Despite the level of access we have to information, in 2023, It is surprising how ignorance people can be towards communities that are labeled as ‘other.’ Individuals who identify among those belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community face this challenge every day.
In honor of PRIDE month (June), we want to educate our own (By Her Own Rules) community. Being an ally to disenfranchised communities requires education. While the term LGBTQ is commonly known, the acronyms and terms have continue to grow, adding IA+, as we learn more about sex, gender and identity. We thought we’d provide a crash course and a list of resources to continue to learn more about these terms and the lives of the people they belong to.
The terms and their meaning
Lesbian – A woman that is attracted to other women.
Gay – An umbrella term usually used to define individuals who are attracted to members of the same-sex. Usually associated with men.
Bisexual – An individual that is attracted to both men and women, or individuals who identify as male or female.
Transgender – A person who identifies as a gender other than the one assigned at birth.
Queer – An umbrella term used to reject gender identity and sex
Intersex – Usually when a person is born with a reproductive anatomy that does not fit their sex/presenting gender
Asexual – Having no sexual desire towards others.
+ could include Non-Binary, Pansexual and Cisgender:
Non-Binary – An umbrella term used for various gender non-conforming identities. Not identifying as male or female.
Pansexual – Having an attraction to anyone, regardless of gender identity
Cisgender – Someone’s who sex and gender identify matches that of the sex they were assigned at birth.
Source: South Dakota State University
What to learn more about the LGBTQIA+ community and how to become an advocate? Start by visiting GLADD and find out how you can become an ally.
