The Gender and Sexual Minorities Thread II: So Many Wonders
Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 5:46 pm
Welcome to the gender and sexual minorities thread!
The main intent of this thread is to be a resource for people who are coming out, dealing with their sexuality and/or gender, or who are otherwise unsure and in need of help. Everyone is welcome here, regardless of their gender or sexuality. You are free to ask questions and share stories here without being judged. As long as you are respectful, you will be treated with respect in kind. Please keep in mind that we are still a forum for a children's television show, so try to keep everything PG-13 rated. If you'd like to get more in-depth about the nitty-gritty details (AKA "buttchat") then join us on our IRC channel, which is located in the resources section below.
If you'd like me to add a link to the resources section or a definition to the glossary, let me know and I'll add it to the OP.
RESOURCES:
The Round Stable GSM IRC Channel: #quiltbag on irc.synirc.net
GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network. Group that works with educators, policy-makers, community leaders, and students to address and stamp out anti-GLBT behavior. They have chapters all over the USA and the website is loaded with research and resources for GSM youth.
PFLAG: Parents and Friends of Lesbians And Gays. A support community made up of parents of LGBT people and straight allies. They have chapters all over the USA as well as a lot of literature for helping the parents of GSMs understand what their children are going through. This is an excellent resource for planning how to come out to your family.
We Happy Trans: A place where trans people from all different locations and background to share stories of positive experiences.
The Round Stable GSM Thread I: Check out the old thread for some inspiring stories!
GLOSSARY:
Asexual: Someone who lacks sexual attraction to others and has an absent-to-low interest in sexual activity. This does not necessarily mean they find sex disgusting, nor does it mean they are aromantic, meaning they can never have a romantic attraction towards someone else. There are many asexuals that are perfectly happy in long-term, sexless relationships.
Bisexual: Someone who is sexually attracted to both males and females. Yes, bisexual men do actually exist. It's not just "a road to gaytown." And no, bisexual women aren't just doing it for the attention. Bisexuals are also not insatiable sex hounds. There are plenty of bisexuals that are completely happy in long-term, monogamous relationships.
Cisgender: Opposite of transgender. Someone whose self-perception of their gender matches the gender they were assigned at birth. The vast majority of people in the world are cisgender.
Gay: Usually described as a male who is sexually attracted to other males, but there are many lesbians who identify as gay as well. Contrary to X-Box Live and most of the internet, the word "gay" is not the equivalent of the word "stupid" and therefore should not be used in the pejorative.
Genderqueer: Someone outside the gender binary, meaning they do not identify as strictly male or strictly female. They can either identify as both a man and a woman (bigender), neither a man nor a woman (genderless), someone that moves between genders (genderfluid), or a third gender, which includes those who don't place a name to their gender.
Intersex: Someone who has a variation in sex characteristics, through chromosomes or genitals, that do not allow them to be classified as distinctly male or female. This is not the same thing as a hermaphrodite. There is no such thing as a hermaphroditic human. They are a physiologic impossibility.
Lesbian: A female who is attracted to other females. And no, they're not just around to be gawked at by straight men.
Pansexual: Someone who is sexually attracted to people of all gender identities, whether male, female, or genderqueer.
Polyamory: Having more than one intimate relationship at a time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved. As opposed to monogamy, which is the practice of having only one partner at a time.
Queer: A catch-all term for people that are not heterosexual and/or don't follow the gender binary.
QUILTBAG: An anagram for Queer/Questioning, Unknown/Unsure, Intersex, Lesbian, Trans, Bisexual, Asexual/Allies, Gay/Genderqueer. Used as a slightly more accurate and inclusive version of GLBT. The term Gender and Sexual Minorities, although not as popular, is an alternative catch-all term to QUILTBAG.
Transgender: Opposite of cisgender. Someone whose self-identified gender does not match the gender they were assigned at birth. A transman identifies as a man, despite not being assigned the male gender at birth. A transwoman identifies as a woman, despite not being assigned the female gender at birth. It does not matter what genitals they have, a transman should always be identified as a man and a transwoman should always be identified as a woman. Terms like "tranny", "he-she" or "it" are offensive and should never be used when identifying transgendered people.