Allyship Alphabet Soup

There are a lot of terms used by the LGBTQ+ community and the those involved in diversity work at large. The ones listed here are some that are common or used within the community.

General Terms

  • BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

  • DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

A four-pane image of people at a baseball game watching from behind a fence. The first pane is reality, the second is equality, the third is equity, and the fourth is liberation. Reality has 1 person on many boxes, a second on one box, and a third in a hole. In equality, everyone has 1 box. In equity, the tall person has no boxes, the middle person has one box, and the short person has 2 boxes. In liberation, there are no boxes, because the fence is gone.
Interaction Institute for Social Change | Artist: Angus Maguire

  • URM stands for Underrepresented Minority. It has a very specific meaning by funding organizations which has been co-opted to broadly mean any underrepresented group. A number of people consider its usage to be harmful.

  • WDF means Withdraw/Failing. It’s used by academics to describe people who withdrew or failed a course in the pursuit of improving student retention.

LGBTQ+

Another moderately comprehensive list can be found on the IPM website.

  • AFAB and AMAB stand for “Assigned Female At Birth” and “Assigned Male At Birth”, respectively. They are often used to describe sexual health needs that pertain to assumed anatomical features. Many people do not like these terms because they emphasize the fascination of people with a trans person’s genitals.

  • Agender is described as lacking a personal gender identity, or having a neutral gender indentity.

  • Aromantic is a romantic orientation described by experiencing little or no romantic attraction to others.

  • Asexual is a sexual orientation described by the lack of sexual attraction to other people.

  • Bisexual is a sexual orientation that describes people who are attracted to two or more genders.

  • Cisgender means that someone’s gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth. A cisgender woman had “female” marked on their original birth certificate and considers themself to be a woman. A cisgender man had “male” marked on their original birth certificate and considers themself to be a man.

  • Clocking is a term used to describe when someone picks up that another person is in the LGBTQ+ community without them coming out (though the term is often trans-specific).

  • Enby is an abbreviation for non-binary. Sometimes it will be written as NB, which is problematic because the NB abbreviation is used for Non-Black.

  • FTM and MTF stands for “Female-To-Male” and “Male-To-Female”, respectively. FTM describes the transition of trans men, whereas MTF describes the transition of trans women. The terms are considered to be descriptive, yet offensive, because they imply that trans identities need to make sense using a cisgender framework (moving from birth to now), as well as reducing trans identities to genitalia. Historically, it is how members of the trans community identified themselves, and there are some people today who find the term empowering.

  • FTX and MTX mean “female-to-non-binary” and “male-to-non-binary”, respectively. The X is often used as a third gender symbol for legal identification in places where a third symbol exists. These terms are generally used to find resources within the trans and non-binary community.

  • Gay is a sexual attraction that describes men who are attracted exclusively to other men. In recent years, gay has often been used as an umbrella term for people with non-straight sexual orientations.

  • Gender Dysphoria is the feeling of conflict between assigned gender and gender identity. Common causes of dysphoria include body shape, body hair (or lack thereof), voice, and reproductive processes (such as menstruation and erection).

  • Gender Euphoria is the euphoric state that can come from being recognized as your gender, or by doing gender-affirming things. For instance, a trans feminine person may experience gender euphoria by wearing a skirt.

  • GNC stands for gender non-conforming. This term can apply to both cisgender and transgender individuals (ex. a cis woman with short hair, a trans man wearing nail polish).

  • GRS stands for gender reassignment surgery. It is an updated term for the traditional SRS, which stands for sexual reassignment surgery.

  • GSA stands for Gay-Straight Alliance. GSAs are usually student organizations built around pushing for equality of LGBTQ+ persons.

  • GSM stands for gender and sexual minorities. It is occasionally used in the literature as an alternative for LGBTQ+.

  • Intersex is a term used to describe individuals whose personal body composition (including chromosomes, gonads, hormones, and genitals) are not adequately described by the binary male and female sex categories.

  • LGBTQ+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and other gender and sexual minorities (including asexuality). The acronym has several alternative forms with more or less letters:
    • LGB: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
    • LGBT: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender
    • LGBTQIA: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual
    • LGBTQIAPK: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Pansexual, Kink

  • Lesbian is a term used for women who are attracted exclusively to other women.

  • MLM and WLM mean “Men who Love Men” and “Women who Love Women”, respectively. They are largely used on the Internet.

