a person who does not identify with a gender identity or feels genderless, gender-neutral, or disconnected from gender.

A term used to describe someone who is actively supportive of LGBTQ+ people. It encompasses straight and cisgender allies, as well as those within the LGBTQ+ community who support each other (e.g., a lesbian who is an ally to the bisexual community).

Neither specifically feminine nor masculine, clothing or style considered culturally suitable for either men or women, having traditional male and female roles obscured or reversed.

Asexual (sometimes called “ace”) people experience little or no physical attraction.

a person who is capable of being attracted (either romantically, sexually, or emotionally) to more than one gender (for example, a person who is attracted to both men and women).

Over 54% of LGBTQ adults are bisexual and 75% of young people who identify as LGBTQ are bisexual. This term can also be used to describe people whose attraction may not be limited to just men and women and may include non-binary and/or transgender individuals.

Bisexual feelings can shift over time, and it is a valid, stable identity that is not a "phase". Each person's experience with bisexuality is personal; being bisexual does not necessarily mean they are equally attracted to different genders. Bisexuality often serves as an umbrella term for identities like pansexual.

Celibacy (or being celibate) refers to the practice of not  participating in sexual activity

A person whose gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth.

Coming out refers to the act of disclosing one's sexuality and/or gender identity to others. Being able to discuss sexual orientation with others also increases the availability of social support and psychological well-being. Coming out is often an important step for LGBTQ people.  

Drag performers / drag queens are people (usually male or trans), who dress in women’s clothing for entertaining purposes, often acting with exaggerated and stereotypical femininity. They often exaggerate make-up for dramatic, comedic, and/or satirical effect.

Similarly, drag kings are typically female or trans performers who portray men for entertainment purposes.

The term “female impersonator” is no longer used.

Drag is a performance art. It’s time-honored form of theater that plays with gender expression and heightened gender stereotypes.

“Drag queen” is a term specifically used for drag performers and should not be used as a general term for all transgender individuals or for men who wear a dress for fashion or other reasons.

The term gay typically indicates a man who is emotionally, romantically and/or physically attracted to other men. The term gay is sometimes also used to describe lesbians or as an umbrella term for anyone who is LGBTQ.

gender-affirming care is a range of supportive medical, mental health, and social services that help transgender and nonbinary people align their lives with their gender identity. It is a personalized approach that can include anything from social transitions like changing one's name and pronouns to medical interventions such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and various surgeries.

the sex (male, female or intersex), that a doctor or midwife uses to describe a child at birth, based on their visible external anatomy. Typically this information is included on the birth certifcate.

A system in which gender is constructed into two strict categories of male or female. Gender identity is expected to align with the sex assigned at birth and gender expressions and roles fit traditional expectations.

The significant distress an individual may experience as a result of their gender being different than the one they were assigned at birth.

To learn more about gender dyspohia, we recommend this video featuring Bree Borrowman, who shared. her experience as a presenter at Gather Conference 2023.

the way in which people present or express their own gender (which may include things like clothing, hairstyles, and behavior).

A person’s sense of their own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person’s assigned sex at birth (but sometimes it does not).

A person with a wider, more flexible range of gender identity and/or expression than typically associated with the binary gender system. Often used as an umbrella term when referring to young people still exploring the possibilities of their gender expression and/or gender identity.

a person who does not identify with a single gender, or who has a fluid or unfixed gender identity

People who identify as genderqueer may see themselves as being both male and female, neither male nor female or as falling completely outside these categories.

The fear and hatred of or discomfort with people who are attracted to members of the same sex.

Intersex people are born with a variety of differences in their sex traits and reproductive anatomy, including differences in genitalia, chromosomes, gonads, internal sex organs, hormone production, hormone response, and/or secondary sex traits.

Not everyone who is intersex has visible physical traits, so many people don't find out they have intersex traits unless they have genetic testing, have puberty-related concerns, or seek treatment for infertility. One study estimates that 1.7% of the world's population is intersex. That might not seem like a large amount, but that's roughly the same percentage of people on earth who have red hair.‍ ‍

To read real stories about an intersex individual (or a family with an intersex family member), click here

Intersexis an adjective that describes a person. It is never a noun or a verb, because no one can be “intersexing” or “intersexed.”

The word “hermaphrodite” is considered archaic and can be offensive to intersex people.

Source: "It's Intersex Awareness Day - Here are 5 Myths We Need to Shatter" - www.amnesty.org

A woman who is emotionally, romantically, and/or physically attracted to other women. Non-binary people may also use this term to describe themselves, if applicable

LGBTQ and LGBTQIA are acronyms for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual. It is also common to use the term queer as an umbrella term for all of these.

A mixed-orientation relationship (MOR) is between partners of differing sexual orientations. Mixed-orientation marriage (MOM) is when a mixed-orientation couple is married. Mixed-orientation marriage can be described as a marriage between two people of differing sexual orientations or attractions.

To learn more about the experiences of couples in mixed-orientation marriages, we recommended reading Lift+Love Family Stories like Travis Steward and Margaret Stewardor Steven Kapp Perryand Johanne Perry or Liv Mendoza Haynes.

An adjective describing a person who does not identify exclusively as a man or a women. Non-binary individuals may identify as being both male and female, or somewhere in between, or completely outside of these categories. While many non-binary people also identify as transgender, not all non-binary people are transgender (but may share many of the same experiences as trans folks).

Pronouns are commonly used as part of speech that helps identify people by their characteristics. For example, you might tell someone that you “gave Susan a compliment” or you could also say that you “gave her a compliment”. In this example, Susan is identified as a woman because we have used the pronoun “her” instead of her name.  Everyone has pronouns that are used to describe them. Usually assumptions are made about what pronouns are correct to use for a person, based on our perception of their physical appearance or our knowledge of their assigned sex at birth. However, for transgender, non-binary, queer, or gender-non-conforming people, the pronouns associated with their assigned sex at birth might not match their identify and.or expression of gender. Individuals may choose to go by any combination of pronouns that they feel best describe them. Honoring the choice of pronouns is a way that we can show respect and love.

Queer is an umbrella term for people who do not identify as exclusively straight and/or people who have non-binary or gender-expansive identities. Although this term used to have a negative connotation, it has been reclaimed by the LGBTQ community and is commonly used in a positive way.

this term (along with same-gender attraction) is not widely used in the LGBTQ+ community (but is commonly used in the Latter-day Saint publications and talks) to mean someone who is attracted to people of their same gender (ie, gay or lesbian).

A transgender person is someone whose gender identity and/or gender expression is different from the gender they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply a specific sexual orientation. Transgender people may identify as gay, straight, bisexual, etc.

The term transgender should only be used as an adjective and never as a noun (i.e. “My friend is transgender” vs. “My friend is a transgender.”)

The term “transgendered” is grammatically incorrect and should never be used.

Though less common today, some trans people identify as transsexual. Some consider the term transexual to be outdated.

A series of processes that some transgender people may undergo in order to live more fully as their authentic self. This may include social transition, such as changing name and pronouns, medical transition, which may include hormone therapy or gender affirming surgeries, and legal transition, which may include changing legal name and sex on government identity documents. Transgender people may choose to undergo some, all or none of these processes.