Glossary

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Bisexual: An individual who is romantically and sexually attracted to people of both genders. Does not presume non-monogamy (or, for that matter, any sexual activity). Some people self-identify as bi rather than bisexual.

Bisexual Pride Flag: A three-colored flag – pink, blue, and purple. The pink color represents sexual attraction to the same sex only (gay and lesbian), the blue represents sexual attraction to the opposite sex only (straight) and the resultant overlap color purple represents sexual attraction to both sexes (bi).

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Closeted: Term denoting an individual who is not open about his or her sexual orientation.

Coming out: The process of first recognizing and acknowledging non-heterosexual orientation or trans-gender identity to oneself and then sharing it with others. Developmentally, many sexual minority youth will initially erect emotional barriers with acquaintances, friends, and family by pretending (actively or through silence) to be heterosexual and congruent. Coming out means dropping the secrecy and pretense and becoming more emotionally integrated. This usually occurs in stages and is a non-linear, lifelong process.

Cross-dressing: Wearing clothing most often associated (in one’s culture and historical timeframe) with people of the other gender.

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Double Man’s Symbol: Derived from the astrological symbol of Mars, the Greek god of war and patron of warriors. A double man’s symbol represents man loving man.

Double Woman’s Symbol: Also known as “the mirror of Venus.” The symbol represents the planet Venus, metal, copper and femininity. The double woman’s symbol represents woman loving woman.

Dyke: Pejorative term for a lesbian. Some young women self-identify as dykes, but it is still a slur in many contexts and is generally prohibited in schools with anti-harassment policies.

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Fag, faggot: Pejorative term for a gay man. As unacceptable at school as racial or religious slurs.

Freedom Rings: Designed by David Spada with the Rainbow Flag in mind, Freedom Rings are six colored aluminum rings. They have come to symbolize independence and tolerance of others.

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GLBTQ: Abbreviation for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning. Sometimes used, for example, to identify the young people who attend a school-based or community support groups. Some groups also welcome heterosexual friends and allies and students with GLBT family members.

GLSEN: GLSEN is the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network. It is a national organization that works to meet their vision of a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

Gay: Preferred synonym for homosexual.
· K-3: “A man who loves another man or a woman who loves another woman.”
· 4-8: “A man who gets strong crushes on other guys more often than on women, or who falls in love with a man. Or a woman who falls in love with another woman (but she might prefer to call herself lesbian than gay).”
· 9-12: “A person who is romantically and sexually most attracted to people of his or her own gender. The term refers to people of both genders, but when possible, it’s more respectful to use the term gay and lesbian.

Gay Panic Defense: The justification of an anti-gay attack or murder based upon the allegation of a sexual advance made by the victim. Essentially, the gay panic defense blames the victims of hate crimes, and suggests that a sexual advance warrants a violent (or even murderous) response.

Gay-Teen Suicide Awareness Ribbon: The white ribbon promotes awareness about Gay-Teen Suicide. The color white was chosen to represent clarity of thought and innocence of youth.

Gender identity: One’s understanding or feeling about whether one is emotionally or spiritually male or female or both or neither.

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Heterosexism: Presumption that heterosexuality is superior or the “preferred norm” to homosexuality or bisexuality. Also: prejudice, bias or discrimination based on that presumption.

Homophobia: Originally coined to mean, in classic psychological terms, irrational fear of homosexuality.
Now refers usually to bias against or dislike of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people or of stereotypically gay/lesbian behavior, or discomfort with one’s own same-sex attractions, or of being perceived as gay or lesbian.

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Lambda: Chosen by the Gay Activist Alliance in 1970 as the symbol of the gay movement, the lambda is the Greek letter L. A battle flag with the lambda was carried by a regiment of ancient Greek warriors who were accompanied in battle by their young male lovers and noted for their fierceness and willingness to fight to the death.

Lesbian: Preferred term for gay women. Many lesbians feel invisible when the term gay is used to refer to men and women.

