ lifestyles, culture, and people.

lesbian: the word "lesbian" describes women who are romantically attracted to other women.

on the down low: originating in the African-American community, this phrase is used to name the behavior of publicly "straight" men who have sex with other men, but do not identify as "gay" or "bisexual."

transgender: an inclusive, catchall term that describes any individual who resists, challenges, or rejects traditional gender roles or a normative gender expression. Some transgendered persons feel that they were born into the wrong body, as if their biological sex doesn't fit their gender identity. Others find the binary distinctions between man/woman or masculine/feminine reductive, limiting, and oppressive. Individuals must self-identify as "transgender" in order for the term to be appropriately used to describe them. (www.ifge.org)

cross-dressers: Cross-dressers periodically wear the clothing of the opposite gender as a vehicle of self- or sexual-expression. The word "transvestite" most often refers to men who occasionally dress in women's clothing. Drag kings and drag queens adopt the dress and mannerisms of the opposite gender for entertainment purposes.
ftm: female to male transsexual or transgendered person.
mtf: male to female transsexual or transgendered person.
intersex: intersex persons are born with an anatomy that doesn't neatly fit social standards for a "male" or "female" physiology. Their sexual anatomy might be gender-ambiguous or their sex chromosomes may not be xx or xy. Thus "intersex" is an inclusive term for different forms of biological variance. Through surgery, a normative sex/gender identity is often "assigned" to intersexed individuals in infancy - without their knowledge or consent. Advocates for the intersex community agitate against that practice, arguing that it does both psychological and physical harm (www.isna.org).
transsexuals: individuals who experience chronic, intense discomfort with their body and their socially-assigned gender identity. Transsexuals may seek hormone therapy or sex-reassignment surgery to alter their physical sex.
transphobia: fear, hatred, or discomfort with transgendered persons or gender performances.

queer: historically, the word "queer" has been used as a derogatory term, a word that demeaned and disrespected the GLBTQ community. More recently, GLBTQ academics and activists have sought to reclaim the word and "reoccupy" its meaning, turning it into a vehicle of pride, resistance, and coalition-building. So phrases like "queer studies," "queer community," and "queer theory" are common parlance. But "queer" hasn't entirely lost its derogatory power, so it should be used with care and sensitivity.

questioning: individuals in the process of questioning their sexual identity.

sexual orientation: the locus of our sexual, mental, and emotional attractions; the persons or practices that fulfill the human need for emotional and physical intimacy.

sexual prejudice: because anti-gay sentiment may not rise to the level of a phobia (in the clinical sense) - and because the definition of homophobia implies that anti-gay aversion is an individual issue rather than a social problem - researchers have recently employed the term "sexual prejudice" to name a full range of negative or hostile attitudes towards GLBTQ culture, practices, and people.

two-spirited: although the definition of this term varies across Native American cultures, generally a two-spirited individual is biologically one sex but fulfills the gender roles of both sexes. Two-spirited persons often occupy a space of great reverence and respect in Native American culture.

*compiled and updated by Dr. Suzanne Ashworth, co-chair GLBTQ advisory commission.


Definitions

Painting: Color Study-Squares with Concentric Rings by Wassily Kandinsky

Gender theory pushes the recognition that sexual labels and definitions are inherently unstable and overly simplistic. Thus, the GLBTQ advisory commission presents the following as a guide - as a first resource, not the final word.

ally: a person that publicly and privately affirms the humanity and worth of the GLBTQ community. Allies often play integral roles in social justice movements that seek to promote a culture of equality and respect.
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