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Diversity Style Guide

The Diversity Style Guide

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Work

The Diversity Style Guide

Published

2023

Format

markdown

Copyright

© The Diversity Style Guide (San Francisco State University) — © The Diversity Style Guide. Aggregates attributed entries from many sources; cited and linked, not republished.

Original URL

https://www.diversitystyleguide.com/glossary/indigenous/

Commons access

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Added

May 2026

Terms citing this source

• Abnormal Avoid

  “avoid using abnormal to describe a person. Avoid referring to someone who does not have a disability as a normal person as it implies that people with disabilities are deviant or strange. Typical is a better choice. Be cautious when using the term abnormal behavior. …”

  — Glossary entry, "abnormal/abnormality"

• Ableism Use

  “Prejudiced thoughts, attitudes and/or discriminatory actions based on differences in physical, mental and/or emotional ability. … It may also be referred to as disability discrimination, ablecentrism or disability oppression.”

  — Ableism glossary entry

• Accessible Use

  “The opportunity to access programs, services and facilities for people with disabilities. The extent to which a facility is usable and approachable for people with disabilities.”

  — Accessibility, accessible glossary entry

• Addict Avoid

  “The American Psychiatric Association recommends avoiding the term addict, suggesting instead the phrase "someone experiencing a drug/alcohol problem." The association also discourages using the term junkie, which specifically refers to someone who misuses heroin.”

  — Glossary entry, "addict, addiction"

• African American Use

  “Some people may identify themselves as African American to resist Black as a socially constructed category. Others may identify this way to assert their American identity. … Some people may identify as Black because they do not feel connected to the American state.”

  — Entry: African American, African-American, Black, black (lines 191–194 in archived markdown)

• Addiction Use with care

  “The term addiction is acceptable for uncontrollable, compulsive use of substances … It is preferable to refer to someone who harmfully uses drugs as someone with a drug addiction.”

  — Glossary entry, "addict, addiction"

• Ageism Use

  “Stereotyping and prejudice against individuals or groups because of their age. … Dr. Butler defined ageism as a combination of three connected elements: prejudicial attitudes towards older people, old age and the aging process; discriminatory practices against older people; and institutional practices and policies that perpetuate stereotypes about older people.”

  — Glossary entry, "ageism"

• Agender Use

  “A person who identifies as neither male nor female. It is best to ask people who identify as agender which pronouns they prefer. See androgyne, genderqueer, non-binary.”

  — Glossary, "agender" entry

• Aging Use

  “An ongoing, all-inclusive process rather than a label placed on older, frail adults.”

  — Glossary entry, "aging"

• Alcoholic Avoid

  “The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment recommends using people-first language such as someone with alcoholism or someone with an alcohol problem. Refer to someone who harmfully uses alcohol as someone with an alcohol problem… Use recovering…”

  — "alcoholic, alcoholism" glossary entry

• Alien Avoid

  “A word [previously] used by the U.S. government to describe a foreign-born person who is not a citizen… In modern times, with science-fiction growing in popularity, alien has come to mean a creature from outer space, and is considered pejorative by most immigrants.”

  — Glossary entry: alien / illegal alien

• Ally Use

  “A person who makes the commitment and effort to recognize their privilege (based on gender, class, race, sexual identity, etc.) and work in solidarity with oppressed groups in the struggle for justice.”

  — Glossary entry, "ally"

• American Indian Use

  “American Indian and Native American are both generally acceptable and can be used interchangeably, although individuals may have a preference. … In 2016, President Barack Obama signed legislation (HR 4238) that replaced the term American Indian with Native American in federal laws.”

  — Entry: American Indian

• Antisemitism Use

  “A prejudice against people of Jewish heritage. It has inspired the Holocaust, physical abuse, slander, economic and social discrimination, vandalism and other crimes. … The unhyphenated spelling is favored by many scholars and institutions, including the World Jewish Congress, the Anti-Defamation League and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.”

