Because words matter
Whether you're seeking information or looking to deepen your understanding, this lexicon provides clear, accessible definitions to help you navigate LGBTQ+ realities with confidence.
Lexicon
A
The ally is usually a heterosexual and cisgender person who supports people of different sexual orientations, identities and gender expressions with the aim of contributing to their well-being or a greater acceptance of their realities. The ally can, however, also be an LGBTQ + person who supports communities other than his own (e.g. a lesbian ally of trans people).
An individual who does not identify with either a female or male gender identity.
Person who feels little or no romantic attraction for anyone. Aromanticism comes as a spectrum. A person who is on this spectrum is commonly called “aro”.
Person who feels little or no sexual attraction for anyone. Asexuality comes as a spectrum. A person who is on the spectrum of asexuality is commonly called "ace".
Person whose gender expression lies between the male and female poles.
B
Person who is interested in having emotional and / or sexual relations with people of a gender other than that of the people with whom they usually have these relations, but who does not identify as bisexual.
Negative attitudes towards bisexuality, bisexual people, or people perceived as such, which can lead to discrimination, direct or indirect. Biphobia is often based on misunderstanding and prejudices such as the idea that bisexual people are promiscuous, unfaithful, or that they don't know what they want. This discrimination can come from heterosexual people as well as from people belonging to other communities of sexual and gender diversity.
Person who feels emotional and / or sexual attraction for two genders (generally men and women). This word is used by some as a synonym or umbrella term for pansexual.
An individual whose gender identity corresponds to two genders.
C
Person whose gender identity matches the gender and sex assigned at birth (see sex). Most people are cisgender. The opposite of cisgender is transgender.
To "come-out", " is the act of disclosing one's sexual orientation or gender identity to certain people. It is usually a gradual process that begins with a small group of close people (family or friends). It is important to respect the person's choice and never reveal their orientation or gender identity without their consent.
A cultural or societal bias that prioritizes cisgender individuals and those who conform to gender norms. This system ignores or underrepresents transgender and gender-diverse identities by assuming that everyone is cisgender and will express their gender in ways that align with societal expectations based on their perceived gender.
This way of thinking enforces a direct and "natural" link between assigned sex at birth, gender identity, and gender expression, reinforcing the idea that deviation from these norms is abnormal or invalid.
A chosen family is a group of individuals selected by a person with whom they share emotional and material support, especially when they have no connection with their family of origin, experience strained relationships due to misunderstandings related to their sexual orientation or gender identity, or do not feel fully accepted in their identity. These relationships are voluntary, based on trust and love, and develop over time, fostering a shared sense of history and belonging.
D
Term encompassing all sexual orientations and the plurality of gender identities and expressions. This term brings together lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people as well as other communities such as queer, intersex, asexual, two-spirited people, etc. (LGBTQIA2S +).
Person who performs a genre other than their own through a character. This genre is often performed in a stereotypical and humorous way. This is an artistic performance, entertainment and / or parody, and not a gender identity or sexual orientation.
Name assigned to a transgender or non-binary person at birth that they no longer use. This is confidential and sensitive information that should never be disclosed without the person’s consent. Deadnaming (calling someone by their former name) is a sign of disrespect toward their identity and can be considered harassment when done intentionally and/or repeatedly.
E
This term refers to negative attitudes, actions, and words directed at individuals whose gender identity is non-binary. These attitudes can manifest as the denial or rejection of their gender identity, as well as physical, psychological, or verbal violence.
A common expression of enbyphobia is the social pressure to present as androgynous (a gender expression that blends masculinity and femininity) in order to be recognized as non-binary.
F
Person whose gender identity or sexual orientation fluctuates or is not limited to the traditional definition of female or male gender.
G
Synonymous with homosexual, most often used to refer to a man. Preferred by some to the word "homosexual" because the latter can have a medical and sexual connotation.
A set of roles, behaviors, activities, and characteristics that society considers appropriate and normal for a specific gender. Individuals who do not conform to these norms may experience stigma.
Example: A man staying at home to care for his children, a woman with visible body hair, etc.
The term "gender stereotypes" is also used.
A representation of gender as a continuum rather than a binary system. Also referred to as the gender continuum.
A system which divides humanity into two mutually exclusive genders: male and female. This system does not take into account the diversity found in human beings and excludes intersex people, trans people and non-binary people.
Intense sense of unease felt by a trans person, caused by the discrepancy between the sex assigned at birth, society's expectations regarding gender, their body and their gender identity. Gender dysphoria is not experienced by all trans people.
H
Heterosexism or heteronormativity is the assumption that everyone is heterosexual "by default" and that heterosexuality is inherently better or preferable because it fits the social norm. This belief is often the root cause of homophobia.
Negative attitudes towards homosexuality, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, or towards people perceived as such, which can lead to discrimination, direct or indirect. There are also variants of homophobia such as lesbophobia or biphobia when this aversion is more particularly addressed to lesbians or bisexual people.
Person who feels emotional and / or sexual attraction to people of the same gender.
Person who is only attracted to people of a gender other than their own (eg. man attracted to women, or woman attracted to men).
Refers to any form of family in which at least one of the parents is lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB). Homoparental families exist in various forms: they can be two-parent, single-parent, blended, adoptive, foster, multi-ethnic, biracial, etc. LGB parents can be cisgender or trans.