  • MSM and WSM mean “Men who have Sex with Men” and “Women who have Sex with Women”, respectively. They are most often used in a medical context (i.e., the MSM restrictions on blood donations).

  • Neutrois is a gender identity that falls under the transgender umbrella. It is sometimes described as gender neutral or agender.

  • Non-Binary is an umbrella term for genders that do not conform to the woman/man binary framework. Within the non-binary community are a wealth of terms, including agender, genderqueer, genderfluid, and genderflux.

  • Pansexual is a sexual orientation that describes people who are attracted to other people without regard for gender.

  • PGP stands for proper gender pronouns. These are the set (or sets) of pronouns that a person wants used for themself. It was used as preferred gender pronouns in the past, but that term implies that using the correct pronouns for someone is a preference and not an obligation.

  • Polyam is an abbreviated form of polyamorous. It is occasionally shortened as poly, which is problematic because the Poly abbreviation is used to mean Polynesian.

  • QTPOC stands for Queer and Trans People Of Color.

  • Queer is used generally in place of the LGBTQ+ acronym (it’s easier!). It has a historical use as a pejorative, so there are many LGBTQ+ people who do not feel comfortable using the term for themselves. Always respect someone’s wishes to not have queer applied to them!

  • Stealth describes the act of hiding a trans identity post-transition. Being stealth is generally done for either safety or because a person doesn’t feel an obligation to be visibly trans.

  • STP stands for Stand-To-Pee. STP devices are sometimes used by trans masculine people to more easily urinate while standing and/or use a urinal.

  • TERF stands for Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminism. It describes people who have trans-exclusive views, and who often work to harm and undermine transgender people.

  • TGNC stands for Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming.

  • Transgender means that someone’s gender identity does not match sex they were assigned at birth. It is often abbreviated to “trans”, and the word is used as an adjective (i.e., a transgender person NOT a transgender). Sometimes “trans” appears as Trans* to explain its use as an umbrella term comprised of many different identities. Because gender identity is separate from sexual orientation, it is important to remember that straight trans people are included in the LGBTQ+ community.

The same identity can mean different things to different people, especially when it comes to trans identities.

Gender and sexuality often described using the Genderbread person.

A picture of a gingerbread person with a brain marked identity, a heart marked attraction, a body outline marked expression, and a transgender symbol between the legs marked sex. There are sliding scales from null to womanness and null to manness for each of these categories below the person.
For more about the Genderbread person, visit the website.

Being an Ally for the LGBTQ+ Community

There are many, many things you can do to work toward becoming an ally for the LGBTQ+ community. Just because some things appear in a checklist, does not mean they are the only things you can (or should) be doing.

  • Speak up
    • If you see someone getting mistreated because of their gender or sexuality, call out the mistreatment.
  • If you’re going to ask about relationships, don’t impose a heteronormative context
    • Don’t assume that a woman has (or wants) a husband, or that a man has (or wants) a wife
  • Stop assuming someone’s gender identity
    • Often times, we put people into the boxes of man or woman based on their gender expression, and doing this actually makes it really hard to acknowledge that people whose identities do not match their gender expression are actually their gender.
    • Example: it is often very hard for cisgender gender-conforming individuals to understand that a person with a beard could actually be a woman. This can lead to “gender-policing”, where you will only accept someones trans identity if they fit into a very specific definition of what it means to be that gender.
  • Eliminating gendered language
    • Every time “he/she” is used in writing, your transgender friends cringe. “They” is broader and challenges the gender binary (and sexism!) that comes from “he/she”.
  • Say what you mean
    • If you’re teaching a class about pregnancy but only using the phrase “pregnant women,” you’re leaving out people who do not identify themselves as women with your words. Instead, opt for something like “pregnant people.”
  • Normalize Sharing Your Pronouns
    • Sharing your pronouns means introducing yourself with your pronouns, or otherwise making them clear. Consider adding them to your introduction slide, email signature, Twitter bio, name tags, and business cards.
    • Normalizing the sharing of pronouns makes it easier for trans people to assert their pronouns. However, if you’re sharing your pronouns but not actually using the ones that others share with you, your sharing is just an empty gesture.
  • Learn About Microaggressions, And Just… Stop.
    • “That’s so gay!”
    • “I’m so glad you can get gay married!”
    • “Wow, I never would have guessed you were trans.”
    • “Um, excuse me, you’re in the wrong bathroom. This is the women’s room.”
    • “Have you had the surgery?”
    • “You don’t act gay!”
    • “You just haven’t met the right man.”
    • “Wait, you’re religious?”
  • Drop the Gendered Awards
    • If your school or program has a “best female” and “best male” award category, change it to the top two students (looking at you, Homecoming King/Queen). Having two separate categories based on gender often excludes transgender and non-binary individuals from participating, or, worse, only allows their participation under their gender assigned at birth.
  • Learn About Policies and Advocate for Better
    • Things like sexual orientation and gender identity not being included in equal opportunity policies, being required to have a legal name announced at graduation, and excluding gender-affirming care in student health insurance policies are just some of the ways that LGBTQ+ students are let down by campus policies.

