L’année 2015 a vu naître une floppée de nouveaux mots pour décrire l’offre grandissante en matière d’orientation sexuelle. Les discussions sur le coming out of Caitlyn Jenner en jupe et Louboutins hautement médiatisées ont introduit toute une nouvelle terminologie. Tradwell propose un lexique pour vous aider à bien naviguer dans les eaux de plus en plus troubles définissant les genres zeitgeist.
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is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning; GSM is gender and sexual minorities; DSG is diverse genders and sexualities. Quiltbag is queer, undecided, intersex, lesbian, transsexual, bisexual, asexual and gay Ally A person who supports and respects members of the LGBTQ community, as above. Even if the word doesn’t mean action, consider people to be active allies people who take action upon this support and respect. It also indicates to others that you are an ally.
Bigender
A person who fluctuates between traditionally “woman” and “man” gender-based behavior and identities, identifying with both genders (and sometimes a third gender, let’s say asexual).
Biological sex
A medical term used to refer to the chromosomal, hormonal and anatomical characteristics that are used to classify an individual as female or male or intersex.
Cisgender
A person whose gender identity, gender expression and biological sex align i.e. a manly man born a man, a ladies man, so to speak.
Coming out
The process by which one accepts and/or comes to identify one’s own true yet hidden sexuality or gender identity. It’s meant to be a self-declared and admitted, yet more often than not it’s done via social media, so it also denotes the process of sharing the new fount or latent sexuality or gender identity with others.
Fluidity
Generally with another term attached, like gender-fluid or fluid-sexuality, fluidity describes an identity that may change or shift over time between or within the mix of the options available. Cara Delevigne and Miley Cyrus territory.
FtM/F2M; MtF/M2F
Abbreviation for female-to-male transgender or transsexual person; male-to-female transgender or transsexual person. Search me, Caitlyn! Gender expression The external display of gender affiliation, through a combination of dress, demeanour, social behaviour and other factors, generally measured on a scale of masculinity and femininity. Teapot and butch of the olden days.
Gender identity
The internal perception of one’s gender, and how they label themselves, based on how much they align or don’t align with what they understand their options for gender to be. Ellen Page, Kristian Nairn, Actor, Game of Thrones or Ruby Rose. Great courage!
Genderqueer
A gender identity label often used by people who do not identify with the binary of man/woman; or as an umbrella term for many gender non-conforming or non-binary identities (eg, agender, bigender, genderfluid).
Intersex
Someone whose combination of chromosomes, gonads, hormones, internal sex organs, and genitals differs from the two expected patterns of male or female. Formerly known as hermaphrodite (or hermaphroditic), but these terms are now considered outdated and derogatory.
Pansexual
A person who experiences sexual, romantic, physical or spiritual attraction for members of all gender identities and expressions. You just never know who you go to bed with and wake up with, stressful at times.
Queer
Used since time immemorial as an umbrella term to describe individuals who don’t identify as straight. Due to its historical use as a derogatory term, it is not readily embraced by all LGBTQ people.
Questioning
An individual who or when someone is unsure about or is exploring their own sexual orientation or gender identity.
Skoliosexual
Attracted to genderqueer and transsexual people and expressions. Third gender A person who does not identify with either “man” or “woman” but identifies with another gender. Asexual, for instance. Readers’ examples welcome.
Transgender
A general term covering a wide range of identities that transgress socially defined gender norms. Trans with an * is often used to indicate that you are referring to the larger group nature of the term. (2) A person who lives as a member of a gender other than that expected based on anatomical sex.
Transitioning
This term is primarily used to refer to the process a « trans » person undergoes when changing their bodily appearance either to be more congruent with the gender/sex they feel themselves to be and/or to be in harmony with their preferred gender expression.
Transsexual
A person who identifies psychologically as a gender/sex other than the one to which they were assigned at birth. Transsexuals often strive to transform their bodies hormonally and surgically to match their inner sense of gender/sex.
Transvestite
A person who dresses as the binary opposite gender expression (“cross-dresses”) for any one of many reasons, including relaxation, fun, and sexual gratification (often called a “cross-dresser,” and should not be confused with transsexual). Mostly men dreaming of being more Marylin Monroe than Chuck Norris. Frank-N-Furter from Rocky Horror Show was the best by far.
You may find the listing neither exhaustive nor up to date. I wouldn’t use it in written English too often, it may prove difficult to assume, as it were.