I
Questioning or failing to respect a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Example: denying the existence of bisexual or asexual individuals, or misgendering a transgender person.
"Any behavior, word, act or gesture, deliberate or not, of a repetitive nature, expressed directly or indirectly, including in cyberspace, in a context characterized by unequal power relations between the people concerned, having the effect of generating feelings of distress and of harming, hurting, oppressing or ostracizing”. (Gouvernement du Québec, 2012).
Intersex people are born with sexual characteristics (genital, hormonal, gonadal or chromosomal) which are not all exclusively "male" or "female" according to current medical standards. In these cases, doctors usually decide the sex of the baby and reinforce that choice with surgery (considered by the United Nations to be mutilations) and / or hormones. Some intersex variations may not show any outward signs. In total about 1.7% of the world's population are born with intersex traits. Intersex people can be of any sexual orientation and of any gender expression or identity.
Analytical perspective according to which the condition of a person is to be considered by taking into account the different categories of identities to which this person belongs (e.g .: sex, gender, skin color, ethnicity, class social, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, body shape, nationality, religion, belief, etc.) and how these identities interact with each other to form a separate discrimination.
L
Woman who is emotionally and / or sexually attracted to women. Preferred by some to the word "homosexual", because the latter can have a medical and sexual connotation and often refers to men.
This term refers to all negative attitudes, actions, and words directed specifically at women who love women, leading to direct or indirect discrimination against lesbians, bisexual women, or those perceived as such. Lesbophobia can also manifest in the invalidation of lesbian relationships or the notion that female homosexuality is not real or legitimate.
This acronym has several variations, including LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ +, LGBTQIA + or 2SLGBTQIA + (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, aromantic or allied). The "+" sign refers to any other community that is part of sexual and gender diversity not mentioned in the first letters (eg. pansexual, non-binary, etc.).
M
Using the wrong pronouns or gender mentions when talking about a person, intentionally or not (eg : Using "she" instead of "he" or "they"; saying "sir" to a (trans) woman)
Minority stress refers to specific stressors related to transphobia and homophobia. These stressors can take the form of harassment, discrimination, and the denial of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
The more a person is exposed to these stressors, the higher their risk of developing internalized homophobia or transphobia, feeling compelled to conceal their identity or sexual orientation, or constantly anticipating homophobic or transphobic events.
The combination of these stress factors heavily impacts mental health, potentially leading to depression, anxiety disorders, and suicidal ideation. This context also significantly increases the likelihood of developing avoidance mechanisms to cope with stress, such as self-medication, substance abuse, or self-harming behaviors.
N
Spectrum of gender identities that do not correspond exclusively to one of the two binary genders (male or female). Person whose gender identity is neither exclusively male nor exclusively female. Agender, bigender, and genderfluid are some non-binary identities.
P
Pronouns are used to refer to someone, eg : he, she or they. Someone might ask to be referred to by different pronouns than the ones they used in the past in order to match their gender identity.
Person who feels emotional and / or sexual attraction to individuals of all genders (women, men and non-binary people).
Q
Person who identifies with a gender identity or sexual orientation outside the norm or fluid. This word can also be used to encompass different LGBTQ + identities (eg “queer culture”).
Note: This term was originally an insult to LGBTQ + people, it has been claimed back by many, but some people (especially people who have known this term primarily as an insult) remain uncomfortable with the word. It is best to avoid using this term unless the person uses it to describe themselves.
S
Sex is assigned at birth by the medical profession, often based on a visual examination of the external genitalia. But biological sex can be established according to several criteria, such as hormones produced by the body, chromosomes and internal and external reproductive organs. A person's sex can be male, female or, when the different criteria are not all aligned, intersex.
The way a person describes their gender identity or sexual orientation.
Term used to describe attraction to one type of person (men, women, both, all genders). Although it understands the word "sexual", sexual orientation often refers to a combination of several types of attraction, among which may be aesthetic attraction (finding that person beautiful), sensual (wanting physical contact this person), sexual (wanting to have sex with this person), intellectual (feeling a connection with that person on an intellectual level) and romantic (having romantic feelings for this person).
T
Identity of a trans person. Ex : Homosexuality and transidentity are not diseases.
A transgender person who does not have citizenship or permanent residency in Québec. Transmigrants do not have the same rights and access to gender-affirming services as non-migrant transgender individuals. As of 2020, transmigrants in Québec are unable to change their name or gender marker on civil status documents.
(Also known as "crossdresser") Person who, on occasion, takes the appearance of a gender other than their own, but who does not necessarily identify with that gender. Eg: a man who sometimes dresses up as a woman. This is a question of behavior, not necessarily of gender identity.
The process of affirming a gender different to the one the person used to be perceived as. Transition can involve on different dimensions: social (e.g. change of pronouns), physical (change of hairstyle or dress style), legal (change of name and gender markers on ID) and / or medical (taking hormones or gender affirmative surgery). This process differs among people and can take different forms. All are valid.
Trans is a generic term that designates a person whose gender identity does not correspond to the one assigned to them at birth. The word trans encompasses the words "transgender" and "transsexual", of which the latter is considered obsolete today. Not to be confused with transvestite.
*The definitions given in this glossary are indicative only and are not exhaustive. The vocabulary associated with sexual and gender diversity is constantly evolving. It is therefore important to take into account and respect the words a person uses to identify themselves.