ABCLGBTQIA+ | Glossary of words and expressions - ABCLGBTQIA+

Non-LGBTI+ person who defends LGBTI+ rights, supporting the cause and/or actively promoting equality and non-discrimination.

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A person who is not sexually attracted to other people. Nevertheless, asexual people can have intimate relationships with other people.

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Process used to compress the breast in order to flatten it. It requires some specific care to avoid harmful health effects.

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Discrimination, disdain, prejudice or aversion towards bisexual people, based on their real or perceived sexual orientation.

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A person who is sexually, romantically and affectively attracted to people of two or more genders.

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A cis or cisgender person is a person who identifies with the gender assigned to them at birth. The word Cis[gender] is used as opposed to trans[gender].

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Process of affirmation of the LGBTI+ identity that must be done by the person, when and how they want to do it and for whomever they want to do it. In practice this may mean that not all people know about it or that the person is only out in some contexts. You can also say “come out of the closet”.

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Expression to identify situations in which the name given at birth of a trans person is used instead of the name by which they identify themselves – and which may only be socially recognized or already be legally recognized. This is a form of violence against trans and non-binary people.

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Person who only feels sexually attracted to another person if there is a strong emotional connection between them.

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Term associated with an artistic performance of expression and gender roles. Men who adopt feminine elements are Drag Queens and women who adopt masculine elements are Drag Kings.

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Man who is sexually, romantically and affectively attracted to people of the same gender. A synonym for homosexual.

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Term that encompasses actions of affirmation and recognition of gender identity and/or expression of trans people. It can be a social statement or include clinical intervention or legal recognition of identity. It is a more correct term than “gender transitioning”.

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A set of characteristics visible to other people (way of dressing, gestures, tone of voice, etc.) that suggest belonging to a certain gender.

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Individual and intimate experience of gender, which all people go through and which is related to who we are. Our identity may or may not correspond to the gender assigned at birth, the adopted gender expression and the way we feel our body.

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Social and institutional process in which heterosexuality is the norm, ignoring and alienating the diversity of sexual orientations, identities, gender expressions and sexual characteristics existing in society.

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Discrimination, disdain, prejudice or aversion towards gay and/or lesbian people, based on their real or perceived sexual orientation.

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An expression to refer to people who are questioning how they identify – either their gender identity or sexual orientation.

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Method of writing and speaking through specification to include female, male and non-binary identities. That is, the masculine plural is not used to include everyone and the various pronouns are specified.

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Intersex people have variations in sexual characteristics (e.g. genitals or hormonal patterns) that are clinically referred to as male and female at the same time. These variations may be observable at birth or identified throughout life.

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Corresponds to the gender marker that is assigned to us at birth and that appears on identification documents.

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A woman who is sexually, romantically and affectively attracted to people of the same gender.

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Fear, hatred or aversion to LGBTI+ people. It can be specified according to its victims: homophobia, in relation to homosexual people; biphobia, in relation to bisexual people; transphobia, in relation to trans people; or, interphobia, towards intersex people.

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An expression to refer to people who are questioning how they identify – either their gender identity or sexual orientation.

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Method of writing and speaking through abstraction, that is, without specifying identities and pronouns. It is considered an inclusive method as it encompasses more identities and does not cause accessibility difficulties in reading/understanding.

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Person whose gender identity and/or expression goes beyond the masculine/feminine binomial, and may even identify with both or neither.

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Expression to identify situations in which a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity and/or sexual characteristics are revealed to other people without their consent.

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Process of using prostheses or other objects that generate volume to give the appearance of having a penis.

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A person who is sexually, romantically and affectively attracted to other people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

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Person who has more than one relationship at the same time and where all people are aware of the various relationships. When we talk about polyamorous relationships, we talk about non-monogamous consented relationships.

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The correct use of pronouns is a form of affirmation (one’s own) and recognition (by other people) of identities. Pronouns assume special importance in trans and non-binary identities.

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An identity term that can be used as a synonym for the LGBTI+ acronym or as an identity claim that does not yet have a specific nomenclature. In many contexts, it is based on some political activism, inspired by Queer Theory and the thinking of Judith Butler.

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An expression used to define families made up of LGBTI+ couples with or without children.

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Refers to the pattern of affectional attraction based on a person’s gender. Some asexual people use this orientation to choose partner(s), although they may also not feel any romantic attraction, in which case they identify as aromantic. Aromantic people can identify on the LGBTI+ spectrum if they choose to do so.

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There are primary sexual characteristics, such as: chromosomes, anatomy, hormonal structure or genitals; and secondary sexual characteristics that become (more) apparent at puberty such as: breasts, hairiness, Adam’s apple,

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Who we like and who we are sexually, affectively and romantically attracted to. Anyone can be heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, among other lesser-known orientations.

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The name by which the trans or non-binary person identify themselves and which may not match their legal name.

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Person whose gender identity and/or expression does not match the gender assigned at birth. The terms transsexual or transgender, although valid, have become obsolete. It is also common to use trans to encompass other gender-diverse identities.

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Transfake is a term that refers to the representation of a trans character by a cis artist, which promotes stereotypes and the invisibility of trans people themselves.

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Discrimination, disdain, prejudice or aversion towards trans people, based on their real or perceived identity and/or gender expression.

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Process undergone to hide the penis and make it less visible. It requires some specific care to avoid harmful health effects.

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Expression to encompass dates/parades/events/activities related to LGBTI+ issues. We can talk about pride in being who you are, in those you love and in celebrating yourself against the stigma, discrimination and violence that persist in most societies.

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The ABCLGBTQIA+ project, a collaboration between FOX Life and the ILGA Portugal Association, makes the meaning of 36 words available for free download in various formats (static, audio and video) so that they can be used for the most diverse purposes, by any person or institution, anywhere in the world. The goal is to give the project as wide a scope as possible and thus inform as many people as possible around the world. Because learning is part of it.

This project is under construction. All words and expressions, in all formats, will be available soon.

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