People who wish to transition often start by expressing their gender identity in situations where they feel safe. Gender Reassignment also called transitioning, is the process of changing the way someone’s gender is lived publicly and can be a complex process. They vary in how completely they dress (from one article of clothing to fully cross-dressing) as well as in their motives for doing so. Cross-dressers sometimes wear clothes considered appropriate to a different gender. Transvestite or cross-dressing individuals are thought to comprise the largest transgender sub-group. They may also pursue a medical transition, which can involve medical interventions, such as hormone therapy or surgery, to make their bodies fit with their gender identity and help ease gender dysphoria. Transgender people often choose to undergo a social transition, which may involve changing their name, pronouns, appearance, and official gender markers.
Transgender people typically live or wish to live full time as members of a gender other than that assigned at birth. Gender expression refers to outwardly expressing one’s gender identity. One’s gender identity refers to whether one feels male, female or non-binary (regardless of one’s biological sex). Not everyone whose appearance or behaviour is gender-atypical will identify as a transgender person. Transgender an umbrella term used to describe people whose gender identity (internal feeling of being male, female or non-binary) and/or gender expression, differs from the gender they were assigned at birth. Most gay people don’t like to be referred to as homosexual because of the negative historical associations with the word and because the word gay better reflects their identity.Ī bisexual person is someone who is romantically, sexually and/or emotionally attracted to people of genders both the same and different to their own. The word gay can be used to refer generally to lesbian, gay and bisexual people but many women prefer to be called lesbian. Many lesbians prefer to be called lesbian rather than gay.Ī gay man is one who is romantically, sexually and/or emotionally attracted to men. These terms are explained in more detail below.īelongTo have a Terminology Poster and a Coming Out as You Guide as a helpful resource for your interest.Ī lesbian woman is one who is romantically, sexually and/or emotionally attracted to women.
LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and along with heterosexual they are terms used to describe people’s sexual orientation or gender identity.