  — Glossary entry, "antisemitism" (updated November 2023)

• Arab Use

  “Refers to nation or people from an Arabic-speaking country. Not synonymous with Muslim. … Do not imply in headlines or text that Arab equals Muslim, holy war or terrorist. Note: Iran is not an Arab country. The majority of Iranian people are Persian and the language is Farsi.”

  — Glossary entry: Arab

• Asexual Use

  “A person who does not experience sexual attraction. Asexuals can and do experience other forms of attraction and intimacy, such as aesthetic, emotional, platonic, or romantic, and they can describe their romantic attraction in terms of hetero/homo/bi/pan, etc.”

  — Glossary entry, "asexual"

• Asian American Use

  “Asian American is the proper term for people who come from Asia or descend from people who lived in Asia. Do not hyphenate. … You may use the umbrella term South Asian to refer to Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis.”

  — Asian American entry (lines 466–469 in archived markdown)

• Asian Use with care

  “Caution. A term as broad as European. In some usage, chiefly British, Asian refers to Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and others. In the United States, such ethnic groups would be known as South Asians, while Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and others would be known as East Asians.”

  — Asian glossary entry (line 464 in archived markdown)

• Autism Use

  “Some people with autism prefer being referred to as an autistic person; others object to using autistic as an adjective. … Ask individuals how they prefer to be described. If in doubt, use people-first language, referring to someone as a person with autism spectrum disorder rather than an autistic person.”

  — Glossary entry, "autism/autism spectrum disorders"

• Biological Sex Avoid

  “Avoid the terms "biological gender," "biological sex," "biological woman," "biological female," "biological man," or "biological male." These terms are inaccurate and often offensive… Instead use: assigned male/female at birth, assigned sex at birth or raised as a boy/girl.”

  — Glossary → biological gender/biological sex (updated March 2021)

• BIPOC Use with care

  “It is a noun and since it includes the word 'people' it would be redundant to say 'BIPOC people.' It is pronounced 'buy-pock' as opposed to saying each letter individually. … While BIPOC is commonly used by activists, it is not universally embraced. Some consider it redundant.”

  — BIPOC entry (lines 606–609 in archived markdown)

• Bisexual Use

  “People may experience this attraction in differing ways and degrees over their lifetime. Bisexual people need not have had specific sexual experiences to be bisexual; in fact, they need not have had any sexual experience at all to identify as bisexual.”

  — Bisexual, bi entry

• Black Lives Matter Use

  “A civil rights movement that started after the July 2013 acquittal of George Zimmerman in the Florida shooting death of African-American teen Trayvon Martin. The Black Lives Matter movement, also written #BlackLivesMatter, was started as a Twitter hashtag by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi …”

  — Glossary entry, "Black Lives Matter, #BlackLivesMatter"

• Black Use

  “Black and African American do not necessarily mean the same thing and individuals may not identify with one term or the other. It's best to ask. If that's not possible, use either term.”

  — Entry: African American, African-American, Black, black (lines 191–194 in archived markdown)

• Blind Use with care

  “Use the term blind only when the person has complete loss of sight and the term legally blind when the person has almost complete loss of sight. Other terms also may be acceptable. It is best to ask the person which term he or she prefers …”

  — Glossary entry, "blind/limited vision/low vision/partially sighted/visually impaired"

• Caucasian Non-preferred

  “Avoid as a synonym for White, unless used in demographic data. Updated February 2021”

  — Caucasian entry (lines 781–784 in archived markdown)

• Chicanx Reclaimed in community

  “The terms were originally considered derogatory. However the Chicano movement during the 1960s adopted these names in response to discrimination against Mexican Americans working under unfair labor and social conditions. These terms announce pride in indigenous ancestry, which was a significant ideological element of the Chicano movement.”

