LGBTQ+ Awareness

There are many sexual orientations, including;

Heterosexual (Straight) –

People who are romantically and/or physically attracted to members of the opposite sex: males attracted to females, and females are attracted to males.

Homosexual (Gay or Lesbian) –

People who are romantically and/or physically attracted to people of the same sex: males attracted to males, and females are attracted to females.

Homosexuals (whether male or female) are often called “gay”. Gay females are also called lesbian.

Bisexual –

People who are sexually attracted not exclusively to people of one particular gender.

Asexual/Aromantic –

People who do not have any sexual or romantic attraction to others of any gender.

There are different gender identities, such as:

Trans or Transgender –
An umbrella term to describe people whose gender is not the same as, or does not sit comfortably with, the sex they were assigned at birth.

Trans people may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, including (but not limited to) transgender, transsexual, gender-queer (GQ), gender-fluid, non-binary, gender-variant, crossdresser, genderless, agender, nongender, third gender, bi-gender, trans man, trans woman, trans masculine, trans feminine and neutrois.

Non-binary –
A gender identity and an umbrella term for people whose identity falls outside the gender binary.

Some people do not identify wholly or at all with the gender they were assigned at birth – some people have no gender at all. The term non-binary comes under the trans umbrella.

Gender Fluid –
Gender fluidity refers to change over time in a person’s gender expression or gender identity, or both. That change might be in expression, but not identity, or in identity, but not expression. Or both expression and identity might change together.

Gender Queer –
The term gender queer means someone who does not follow binary gender norms. They may be non-binary, agender, pangender, genderfluid, or another gender identity.

Cisgender –
Someone whose gender identity aligns with the gender that they were assigned at birth.

There are different pronouns. such as:

He/Him – Singular third person pronoun that may be used by a person who may Identify as more masculine then feminine.

She/Her – Singular third person pronoun that may be used by a person who may identify as more feminine than masculine.

They/Them – Plural third person pronoun that may be used by people who identifies with neither a masculine nor feminine type of gender.

Ze/Ze/Xe – Singular third person pronoun that may be used by a person who identifies with possibly a combination of different gender expression and gender identity.

Hir/Zir/Xem – Plural third person pronoun that may be used by a person who identifies with possibly a combination of different gender expression and gender identity.

Hirs/Zirs/Xyrs – Possessive pronoun to show if a person’s belongings belong to a person who identifies with possibly a combination of different gender expression and gender identity.

While coming out can be daunting and scary, it can also be the first time that LGBT+ individuals can be truly accepted with their closest family and/or friend.