Transcript: LGBTIQ terminology and basic concepts (Reading)

In this video, we are going to talk about some basic concepts and terminology relevant for working with LGBTIQ clients. You have probably heard about the LGBTIQ acronym. But do you know what it means?

L stands for Lesbians. Women who are emotionally, romantically and sexually attracted to other women.

G stands for Gays. Men who are emotionally, romantically and sexually attracted to other men. Sometimes, the letter G is used as an umbrella term for lesbian and gay sexuality, and also some women prefer to define themselves as gay rather than lesbian.

B means bisexual. Bisexual people are not attracted exclusively to people of one particular gender – they are attracted to both men and women.

The letter T stands for transgender or trans. Trans is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth.

I stands for intersex. Intersex persons may have the biological attributes of both sexes or their biological attributes do not fit with the expected patterns of male or female. Intersex people may identify as man, women or non-binary.

The letter Q stands for queer. The term queer has many different meanings and definitions, and it can be used as an umbrella term for all LGBTI+ identities. It is usually used by those wanting to reject specific labels of romantic orientation, sexual orientation and/or gender identity. It can also be a way of rejecting the perceived social and cultural norms of the heteronormative society.

Sexual orientation

LGB are terms related to one’s sexual orientation.

There are three sexual orientations that are most familiar: heterosexual, homosexual and bisexual. However, those are not the only ones. There are many more sexual orientations, for example pansexual, demisexual, scoliosexual et cetera.

Sexuality is a spectrum so it is important to recognize and respect the diversity in that area. This understanding will help you provide needed help to your clients that are maybe struggling in that area. It is not important for you to know the exact definitions of all those terms but it is important to recognize the variety, rather than strictly defined categories. Also, it is ESPECIALLY important not to think about sexual diversity in the terms of “normal and abnormal” or “right and wrong”.

Gender

The letters T and I are related to one’s gender. While sex assigned at birth is a biological category, determined by the combination of one’s genes, internal and external anatomy, hormones and biochemistry, gender is a social construct. Gender is largely culturally determined and is assumed from the sex assigned at birth. It also encompasses the social roles of “men” and “women”, a set of social and cultural expectations about how we should behave, how we should look and how we should think. Also, gender is a sense of one’s own identity, independent of the binary conception of “man” and “woman.” We are used to thinking in the terms of two genders: male and female, according to the biological attributes that we were born with. But there is a lot more variety in real life.

It is really helpful to look at these concepts on a spectrum.

“Sex assigned at birth” refers to the physical anatomy that you were born with. On one side of the spectrum you have “male” and on the other side is “female”. But there is a variety between those extremes, for example – intersex persons.

Gender identity is the individual’s internal sense of being either male or female, or an identity between or outside these two categories. When referring to oneself, a “male” uses pronouns “he/him/his” and a female uses “she/her/hers”. Identities that do not fit in the binary “male” or “female” categories are called genderqueer. Halfway between the “male” and “female” extremes is genderneutral. This means that a person identifies neither as a man nor as a woman. They might want to use pronouns “they/them/their”. Some people’s sense of gender identity varies over time. They can identify as gender-fluid.

A person whose sex and gender align is called “cisgender”, while a person whose sex assigned at birth and gender do not align is called “transgender”. Transgender persons might want to undergo the process of transition – which means acquiring the visual characteristics, physical features and the social role that is in accordance with persons’ gender identity. The process of transition can include making physical alterations through hormone replacement therapies, surgical changes and sex reassignment surgery.

The relationship between sexual orientation and gender

• Gender expression is the presentation of one’s gender identity – usually through behaviour, clothing, hairstyle, which may or may not conform to socially defined behaviours.
• Sexual orientation describes the attraction that a person has, sexual and emotional, towards other persons.

If it should be put very short and simple – we could say that gender identity is how you feel, gender expression is how you look, sexual orientation is who you love. It is important to respect different identities and the pronouns that persons use.

It is also important not to confuse gender identity with sexual orientation. For example, a person born as a man (sex assigned at birth) may self-identify as a woman (transgender identity) and present to the world in feminine ways (gender expression). This individual might be sexually and romantically attracted to men, women, both or none (sexual orientation). This person may or may not be interested in sex reassignment surgery.

A person can be gender non-conforming which explained in a more comprehensive way would mean that some days they might feel more “man”, other days more “woman”, but for the most part, they might feel neither or both.

A biological male who identifies as gay might demonstrate a very masculine gender expression, and the opposite – a man who is heterosexual could be very feminine or metrosexual. Furthermore, no matter the gender identity and sex assigned at birth, a person can be asexual – having no sexual desire towards other people.

Sometimes gender non-conformity and gender-fluidity is a statement of not accepting the binary model of gender identities, an act of choosing how a person feels best in their gender identity, gender roles and gender expression.

Takeaways

All this can be very confusing, especially if you are hearing it for the first time. For start, it is enough just to remember that there is a lot more variety in this area than we are usually aware of and that all varieties are valid. If you have clients that are confused or questioning their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, it is especially important for you to help them explore and to allow all the identities to help your clients accept themselves as they are.

Keep in mind that talking to the clients is “the main tool” in counselling and every counsellor must be aware of the importance of words that are used. It is very important to learn and understand the LGBTIQ specific terminology and to use it accurately and respectfully. Also, it is important to keep in mind that the language and terminology are also changing and evolving. Some terms that were commonly used before should not be used anymore (for example – the term “homosexual” should not be used for describing gay men because it carries negative connotations). The language can be more challenging when working with trans persons (or persons that are questioning their gender identity). It is very important to respect the name and pronouns that they want to use.

And in the end, remember that it is OK if you sometimes do not know everything, as long as you keep respecting the diversity and acknowledge your clients’ identities as valid, however they perceive them.