  — Chicana, Chicano entry (lines 816–819 in archived markdown)

• Cisgender Use with care

  “A term used by some to describe people who are not transgender. 'Cis-' is a Latin prefix meaning 'on the same side as,' and is therefore an antonym of 'trans-.' A more widely understood way to describe people who are not transgender is simply to say non-transgender people.”

  — Cisgender, cis entry

• Colonialism Use

  “The European Age of Exploration that began in the 16th century led, for good and ill, to the subjugation of less technologically advanced peoples as European colonies. … One consequence of World War II was the rapid shedding of empire in the late 1940s, climaxing globally in the 1960s.”

  — Glossary entry: colonialism

• Colored Avoid

  “An archaic term for Black. In some African countries, colored denotes those of mixed racial ancestry. Do not use unless referring to official names, historical events or in quotes.”

  — Glossary entry: colored

• Convict Avoid

  “Avoid this term when referring to a person who is incarcerated or has been convicted of a crime. Instead, use people-first language. The Marshall Project … recommends … constructions that include "person" or "people," a subject's name and/or fixed biographical characteristics like age or state.”

  — Glossary entry, “convict”

• Crazy Avoid

  “Derogatory language that contributes to the negative attitudes about mental illness that keep people from seeking treatment. … rather than crazy or deranged, use people living with a mental illness.”

  — Glossary entry, "crazy/crazed, psycho, nuts, lunatic, deranged, wacko"

• Deadname Use with care

  “The birth name of somebody who has changed their name. It is most commonly used by trans people. Can be written as deadname or dead name. v. To call somebody by their deadname.”

  — Glossary entry, "dead name, deadname"

• Deaf Use

  “Lowercase when referring to a hearing-loss condition or to a deaf person who prefers lowercase. Capitalize for those who identify as members of the Deaf community or when they capitalize Deaf when describing themselves. Deaf should be used as an adjective, not as a noun…”

  — Glossary entry, "Deaf, deaf"

• Diversity Use with care

  “There are many kinds of diversity, based on race, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, class, age, country of origin, education… Valuing diversity means recognizing differences among people, acknowledging that these differences are a valued asset, and striving for diverse representation as a critical step toward equity.”

  — Glossary, "diversity" entry

• Dreamer / DACA Recipient Use

  “DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. This program provides temporary relief from deportation and employment authorization for individuals who would be eligible for the DREAM Act were it to become law.”

  — Glossary entry: DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals); see also Glossary entry: DREAM Act

• Elderly Use with care

  “Use this word carefully and sparingly. The term is appropriate only in generic phrases that do not refer to specific individuals: concern for the elderly, a home for the elderly, etc.”

  — Glossary entry, "elderly"

• Ethnicity Use with care

  “A person's [ethnicity] should not be mentioned unless relevant. This also applies to references to ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion. … Race and ethnicity may be relevant in some stories…”

  — Glossary entry: ethnicity, mention of

• Felon Avoid

  “Avoid these terms when referring to a person who has been convicted of a crime, because it defines or labels people based on the crime. Instead, use people-first language. The Marshall Project … recommends using specific language that avoids labeling or dehumanizing people.”

  — Glossary entry, “felon, offender”

• First Nations Use

  “First Nations is a term used to describe Aboriginal peoples of Canada who are ethnically neither Métis nor Inuit … This phrase came into common usage in the 1970s and '80s and generally replaced the term Indian to refer to Indigenous people of Canada.”

  — Entry: First Nations (updated February 2021)

• Gay Use

  “Refers to men who are attracted to other men; preferred over homosexual, which connotes clinical context or references to sexual activity. Avoid using as a singular noun. … In headlines where space is limited, gay is acceptable to describe both.”

  — Gay entry

• Gender Binary Use with care

  “The assumption that gender is binary -- that is, that there are two and only two genders -- male and female -- which are distinct and disconnected. Many have come to see this as a false dichotomy, given the existence of intersex, transgender people and agender people.”

