Describes a person who identifies as having no gender, or who does not experience gender as a primary identity component.

To advocate for and support a marginalized community, or to be a person who advocates for and supports a marginalized community.

A structured form that tracks the presence or absence of a patient’s reproductive organs, as well as any surgical history relevant to those organs. The inventory can be integrated into the electronic health record, and can help guide preventive health screenings and post-surgical care plans.

A sexual orientation that describes a person who experiences little or no romantic attraction to others, and/or little or no interest in forming romantic relationships. Aromantic people may still have intimate relationships.

A sexual orientation that describes a person who experiences little or no sexual attraction to others, and/or little or no interest in having sexual relationships. Asexual people may still engage in sexual activity.

Female sex assigned to an infant based on physical sex characteristics, such as the appearance of the infant’s genitalia and/or sex chromosomes. Abbreviated as AFAB.

Male sex assigned to an infant based on physical sex characteristics, such as the appearance of the infant’s genitalia and/or sex chromosomes. Abbreviated as AMAB.

Describes a person who has two gender identities.

Any system that classifies something into two distinct states.

Wrapping the chest tightly to create the appearance of a flatter chest. The most common way for people to bind is by wearing an undergarment called a binder. People may use other materials to bind such as cloth strips or bandages.

Discrimination towards, fear, marginalization, and hatred of bisexual people, or those who are perceived as bisexual. Individuals, communities, policies, and institutions can be biphobic.

An acronym for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

A sexual orientation that describes a person who is emotionally and physically attracted to more than one gender.

A slang term for genitals and buttocks. Bottom also refers to the receptive partner in anal sex.

A slang term for gender-affirming genital surgery.

Describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth, based on societal expectations. The term cisgender is derived from the Latin preposition cis, which means "on this side of," and is the antonym of trans, which means "across" or "beyond."

Cisnormativity is the assumption that everyone is cisgender, or that being cisgender is the only "normal" gender identity. Cisnormativity puts pressure on people to conform to binary notions of gender expression and gender identity. Cisnormativity can manifest as cissexism, the biased belief that cisgender identity is the superior gender identity. Individuals, communities, policies, and institutions can perpetuate cisnormativity and cissexism, and thus marginalize transgender and gender diverse people and communities.

The process of discovering and accepting one’s sexual orientation or gender identity (coming out to oneself), and the process of sharing one’s sexual orientation or gender identity with others (coming out to friends, family, etc.). Coming out occurs at various points throughout one’s life.

The discredited and harmful practice of trying to forcibly change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

The harmful practice of calling a transgender or gender diverse person by their name assigned at birth, instead of the name they use and want to be called (also known as their chosen or affirmed name). Deadnaming is a form of misgendering.

A range of variations in primary and secondary sex characteristics that do not fit into binary notions of female or male bodies. Variations may involve sex chromosomes, external genitalia, gonads, hormone production, hormone responsiveness, and/or internal reproductive organs, and may be identified prenatally, at birth, during puberty, or later in life. Some people with these variations consider the term intersex more acceptable than differences of sex development.

The theatrical performance of gender in creative ways.

A sexual orientation describing people who are primarily emotionally and physically attracted to people of the same gender identity as themselves. Commonly used as an umbrella term for "not straight."

An umbrella term for the range of actions that transgender and gender diverse people may undertake to live in greater alignment with their gender identity and/or gender expression, and thus thrive as their authentic selves. A person may affirm their gender identity or expression through social, legal, medical, or surgical means. What gender affirmation looks like for every individual is unique and based on what is personally affirming, what feels safe to do, and what is accessible and available.

The belief that there are only two genders (female/girl/woman and male/boy/man).

An umbrella term describing people who have gender identities and/or gender expressions that go beyond the gender binary of female/girl/woman or male/boy/man.

Distress experienced by some people whose gender identity does not align with their sex assigned at birth based on societal expectations; or distress experienced when a person’s gender identity and/or gender expression is not affirmed. The degree and severity of gender dysphoria is highly variable among transgender and gender diverse people.

An umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or gender expression goes beyond the gender binary.

