Cisgender
Cis or cisgender is pronounced ‘sis-gender’. It refers to a person whose gender is the same as their sex recorded at birth.
Gender
Gender is part of a person’s personal and social identity. It refers to a way a person feels and sees themselves. It can be about differences in identity, expression and experience as a woman, man and/or gender diverse person.
Gender diverse
Gender diverse is an umbrella term for a range of different genders. There are many terms gender diverse people may use to describe themselves. Language in this area is dynamic and always changing, particularly among young people. Some examples include genderfluid, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, agender, bi-gender and non-binary.
Intersectionality
Intersectionality describes how different forms of inequality or privilege can combine and compound each other. This can include the inequality someone experiences relating to their gender, age, class, sexuality or race.
LGBTIQA+
LGBTIQA+ is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer/questioning and asexual. The plus acknowledges that these identities are fluid and related identities which do not fit into the other labels. Please note that there are many variations on this acronym that are used across these communities. This one is inclusive and widely accepted and will be used in this document.
Non-binary
Non-binary is a term for people whose gender sits outside of the spectrum of man or woman or male and female. A person who is non-binary might feel like they have a mix of genders, or like they have no gender at all.
A person may identify solely as non-binary or relate to non-binary as an umbrella term. They might consider themselves as genderfluid, genderqueer, trans masculine, trans feminine, agender or bigender.
Queer
Queer is often an umbrella term for diverse genders or sexualities. Some people use queer to describe their own gender or sexuality, as an identity that does not correspond to heterosexual norms. For some people, especially older people, ‘queer’ has negative connotations, because in the past it was used as a discriminatory term.
Sex
Sex refers to a person’s biological sex characteristics. This includes their sex chromosomes, hormones and reproductive organs.
Trans or transgender
Transgender refers to someone whose gender does not exclusively align with their sex recorded at birth. Not all trans people will use this term to describe themselves.
Please note: Terminology does change, and there are terms you may have used in the past that are not safe or inclusive. This list is broadly approved terminology.
For other useful terminology, you can consult the Victorian Government LGBTIQA+ inclusive language guide.
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