  — Glossary entry: gender binary

• Gender Affirming Care Use

  “A broad term for health care transgender people may pursue, including counseling, hormone replacement therapy, and surgical treatments.…When writing about medical care is appropriate and not objectifying, terms like gender-affirming medical care or transition-related medical care will usually suffice.”

  — Glossary entry, "gender-affirming care/transition-related medical care"

• Gender Identity Disorder Avoid

  “Outdated, avoid. See gender dysphoria.”

  — Glossary entry, "Gender Identity Disorder"

• Gender Identity Use

  “One's internal, deeply held sense of one's gender. For transgender people, their own internal gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. … Unlike gender expression, gender identity is not visible to others.”

  — Glossary entry, "gender identity"

• Gender Nonconforming Use with care

  “A term used to describe some people whose gender expression is different from conventional expectations of masculinity and femininity. … The term is not a synonym for transgender or transsexual and should only be used if someone self-identifies as gender non-conforming.”

  — Glossary entry: gender nonconforming

• Genderqueer Use with care

  “A term used by some people who experience their gender identity and/or gender expression as falling outside the categories of man and woman… The term is not a synonym for transgender or transsexual and should only be used if someone self-identifies as genderqueer.”

  — Glossary entry: genderqueer

• Ghetto Avoid

  “Term used as a synonyms for sections of cities inhabited by poor people or minorities. Avoid this term because of its negative connotations. Often the name of the neighborhood is the best choice. Section, district or quarter may also be used.”

  — "ghetto" glossary entry

• Handicapped Avoid

  “Do not describe a person as handicapped unless it is central to the story. Avoid using handicap and handicapped when describing a person. Instead, refer to the person's specific condition.”

  — Glossary entry, "handicapped"

• Hermaphrodite Avoid

  “Avoid the outdated and derogatory term "hermaphrodite." While some people can have an intersex condition and also identify as transgender, the two are separate and should not be conflated.”

  — Glossary entry, "intersex"

• Hispanic Use with care

  “An umbrella term referring to a person whose ethnic origin is in a Spanish-speaking country … except for those from Brazil, which is not a Spanish-speaking country. Federal policy defines 'Hispanic' not as a race, but as an ethnicity; it notes that Hispanics can be of any race.”

  — Hispanic entry (lines 1736–1739 in archived markdown)

• Homophobia Use with care

  “Fear, hatred or dislike of homosexuality, gay men and lesbians. Restrict to germane usage, such as in quotations or opinions. Use LGBT right opponents or a similar phrase instead of homophobes when describing people who disagree with LGBT rights activism.”

  — Homophobia entry

• Homosexual Use with care

  “As a noun, a person who is attracted to members of the same sex. As an adjective, of or relating to sexual and affectional attraction to a member of the same sex. Use only in medical contexts or in reference to sexual activity. For other usages, see gay, lesbian.”

  — Glossary entry: homosexual

• Illegal Alien Avoid

  “Avoid. Alternative terms are undocumented worker or undocumented immigrant. … Many find the term offensive and dehumanizing because it criminalizes the person rather than the actual act of illegally entering or residing in the United States.”

  — Glossary entry, "illegal alien"

• Illegal Immigrant Avoid

  “Avoid these terms when referring to immigration status. Use undocumented immigrant or undocumented worker instead… The term criminalizes the person rather than the actual act of illegally entering or residing in the United States… Never use illegal(s) as a noun.”

  — Glossary entry: illegal immigrant, illegal alien, illegals

• Immigrant Use with care

  “Similar to reporting about a person's race, mentioning that a person is a first-generation immigrant could be used to provide readers or viewers with background information, but the relevancy of using the term should be made apparent in the story.”

  — Glossary entry: immigrant

• Implicit Bias Use with care

  “Attitudes that unconsciously affect [people's] decisions and actions. … However, brain science has shown that people are often unaware of their bias, and the concept of implicit bias helps describe a lot of contemporary racist acts that may not be overt or intentional.”

