Vocabulary

Common Vocabulary Regarding Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity  
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• Bisexual: A person who is physically and emotionally attracted to males and females.
• Discrimination: Denying equal treatment to individuals or groups of people.
• Gay (K-2): A term used to describe a person who has romantic feelings for another person of the same sex, usually used to describe a man.
• Gay (3-12): A term that can apply to either men or women who are physically and emotionally attracted to persons of the same sex. However, it is usually used to describe men (e.g., "gay men").

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• Gender: Gender is a person's innate sense of themselves as being male or female, which may differ from their biological sex.  Sex and gender are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same.  People whose sex and gender differ are known as Transgender.
• Gender Identity: Refers to a person’s internal, deeply felt sense of being either male, female, boy or girl or something other.  Everyone has a gender identity.
• Gender Role: Cultural norms of how males and females are “supposed” to act. These expectations are often stereotypical, such as “Boys like blue and girls like pink.”
• Heterosexism: An overt or tacit bias against homosexuality rooted in the belief that heterosexuality is superior or the norm.
• Heterosexual (K-2): a person who has romantic feelings for someone of the opposite sex.
• Heterosexual (3-12): A person who is physically and emotionally attracted to a person of the opposite sex.
• Homophobia: A fear or hatred of homosexuality, especially in others, but also in oneself.
• Homosexual: A person who is physically and emotionally attracted to a person of the same sex.
• Lesbian (K-2): A woman who has romantic feelings for another woman.
• Lesbian (3-12): A term used to describe a woman who is emotionally and physically attracted to another woman.
• Prejudice: A belief, usually negative, about all people within a given group (e.g., "people from California are all weird").
• Stereotype: A generalization, usually negative, about persons based on some characteristic.  The generalization is then attributed to everyone who may fit into the group.
• Transgender (K-5): When someone of one gender feels like they are the other gender.  For example, when a boy thinks and feels like he is a girl inside.
• Transgender (6-12): People whose gender identity is different from their birth or biological sex.  Sometimes they may hormonally and or/surgically change their bodies to more fully match their gender identity
• Queer: Originally used as an insult for being different, a movement emerged in the 80’s to reclaim the word as positive.  It is currently being used by many gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons to describe their pride in being different.

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