Feminist Glossary
Language can be a great way to express identity and communicate ideas, but it can be tricky to keep up with the correct and current terminology. We’ve created this glossary as a guide to some possibly unfamiliar terms. Don’t worry if you’re reading some of these words for the first time. Everyone makes mistakes and has more to learn from one another, both as feminists and as people. The important thing is we stay respectful of one another and willing to learn and grow. This includes Womendeavour! If you would like to see a term added or amended please let us know.
Queer:
Ally:
In this case, a person who is not LGBTQ+ (typically) but shows support for LGBT+ people and promotes equality in a variety of ways.
Cisgender:
A term for people whose gender identitity corresponds with the sex they assigned at birth.
Gender Expression:
This refers to the ways in which a person manifests their gender. It can include things such as: how a person dresses; how they speak; and how they introduce themselves to the world (name, pronouns etc.).
Gender Identity:
A person’s innate sense of their own gender, whether male, female or something else (see non-binary below), which may or may not correspond to the sex assigned at birth.
Non-binary:
A term for people who do not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. Non-binary people may identify as both a man and a woman, somewhere in between, or reject binary identities entirely. Though they can have things in common, non-binary is not the same as trans.
Pronoun:
Words we use to refer to people’s gender in conversation - for example, ‘she’, ‘he’, ‘they’. Some people may prefer others to refer to them in gender neutral language and use pronouns such as they/their and ze/zir. International Pronoun Day is October 21.
Intersectionality:
This term was coined by American academic Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989. It describes how an individual’s characteristics, such as gender, race, sexuality, can intersect to create different experiences of prejudice, discrimination and privilege.
Transgender:
An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc.
Transphobia:
The fear or dislike of someone based on the fact they are trans, including denying their gender identity or refusing to accept it. Transphobia may be targeted at people who are, or who are perceived to be, trans.
An umbrella for members of the LGBTQI+ community, across the gender and sexuality spectrum.