  — Glossary entry, "implicit bias, unconscious bias"

• Indian Country Use with care

  “Indian Country is a legal term used in Title 18 of the U.S. Code. It broadly defines federal and tribal jurisdiction in crimes affecting Indians on reservations. It also has popular usage, describing reservations and areas with Native American populations.”

  — Entry: Indian Country

• Indian Use with care

  “Use Indian or person from India to refer to a person with ancestral ties to India. Use Indian American to refer to a U.S. permanent resident or citizen with ancestral ties to India. … Do not use to refer to indigenous peoples of the United States.”

  — Entry: Indian, Indian American

• Inmate Avoid

  “Avoid this term when referring to a person who is incarcerated. The Marshall Project … recommends referring to people who are confined in correctional facilities with constructions that include "person" or "people," a subject's name and/or fixed biographical characteristics like age or state.”

  — Glossary entry, “inmate”

• Insane Avoid

  “The terms insane, insanity and mentally deranged are commonly used informally to denote mental instability or mental illness but can be considered offensive. … Use mental illness or mental disorder instead of insane or mentally deranged, except in a quote or when referring to a criminal defense.”

  — Glossary entry, "insane, incompetent"

• Indigenous Use

  “While an official definition of Indigenous is not agreed on, the United Nations has developed an understanding of the term based on self-identification, historical continuity to pre-colonial and/or pre-settler societies, links to territories and resources, distinct social, economic and political systems and possession of distinct languages, cultures and beliefs.”

  — Glossary entry 'Indigenous' (archived markdown lines 1896–1899)

• Interfaith Use

  “This refers to activities or events that draw people from entirely different religious traditions, such as Christians, Jews, Buddhists and Muslims. It is not a synonym for ecumenical, which refers to a multiplicity of Christian traditions, or interdenominational.”

  — Glossary entry, "interfaith"

• Intersectionality Use

  “A lens that recognizes identities such as gender, race, class, sexual orientation and others cannot be examined in isolation from one another; they interact and intersect in individuals' lives, in society and in social systems.”

  — Glossary — intersectionality

• Institutional Racism Use

  “When policies and practices put people who are not of the dominant race at a disadvantage. … When people say an institution is racist, they may not be referring to intent, but to the structures and policies of the institution.”

  — institutional racism glossary entry (lines 1959 in archived markdown)

• Intersex Use

  “Avoid the outdated and derogatory term 'hermaphrodite.' While some people can have an intersex condition and also identify as transgender, the two are separate and should not be conflated.”

  — Intersex (adj.) entry

• Islam Use

  “Religion founded in seventh-century Mecca by the Prophet Muhammad … Followers of Islam are called Muslims. … Because the Quran is in Arabic, it is a common misconception that all Arabs are Muslim and all Muslims are Arab …”

  — Glossary entry, "Islam"

• Islam Use with care

  “Follow AP style, which defines the term as an "advocate or supporter of a political movement that favors reordering government and society in accordance with laws prescribed by Islam" … "Do not use as a synonym for Islamic fighters, militants, extremists or radicals, who may or may not be Islamists."”

  — Glossary entry, "Islamist"

• Islam Use with care

  “Fairness and accuracy mean attributing political actions to the group, government or party responsible, and not just to the religion, which may have millions of followers with different beliefs. Avoid constructions like Muslim bomb.”

  — Glossary entry, "Islamic fundamentalist"

• Islamophobia Use

  “Fear and prejudice against Muslims based on the idea that Islam is inferior and barbaric and cannot adapt to new realities. … Islamophobia existed before Sept. 11, 2001, although attacks on Muslims have grown since then.”

  — Glossary entry, "Islamophobia"

• Jew Use with care

  “Follower of the Jewish faith. … Many Jews consider themselves "secular Jews" whose connection to Judaism is cultural or ethnic rather than spiritual. … Use Jew for men and women. Never use jew as a verb, as in he jewed me down. This colloquial expression … is offensive.”