Lifestyle: An inaccurate term sometimes used to describe the lives of gays, lesbians and bisexuals. Implies that the homes, careers, and relationships of all sexual minorities are identical. There is a GLBT culture, with its own performing arts and body of literature. There is a GLBT community, with gay- and lesbian-identified businesses, publications and holidays. But the degree to which people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender take part in this culture and community varies from not-at-all to almost-exclusively. There is no gay lifestyle, just as there is no straight lifestyle.

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The Mercury: The astrological sign of Mercury is traditionally the symbol of transgender people. In Greek mythology, Hermes (the Greek version of the Roman god Mercury) and Aphrodite (the goddess of love) had a child named Hermaphroditus. A nymph named Salmacis fell in love with Hermaphroditus but he didn't return her affection. So, she prayed to the gods for them to be together forever. As a much-unexpected result, the two were "melted" into a single being with both male and female characteristics. The crescent moon at the top represents the masculine, and the cross at the bottom represents the feminine. The ring represents the individual with the male and female balanced at either side.

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Outing: Publicly revealing the sexual orientation of someone who has chosen not to share it.

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Pink triangle: A symbol originally used by the Nazis, who forced gay men to wear pink triangles on their clothing, imprisoned them in concentration camps, and put many thousands of gay men to death. Now, the downward-pointing, equilateral, pink triangle is a symbol of GLBT pride and the struggle for equal rights.

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Queer: Pejorative term for gay. Now being reclaimed by some young gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people as a self-affirming umbrella term, but it is still a slur in many contexts and is generally prohibited in schools with anti-harassment policies.

Questioning: Refers to people who are uncertain as to their sexual orientation or gender identity. They are often seeking information and support during this stage of their identity development.

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Rainbow Flag: A flag of six equal horizontal stripes (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and lavender) adopted to signify the diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community, a community that encompasses people from all backgrounds, races and national origins and that spans the panoply of faiths and experience.

Red Ribbon: A symbol of the GLBT community’s concern for people afflicted with AIDs and HIV related diseases.

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Safe Space: A place where gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals feel comfortable and secure in being who they are. In this place, they can talk about the people with whom they are involved and other gay and lesbian issues, such as coming out, without fear of being criticized, judged or ridiculed. It is representative of a move for gay, lesbian and bisexual rights; but rather than being geared toward political rights, it is focused toward the right to be comfortable in one’s living space, work environments, schools, etc.

Sexual harassment: Any unwanted sexual advance, request for sexual favors, or verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature that alarms or annoys someone, or interferes with someone’s privacy, or creates an intimidating or hostile environment.

Sexual minorities: Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Sexual orientation: The preferred term used when referring to an individual’s physical, emotional and/or spiritual attraction to the same and/or opposite sex, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and heterosexual orientations. Avoid the offensive term “sexual preference,” which is usually employed to suggest that being gay or lesbian is a choice and changeable.

Straight Ally: Any non-GLBT person who supports and stands up for the rights of GLBT people.

Stonewall: The Stonewall Inn tavern in New York City’s Greenwich Village was the site of several nights of rioting/rebellion following a police raid on June 28, 1969. Although not the nation’s first gay-rights demonstration, Stonewall is now regarded as the birth of the modern gay-rights movement.

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Transgender: An umbrella term increasingly preferred by people whose appearance; personal characteristics or behaviors are gender role nonconforming. Also preferred by some people who are emotionally neither sex or both sexes or whose gender role expression is significantly different from what society expects of people of their sex. Transgender people may be heterosexual or gay, lesbian, or bisexual.

Transgender Symbol or IFGE (International Foundation for Gender Education Logo: The symbol is inspired by the gender symbols and created as a symbol for the International Foundation for Gender Education, which is an organization concerned with issues facing cross dressers and transgendered persons. The symbol represents the fusing of various genders into one.

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Signs & Symbols

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