More Than Two? Gender Identity Terms And Definitions To Know
Most of us have grown up thinking that there are two genders: boy and girl. However, as we discuss inclusion of LGBTQ+ identities, it is critically important to outline key terms that base our conversations. Understanding these terms and definitions provides a functional step in building inclusive channel organizations and leaders.
As a resident geriatric millennial, I can attest that the desire for increased connection and visibility of my identity markers are extremely important. It is great to see more women of color on the Women of the Channel Power 100 as well as CRN’s Channel Chiefs. For those who are often the only person of color, woman, or queer identified person in the room, it is hard to imagine becoming something that has yet to be seen. For those born between 1981 and 1997, seeing is believing. representation matters.
The same applies to Gen Z as a demographic. Those born between the late 1990s and early 2010s comprise of 20 percent of the population and are the first generation to be unfamiliar with a world where the internet does not exist. As digital natives, Gen Z has more information at its fingertips via digital media – making a significant impact to their cultural values.
Combined millennials and Gen Z make up 41.67 percent of the population according to US population data. Their numbers have surpassed the Baby Boomers as well as Gen X. Based on potential impact to the workforce, understanding their wants, needs, and desires is advantageous to building sustainable business practices. The first step: finding ways to speak their language.
Now, before you go subscribe to an urban dictionary, let us start with understanding gender fluidity and the words used to define it. Take some time this June for Pride Month to learn and lean into LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Your current millennial and future Gen Z employees will thank you.
Editorial Note: This list is intended to be informational and may not be comprehensive of every identity. Please see links at the end for additional resources.
LGBTQIA: Most people are familiar with this acronym but may not know what each letter stands for and there are many more sexual orientations that are not listed in the acronym. Here are a few of the letters and their meanings:
Lesbian: A woman that is attracted to other women or a woman that is not attracted to men.
Gay: A man that is attracted to other men, or a man that is not attracted to women.
Bisexual: A human that is attracted to both men and women, also used more broadly to refer to people who are attracted to others whose gender is like their own, as well as people’s whose gender is not like their own.
Queer/Questioning: Queer is an umbrella term used by people who do not conform to the perceived norms of heterosexuality. Questioning is a term used for a person exploring their sexuality.
Asexual/Ace/Aces: A person who does not experience sexual (physical) attraction- with other.
Common Sexual Orientations not included in the acronym:
Aromantic: A person who does not experience romantic (emotional) attraction toward others.
Demisexual: a person who only feels sexually attracted to someone after creating an emotional bond with the person.
Pansexual: a person who is not limited in their sexual attraction in regard to biological sex, gender identity or expression.
Sex Assigned at Birth
The assignment and classification of people as male, female, intersex, or another sex based on a combination of anatomy, hormones, chromosomes. It is important we don’t simply use “sex” because of the vagueness of the definition of sex and its place in transphobia. Chromosomes are frequently used to determine sex from prenatal karyotyping (although not as often as genitalia). Chromosomes do not always determine genitalia, sex, or gender.
Gender Identity
One’s internal sense of being male, female, neither of these, both, or another gender(s). Everyone has a gender identity, including you. For transgender people, their sex assigned at birth and their own internal sense of gender identity are not the same. Female, woman, and girl and male, man, and boy are also not necessarily linked to each other but are just six common gender identities.
Gender Expression or Gender Presentation
The physical manifestation of one’s gender identity through clothing, hairstyle, voice, body shape, etc. Many transgender people seek to make their gender expression (how they look) match their gender identity (who they are), rather than their sex assigned at birth.
Physical Attraction
Sexual orientation. It is important to note that sexual and romantic/emotional attraction can be from a variety of factors including but not limited to gender identity, gender expression/presentation, and sex assigned at birth.
Emotional Attraction
Romantic/emotional orientation. It is important to note that sexual and romantic/emotional attraction can be from a variety of factors including but not limited to gender identity, gender expression/presentation, and sex assigned at birth. There are other types of attraction related to gender such as aesthetical or platonic. These are simply two common forms of attraction.
Nonbinary/Nonbinary/Non-binary
A gender identity and experience that embraces a full universe of expressions and ways of being that resonate for an individual, moving beyond the male/female gender binary. It may be an active resistance to binary gender expectations and/or an intentional creation of new unbounded ideas of self within the world. For some people who identify as nonbinary there may be overlap with other concepts and identities like gender expansive and gender non-conforming.
Cisgender
A gender identity, or performance in a gender role, that society deems to match the person’s assigned sex at birth. The prefix cis- means "on this side of" or "not across." A term used to highlight the privilege of people who are not transgender.
Heteronormativity
Attitudes and behaviors that incorrectly assume gender is binary, ignoring genders besides women and men, and that people should and will align with conventional expectations of society for gender identity, gender expression, and sexual and romantic attraction. For example, someone assigned female at birth is expected to have a body that is considered “female” by the dominant culture, identify as a girl or woman, act feminine and fulfill the roles associated with girls and/or women, and be romantically and sexually attracted to men.
Pronouns
Linguistic tools used to refer to someone in the third person. Examples are they/them/theirs, ze/hir/hirs, she/her/hers, he/him/his. In English and some other languages, pronouns have been tied to gender and are a common site of misgendering (attributing a gender to someone that is incorrect.)
Sources For Further Education:
Site Factory admin. (2015, May 5). LGBTQIA Resource Center Glossary. LGBTQIA Resource Center. https://lgbtqia.ucdavis.edu/educated/glossary
Trans Student Educational Resources, 2015. “The Gender Unicorn.” http://www.transstudent.org/gender
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