Ally: A person who supports and respects sexual diversity, acts accordingly to challenge homophobic and heterosexist remarks and behaviors, and is willing to explore and understand these forms of bias within him or herself. Often describes a heterosexual individual who is nevertheless part of the LGBT community.
Gay Male: A man who is emotionally, romantically, sexually, affectionately, or relationally attracted to other men, or who identifies as a member of the gay community. At times, “gay” is used to refer to all people, regardless of sex, who have their primary sexual and or romantic attractions to people of the same sex. Lesbians and bisexuals may feel excluded by the term “gay.”
Gender: A binary sociological construct defining the collection of characteristics that are culturally associated with maleness or femaleness; masculine and feminine make up gender just as male and female comprise sex.
Genderqueer: A gender identity that rejects the notion that all genders can be described on the masculine/feminine binary.
Lesbian: A woman who is emotionally, romantically, sexually, affectionately, or relationally attracted to other women, or someone who identifies as a member of the lesbian community. Bisexual women may or may not feel included by this term.
Queer: Term describing people who have a non-normative gender identity, sexual orientation, or sexual anatomy—includes lesbians, gay men, bisexual people, and transgender people. Since the term is sometimes used as a slur, it has a negative connotation for some LGBT people; however, others have reclaimed it and are comfortable using it to describe themselves.
Transgender: An umbrella term for those individuals whose gender identity does not match with that assigned for their physical sex. Includes, among others, transsexuals, genderqueer people, and crossdressers. In its general sense, it refers to anyone whose behavior or identity falls outside of stereotypical expectations for their gender. Transgender people may identify as straight, gay, bisexual, or some other sexual orientation. Sometimes shortened as trans.
Transsexual: Term referring to a person whose gender identity consistently differs from what is culturally associated with his/her biological sex at birth. Some choose to undergo sexual reassignment surgery.
“Basic Gloassary.” Retrieved from http://thecenter.wsu.edu/default.asp?PageID=3366