  — Glossary entry, "Jew" (updated April 2021)

• Lame Avoid

  “Some people object to the use of the word lame to describe a physical condition because it is used in colloquial English as a synonym for weak, as in "That's a lame excuse.… Avoid using lame to describe a person with a disability except when quoting someone.”

  — Glossary entry: lame

• Latine Use

  “Latine is a gender-neutral or non-binary alternative to Latino and Latina. This term originated from LGBTQIA+, gender non-binary and feminist communities in Spanish-speaking countries. … Latine is increasingly used among Spanish speakers as it's more easily pronounced than Latinx and can be used in plural forms.”

  — Latine entry (lines 2201–2204 in archived markdown)

• Latinx Evolving

  “Pronounced 'La-teen-ex.' A gender-neutral word, increasingly used instead of Latino and/or Latina, to refer to people of Latin American cultural or ethnic identity. The -x suffix replaces the standard o/-a ending of nouns and adjectives, used to signify grammatical gender in Spanish.”

  — Latinx entry (lines 2206–2209 in archived markdown)

• Lesbian Use

  “Preferred term, both as a noun and adjective, for women who are attracted to other women. Some women prefer to be called gay rather than lesbian; when possible, ask the subject which term she prefers.”

  — Lesbian entry

• Latino / Latina Use

  “Latino is principally used west of the Mississippi, where it has displaced Chicano and Mexican American. In 2011, the Los Angeles Times amended its style guide to advise journalists to use Latino over Hispanic in virtually all circumstances 'in keeping with the practices and sensibilities of residents of our region.'”

  — Latina/Latino entry (lines 2196–2199 in archived markdown)

• Little Person Use with care

  “The term midget … is now widely considered derogatory. … Avoid the term dwarf unless it is being used in a quote or in a medical diagnosis. Avoid using the terms vertically challenged and midget.”

  — Glossary: dwarf, little person, midget, short stature

• Mental Health Use with care

  “Unless you have a determination by a psychiatrist or psychologist that the subject of a story has been clinically diagnosed with a mental disorder, avoid speculating about the issue. … When a diagnosis is confirmed, specify the condition rather than referring to general “mental illness.””

  — Diagnosis, mental health glossary entry

• Mental Illness Use with care

  “Recognize that the terms mental illness and mental health disorder cover a wide range of conditions, and, whenever possible, the specific diagnosis for an individual should be used rather than the blanket term. … Always refer to someone with a mental illness as a person first.”

  — Glossary entry, "mental illness, mental health disorder"

• minority Non-preferred

  “Defining people of color as 'minorities' is not recommended because of changing demographics and the ways in which it reinforces ideas of inferiority and marginalization of a group of people. … The term 'minority' may be needed in specific cases (such as 'minority contracting' and 'minority-owned businesses')…”

  — minority, racial minority entry (lines 2461–2464 in archived markdown)

• multiracial Use

  “Biracial refers to people of two races; multiracial refers to people of two or more racial backgrounds. Preferred terms include multiracial, biracial, multiethnic, polyethnic. Use mixed and mixed-race with caution as some people find these terms offensive; however, others embrace them.”

  — biracial, multiracial, mixed-race, two or more races entry (lines 616–619 in archived markdown)

• Muslim Use

  “A Muslim is a follower of Muhammad and the tenets and practices of Islam. The word Muslim is a noun; use the adjective Islamic when referring to the Islamic faith or the Islamic world.”

  — Glossary entry, "Muslim, Muslims"

• Nation of Islam Use

  “A religious and political organization formed in 1930 by Wallace Fard Muhammad with the stated aim of "resurrecting" the spiritual, mental, social and economic condition of Black people in America and the world. Its tenets differ markedly from those of traditional Islam.”

  — Glossary entry, "Nation of Islam"

• Native American Use

  “Native American and American Indian are both generally acceptable and can be used interchangeably, although individuals may have a preference. … In 2016, President Barack Obama signed legislation (HR 4238) that replaced the term American Indian with Native American in federal laws.”

