The Vocabulary of Queer Talk

Language is an issue for any community, especially oppressed communities in which language has been used to harm, otherize, and vilify.
But language can be reclaimed, and a lot of moments in the queer community lately have been focused on language, or pivoting around the issue.

So, without further ado, let's look at some labels and terms that are thrown around in the queer community and see what they mean.

QUEER- Something of a third rail word, queer has been reclaimed by much of the LGBTQA community, although for some it is still seen as derogatory or a slur. It is typically used as an umbrella term for non-ally members of the community, although it is more frequently used in application to issues of sexual identity, preference, and sexuality than to issues of gender or sex identity.

GENDERQUEER- Also something of an umbrella term, genderqueer is usually used as a label for people who identify as gender “deviant”, either through their gender expression/presentation, their core gender feeling, or their sex presentation/expression and/or identity.

LESBIAN- An self-identified woman who is romantically attracted to self-identified women.

BISEXUAL- A person who is romantically attracted to people of either or any gender or sex. Bisexual has become a debated term, as well, due to the prefix “bi-” implying there are two genders or sexes. Some who identify as bisexual may discuss their sex preference as being attracted to people regardless of their gender or sex.

GAY- An umbrella term and a specific label. Gay is used sometimes interchangeably with queer, but can also be specifically used to refer to self-identified men who are romantically attracted to self-identified men.

TRANSSEXUAL- A person who does not identify with their birth sex and associated gender. Transsexual can be used as an umbrella term like genderqueer to refer to all people whose identity deviates from the “norm”, but it can also be used to specifically refer to people who present or physically change their bodies to become more like their gender and sex identities.

TRANSGENDER(ED)- Can be used interchangeably with transsexual or genderqueer, but it can also be used to refer specifically to a person who does not identify with their birth sex and associated gender and present their gender and sex identities without changing their bodies with hormones or surgery. NOTE- The “-ed” suffix is somewhat controversial. Some people prefer it, and others find it offensive.

CROSSDRESSER- A person who presents a sex or gender usually other than their birth sex and associated gender. This can be for fun, performance, or just to feel more comfortable, and may be a frequent activity or occasional. A person's gender or sex identity does not necessarily deviate from their birth sex and associated gender, but it may.

TRANSVESTITE- This term is seen as somewhat archaic, and is the same as crossdresser. However, since it originated as a medical term for diagnosing an “abnormality” many find this term to be a slur and it is not usually seen as an acceptable to use to refer to a person or “condition”.

HOMOSEXUAL- Referring to a person who is romantically attracted to people of the same sex, this term is somewhat controversial since it originated as a medical term for diagnosing a mental “abnormality” or “disorder”. However, it is still frequently (and somewhat mistakenly) used as a PC term used interchangeably with “gay”.

CISGENDER(-ED)- This is a fairly new term used to refer to a person who identify with their birth sex and the associated gender.

STRAIGHT/HETEROSEXUAL- A person who is romantically attracted to people of the “opposite” sex. Heterosexual, like homosexual, originated as a medical term,but is not generally seen as derogatory or offensive.

THIRD GENDER- Referring to a person who does not identify as male or female, nor as something “in-between”, but, rather, as a third gender outside of the male-female binary.

NON-GENDER(ED)- A person who does not identify with any gender.

ASEXUAL- A label referring to people who do not identify as having any sexuality, although not necessarily exclusive from having a sexual preference.

ALLY- Used to refer to straight cisgender people who participate in the LGBTQA community. The term has also been part of a movement, lately, in which queer members of the community also use the terms to identify themselves as supporting queer causes.

DRAG QUEEN- Typically used to refer to a biological man who performs exaggerated femininity on stage, a drag queen is not necessarily a biological man, and gender and sex identity does not actually effect whether or not a person is or can be a drag queen.

DRAG KING- Typically used to refer to a biological woman who performs a masculine identity on stage, sometimes an exaggerated masculinity. A drag king is not necessarily a biological woman, and gender and sex identity does not actually effect whether or not a person is or can be a drag king.

There are many other terms that could have been included in this list. However, to include all terms and labels would be almost impossible, if not completely impossible. Language is always changing, especially in communities where words can be used to hurt others and is undergoing the process of reclamation. When discussing identities with others, it is important to always be open-minded and aware of your own intentions behind any and all questions you wish to ask-- but if you hear a word or term you are unsure of, asking is better than assuming or presuming!