The ways in which people present their gender identity to others, such as through gait, mannerisms, voice, dress, and hairstyle. Cultural and historical contexts influence how people interpret and express gender identity.

Describes a person whose gender identity is not fixed. A person who is gender fluid may always feel like a mix of more than one gender, but may feel more aligned with a certain gender some of the time, another gender at other times, both genders sometimes, and sometimes no gender at all.

A person’s inner sense of being a girl/woman/female, boy/man/male, both, neither, or beyond the gender binary.

A set of societal norms dictating what types of behaviors are considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for a person based on their actual or perceived gender. These roles change with time, culture, context, and interpersonal relationships.

The provision of health services to support a person’s process of living in alignment with their gender identity. Services may include gender-affirming hormone therapy and/or gender-affirming surgeries.

Surgeries to reduce, construct, and/or reconstruct the chest to be more aligned with a person’s gender identity. Gender-affirming chest surgeries are often referred to as ‘top surgeries.’ Types of chest surgeries include:

• breast augmentation
• breast construction
• mammoplasty
• mastectomy
• chest contouring

Surgeries to remove and/or construct genitals and/or internal reproductive organs to be more aligned with a person’s gender identity. Gender-affirming genital surgeries are often referred to as ‘bottom surgeries.’ Types of genital surgeries include:

• Clitoroplasty (creation of a clitoris)
• Hysterectomy (removal of the uterus; may also include removal of the cervix, ovaries, and fallopian tubes)
• Labiaplasty (creation of inner and outer labia)
• Metoidioplasty (creation of a masculine phallus using testosterone-enlarged clitoral tissue)
• Oophorectomy (removal of ovaries)
• Orchiectomy (removal of testicles)
• Penectomy (removal of the penis)
• Phalloplasty (creation of a phallus)
• Scrotoplasty (creation of a scrotum and often paired with testicular implants)
• Urethral lengthening (to allow voiding while standing)
• Vaginectomy (removal of the vagina)
• Vaginoplasty (creation of a neo-vagina)
• Vulvoplasty (creation of a vulva)

The clinical provision of estrogen, androgen blockers, or testosterone to promote changes in the body that align with a person’s gender identity.

Surgeries to help align the body with a person’s gender identity. Types of surgeries include chest and genital surgeries, facial surgeries, body sculpting, and hair removal.

Describes people whose gender identity goes beyond the gender binary.

Heteronormativity is the assumption that everyone is heterosexual, or that being heterosexual is the only "normal" sexual orientation. Heteronormative social systems incentivize conforming to the behavior and appearance of heterosexuality. Heteronormativity can manifest as heterosexism, the biased belief that heterosexual identity is the only valid sexual orientation. Individuals, communities, policies, and institutions can perpetuate heteronormativity and heterosexism, and thus marginalize queer people and communities.

A sexual orientation that describes women who are primarily emotionally and physically attracted to men, and men who are primarily emotionally and physically attracted to women.

Discrimination towards, and fear, marginalization, and hatred of people who are or perceived to be of diverse sexual orientation, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or pansexual people. Individuals, communities, policies, and institutions can be homophobic.

This concept was developed by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw to describe the unique experiences of Black women who face the compounding factors of both racial and gender discrimination. Intersectionality is the idea that a person’s various identities, particularly marginalized identities, interconnect and cannot be understood in isolation. It is important for health care providers to understand the whole person, including all of their privileged and marginalized identities.

Describes a range of variations in primary and secondary sex characteristics that do not fit into binary notions of female or male bodies. Variations may involve sex chromosomes, external genitalia, gonads, hormone production, hormone responsiveness, and/or internal reproductive organs, and may be identified prenatally, at birth, during puberty, or later in life. Some people with an intersex variation choose to label their gender identity as intersex. People with intersex variations are typically assigned a female or male sex at birth; in a few jurisdictions, an infant may be assigned intersex at birth. Another medical term for intersex is differences of sex development.

A sexual orientation describing a woman or non-binary person who is primarily emotionally and physically attracted to women.

An acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and all sexually and gender diverse people. Examples of terms represented by the "+" include: pansexual, omnisexual, gender fluid, non-binary, Two-Spirit, and many more terms.

A category used in public health research to describe cisgender men who engage in sexual behavior with other cisgender men, regardless of how they identify their sexual orientation. Abbreviated as MSM.

Chronic stress faced by members of stigmatized minority groups, such as sexual and gender minority people. Minority stress is caused by external, objective events and conditions, expectations of such events, the internalization of societal attitudes, and/or concealment of one’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Minority stress is compounded when a person holds multiple marginalized identities.

To refer to someone in a way that does not affirm that person’s gender identity; for example, by using incorrect pronouns or by deadnaming.

The name a person goes by and wants others to use in personal communication, including when that person’s insurance or identification documents lists a different name. The terms "name used," "affirmed name," or "chosen name" are recommended over "preferred name."

An umbrella term for gender identities that go beyond the gender binary of female and male. Non-binary people may refer to themselves as non-binary, and/or may use a range of identity terms, such as: agender, bigender, genderqueer, and gender fluid. Often abbreviated as NB or enby.

Describes a relationship between intimate partners who consensually agree to non-monogamy.

Involuntary or unwanted disclosure of another person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Describes a person who has multiple gender identities.

A sexual orientation describing a person who can be emotionally and/or physically attracted to people of any gender identity or gender expression.

Describes a sexual and/or romantic relationship that includes three or more people. People may consider being polyamorous part of their sexual orientation, or a key part of how they approach forming romantic relationships.

Pronouns are words used in place of a person’s name. Examples of pronouns are she/her/hers, they/them/theirs, he/him/his. Neopronouns are new pronouns that people may use to affirm their gender identity; examples include: xe/xem/xyr and ze/hir/hirs. Some people use their name instead of pronouns.

An umbrella term describing sexual orientations and gender identities that go beyond heterosexual/straight and cisgender. Any LGBTQIA+ person may identify as queer. Some people use the term queer to reflect the fluidity and complexity of sexual orientation and gender identity. The term "queer" was historically used to slander LGBTQIA+ people, but has been reclaimed by many as a term of pride.

Describes uncertainty about, or the process of exploring, one’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

A sexual orientation term used by some people in place of gay or lesbian.

Describes the experience of a person who is emotionally and/or physically attracted to people of the same gender. Used most commonly by people who live in religious communities that are not accepting of LGBTQIA+ identities.

The categorization of an infant as female, male, or intersex, based on the appearance of the infant’s genitalia and/or sex chromosomes.

How a person experiences their physical, emotional, and romantic attachments to other people.

An acronym for sexual orientation and gender identity. Sometimes the acronym includes an "E" for gender expression.

Societal conditions, policies, and institutional practices that restrict opportunities and resources for oppressed and marginalized groups.

A slang term for the chest. Also refers to the insertive partner in anal sex.

Slang term for gender-affirming chest surgery.

Describes a person who was assigned male at birth and identifies with femininity to a greater extent than with masculinity.

A man who was not assigned male at birth but whose gender identity is boy/man/male.

A person whose gender identity is man/male and who was assigned female sex at birth.

A person whose gender identity is woman/female and who was assigned male sex at birth.

An umbrella term for people whose gender identity does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth, based on societal expectations.

Discrimination towards, fear, marginalization, and hatred of transgender and gender diverse people or those perceived as transgender or gender diverse. Individuals, communities, policies, and institutions can be transphobic.

A term used in the late 20th century to describe people who have gone through the process of medical gender affirmation. While the term transsexual has largely been replaced with transgender, transsexual is still an important identity term for some members of the community, especially those born before 1980.

A technique to reduce the appearance of a bulge and create the appearance of a flatter crotch area by positioning genitals in a particular way and using tape, tight shorts, or specially designed undergarments.

Describes a person who embodies both a masculine and a feminine spirit. This is a culture-specific term used among some Native American, American Indian, and First Nations people. Abbreviated as 2S.

A category used in public health research to describe cisgender women who engage in sexual behavior with cisgender women, regardless of how they identify their sexual orientation. Abbreviated as WSW.