Know the Issues

  • The LGBTQ+ community experiences higher instances of physical and sexual violence
  • The LGBTQ+ community (with a special emphasis on the transgender community) experience discrimination in health care
  • Health insurance policies are not obligated to cover transition-related services in many states
  • The LGBTQ+ community is not legally protected in housing, meaning that they can be evicted for their identity or refused housing because of their partner
  • It is dangerous for members of the LGBTQ+ community to travel to certain countries because their identities are considered criminal
  • Parenting (especially through adoption) is often denied to LGBTQ+ families
  • Conversion therapy (condemned by the APA) is legal in 30 states
  • Discrimination in public accommodation is legal
    • Transgender people can be denied the right to use a restroom or participate in gender-based activities as their true gender
  • Transgender people can be sent to prisons under the wrong gender, and are often placed in solitary confinement for “protection”
  • Non-binary identities are only legally recognized in a few states, and not on any federal documents
  • Many states have specific benchmarks for what qualifies as a gender transition (requiring court orders), and restrict access to updated legal documentation reflecting someone’s name and gender
  • Birth certificates and marriage certificates list parents and spouses under binary terms (mother/father, husband/wife) in many states

General Guidelines

  • Do your homework. Read articles about LGBTQ+ equality and the issues they currently face. Learn about what it takes to transition in your state and the barriers that exist.
  • Listen when a member of the community talks about their experience. Realize that the potential solutions that exist may not be an option for members of the community.
  • Call out bias when you see it. Stand up for the LGBTQ+ community, even when they’re not in the room.
  • Challenge your internal perceptions of gender and sexuality. Work to correct your biases based on gender and sexuality. There doesn’t have to be a default of cisgender and straight because there doesn’t have to be a default at all.
  • Fight for equity, but fight harder to dismantle the systems of oppression.
  • Remember that being an ally, but not being intersectional in that allyship, is only going to be more damaging in the long-run. Prioritize the most marginalized within the community.

Surveys: Asking the Gender Question

There are a few things to consider when asking for gender and sexuality in demographic questions. First, why are you asking? Is it to get an understanding of your target population? Is it relevant to your needs? Do you just feel like you should? The way you obtain this information will depend on your answers to these questions. For instance, is it really relevant to what you’re studying to know if someone answering is transgender or asexual? If you’re doing a climate survey, it probably is! You also want to consider how you plan on coding the data, and what will happen if you do not have enough responses for an aggregate.

  • If only one person responds with “non-binary”, are you invalidating all their answers because you want to classify everything by gender?
  • Would grouping responses for a self-description be possible?

In general, it is best to offer at least three categories: woman, man, and non-binary. Male and female describe sexes and man and woman describe genders. If your survey is making every question required, you should also offer a “Prefer not to describe” option. When possible, self-description is the best, but that can be difficult to code and analyze effectively.

If it is necessary to know about trans status, then ask as secondary question. Separating out “cisgender woman/cisgender man” and “transgender woman/transgender man” can make it seem like cisgender and transgender people have different genders, and can lead to the impression that transgender people are not the gender that they are.

What best describes your gender identity?

  • Woman
  • Man
  • Non-binary
  • Prefer not to disclose
  • Prefer to self-describe: [ ]

Do you identify as transgender? (Transgender means not having a gender identity that matches the one you were assigned at birth. It can include non-binary genders.)

  • Yes
  • No
  • Prefer not to disclose

LGBTQ+ Ally Training

Additional LGBTQ+ Resources

Anti-Racism Resources

Intersectionality and Inclusivity

General Ally Resources

Accessibility Resources

GRExit

Data have shown time and time again that the GRE is a biased exam. These resources pertain to dropping the GRE.