Assigned sex The sex that is assigned to an infant at birth based on the child’s visible sex organs, including genitalia and other physical characteristics

Gender A set of social, psychological, or emotional traits, often influenced by societal expectations, that classify an individual as male, female, a mixture of both/neither or other.

Lesbian A woman who is emotionally, romantically, and/or physically attracted to other women.

Gay The adjective used to describe people who are emotionally, romantically, or physically attracted to people of the same gender. In contemporary contexts, “lesbian” is often a preferred term for women, though many women use the word “gay” to describe themselves.

Bisexual An individual who is emotionally, romantically, and/or physically attracted to the same gender and different genders. Sometimes stated as “bi.” People who are bisexual need not have had equal sexual experience with people of the same or different genders and, in fact, need not have had any sexual experience at all.

Transgender Sometime shortened to “trans.” A term describing a person’s gender identity that does not necessarily match their assigned sex at birth.

Asexual An individual who does not experience sexual attraction. There is considerable diversity among the asexual community; each asexual person experiences things like relationships, attraction, and arousal somewhat differently. Asexuality is distinct from celibacy or sexual abstinence, which are chosen behaviors, while asexuality is a sexual orientation that does not necessarily entail either of those behaviors. Some asexual individuals do have sex, for a variety of reasons.

Pansexual A person whose emotional, romantic, and/or physical attraction is to people of all gender identities and biological sexes.

Queer The word "queer" used to be (and sometimes still is) used as a derogatory term for LGBTQ people. However, it has been reclaimed by many people in the LGBTQ community. It is often used as an umbrella term for LGBTQ people, but is also used as an individual identity by some who do not feel they fit into other categories of sexual orientation. Queer is a word that blurs both gender and sexual orientation.

Ally A person who is a member of the "dominant" or "majority" group who works to end oppression in their personal and professional life through support of and advocacy for the oppressed population; a friend to the community.

Coming Out For most people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, the process of self-acceptance that continues throughout one’s life, and the sharing of the information with others; often a public declaration of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.