  — Entry: Native American, Native

• Negro Avoid

  “Use African American or black. Do not use to describe a person of African descent. Do not use Negress. … Term acceptable in organization names and historical references, for example, National Council of Negro Women or Negro National Anthem.”

  — Negro glossary entry (lines 2629–2631 in archived markdown)

• Nonbinary Use

  “An umbrella term for people who experience their gender identity and/or gender expression as falling outside the binary of man and woman. While nonbinary … is considered a trans identity, some people who identify as nonbinary do not consider themselves transgender. When possible, consult your source.”

  — Glossary entry, "nonbinary, non-binary"

• Offender Avoid

  “Avoid these terms when referring to a person who has been convicted of a crime, because it defines or labels people based on the crime. Instead, use people-first language. The Marshall Project … recommends using specific language that avoids labeling or dehumanizing people.”

  — Glossary entry, “felon, offender”

• people of color Use with care

  “People of color is a generally acceptable term to describe people of races other than White. … Be aware that the term evokes strong feelings among many people and some don't like the idea of lumping people of different racial/ethnic groups together. Avoid using POC.”

  — people of color entry (lines 2896–2899 in archived markdown)

• Psychiatric Hospital Use

  “Mental health hospital or psychiatric hospital are the preferred terms to describe medical facilities specifically devoted to treating people with mental disabilities.”

  — Glossary entry, "insane asylum/mental health hospital/psychiatric hospital"

• Pronouns Use

  “They/them/their are acceptable as nonbinary, singular pronouns if the subject uses them. … Avoid references to preferred pronouns because doing so implies that calling people other than what they want to be called is a viable alternative. Avoid references to chosen pronouns because they are not always chosen.”

  — Pronouns entry (updated March 2023)

• Queer Use with care

  “Traditionally a pejorative term, queer has been appropriated by some LGBT people as a self-affirming umbrella term. However, it is not universally accepted even within the LGBT community and should be avoided unless describing someone who self-identifies that way or in a direct quote.”

  — Queer entry

• Reservation Use with care

  “Indian reservations are areas of land reserved by the U.S. government as permanent tribal homelands. The United States established its reservation policy for American Indians in 1787. … More than 60 percent of American Indians live away from reservations.”

  — Entry: reservation

• Reverse Racism Use with care

  “These phrases are used in lawsuits and in accusations that affirmative action puts men and non-minorities at a disadvantage for college admission, scholarships and jobs. Research shows that this scarcely happens.”

  — Glossary entry, "reverse discrimination, reverse racism"

• Retarded Avoid

  “The terms mentally retarded, retard and mental retardation were once common terms that are now considered outdated and offensive. … the terms mental disability, intellectual disability and developmental disability are acceptable. Use people-first language.”

  — Glossary entry, "mentally retarded, mentally disabled, intellectually disabled, developmentally disabled"

• Schizophrenic Avoid

  “Avoid. Slang words derived from schizophrenic and generally used inaccurately, to mean "of two minds."… find other words. A person who can't make up his mind is indecisive. A situation that keeps changing is unsettled.”

  — Glossary entry: schizo, schizoid

• Sex Change Avoid

  “Avoid this antiquated term. See gender transition, sex reassignment.”

  — Glossary entry, "sex change"

• Sexual Orientation Use

  “Describes an individual's enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction to another person. Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same. Transgender people may be straight, lesbian, gay, or bisexual.”

  — Sexual orientation entry

• Sexual Preference Avoid

  “Avoid. Politically charged term implying that sexuality is the result of a conscious choice. Instead use sexual orientation.”

  — Glossary entry, "sexual preference"

• Slavery Use with care

  “The first black African slaves in the American colonies arrived in the early 1600s. … As injustices of slavery grew, resistance efforts formed, including the Underground Railroad. … In 1865, the 13th Amendment formally abolished slavery in the country.”

  — Glossary entry: slavery

• Stereotypes Use

  “The word comes from the ancient Greek for "fixed impression." Walter Lippmann (1889-1974), an American journalist, popularized the word, a printing-press term, as a metaphor for "a picture in our heads" that could be true or, more often, false.”

  — Glossary entry: stereotypes

• Special Needs Avoid

  “Avoid using these terms when describing a person with a disability or the programs designed to serve them … The term functional needs is preferred when a term is required.”

  — Glossary: special/special needs/functional needs

• Suicide Use with care

  “Avoid using the phrase "commits suicide," which suggests criminal activity. Instead use non-stigmatizing language like "took his own life" or "died by suicide."”

  — Glossary: suicide

• Survivor Use with care

  “There is much debate about the terms victim and survivor, especially when used in the context of sexual assault and domestic violence. When possible, journalists should ask sources which terms they prefer.”

  — Victim, survivor glossary entry

• Tranny Use with care

  “Often a pejorative term for a transgender person, it is now being reclaimed by some transgender people. Offensive when used as an epithet and should be avoided except in quotes or as someone's self-identified term.”

  — Glossary entry, "tranny"

• Systemic Racism Use

  “Social values that support personal and institutional discrimination. As a social concept, systemic racism explains how people of color must adapt to a society not built for them, while white people readily fit in. See institutional racism.”

  — Glossary entry: systemic racism

• Transgender Use with care

  “Refers to individuals whose gender identity and/or expression may not match their physical, sexual characteristics or sex assigned at birth. … Do not use transgendered. Offensive when used as a noun; use transgender people, transgender man or transgender woman.”

  — Transgender entry

• Transsexual Use with care

  “Avoid this outdated term in favor of transgender and transgender people unless a person or community prefers the term; it can carry misleading medical connotations.”

  — Glossary entry, "transsexual"

• Tribe Use with care

  “Use with caution. Use nation or ethnic group except for specific entities like a tribal council on a reservation or when a Native group or other group calls itself a tribe.”

  — Entry: tribe

• Tribe Avoid

  “Avoid. Eurocentric term for ethnic conflict among people of color. Example: The conflict between Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda was called tribal warfare, but the civil war in the former Yugoslavia between Serbs, Croats, and Muslims was 'ethnic cleansing.' Both are ethnic conflicts or civil wars.”

  — Entry: tribal warfare

• Transvestite Avoid

  “Avoid this outdated term.”

  — Glossary, "transvestite" entry

• unhoused / homeless Use with care

  “An individual who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. Some people prefer the term unhoused. When possible, ask which term people prefer. Use person-first language: people experiencing homelessness; avoid homeless people or the homeless.”

  — Glossary entry 'homeless' (archived markdown lines 1786–1790)

• Undocumented Immigrant Use

  “Preferred terms to illegal alien, illegal immigrant, or illegal(s). … does not dehumanize them in the manner that such terms as aliens and illegals do.”

  — Glossary entry: undocumented immigrant, undocumented individual

• Victim Contested

  “There is much debate about the terms victim and survivor, especially when used in the context of sexual assault and domestic violence. When possible, journalists should ask sources which terms they prefer.”

  — Glossary entry, "victim, survivor"

• Wheelchair Avoid

  “It is acceptable to describe a person as someone who uses a wheelchair… Avoid confined to a wheelchair or wheelchair-bound as these terms describe a person only in relationship to a piece of equipment.”

  — Glossary entry: wheelchair/wheelchair-bound/confined to a wheelchair

• white Use

  “Don't use Caucasian. … the National Association of Black Journalists wrote, 'NABJ also recommends that whenever a color is used to appropriately describe race then it should be capitalized, including White and Brown.' … The Diversity Style Guide has long advocated for the capitalization of White as well as Black.”

  — Entry: White, white (lines 3941–3944 in archived markdown)