Source
Human Rights Campaign
Glossary of Terms
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About
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy and political-lobbying organization in the United States, based in Washington, D.C. Its Glossary of Terms (2023) defines LGBTQ+ identity and community terminology for the public and for communicators.
In the commons it is a source for the Sexuality & Gender Identity chapter.
Access
Host posture is private-mirror-link-out: the glossary is published openly on hrc.org (linked) and was live at the last check. The commons keeps a private preservation copy for citation verification and links out to the authoritative version. Quotes are held within fair-use limits.
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Terms citing this source
- Ally Use
“It encompasses straight and cisgender allies, as well as those within the LGBTQ+ community who support each other (e.g., a lesbian who is an ally to the bisexual community).”
— Glossary of Terms, "Ally" entry
- Asexual Use
“Often called "ace" for short … Asexuality exists on a spectrum, and asexual people may experience no, little or conditional sexual attraction.”
— Glossary, Asexual entry (updated 5/31/2023)
- Bisexual Use
“A person emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to more than one gender, though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the same degree …”
— Glossary, Bisexual entry
- Gay Use
“Men, women and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves.”
— Glossary, Gay entry (updated 5/31/2023)
- Gender Binary Use with care
“A system in which gender is constructed into two strict categories of male or female …”
— Glossary entry: Gender binary
- Genderqueer Use with care
“Genderqueer people typically reject notions of static categories of gender and embrace a fluidity of gender identity and often, though not always, sexual orientation …”
— Glossary entry: Genderqueer
- Homophobia Use
“Homophobia | The fear and hatred of or discomfort with people who are attracted to members of the same sex.”
— Glossary, Homophobia entry (updated 5/31/2023)
- Lesbian Use
“Women and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves.”
— Glossary, Lesbian entry
- Nonbinary Use
“An adjective describing a person who does not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. … While many also identify as transgender, not all non-binary people do.”
— Glossary, Non-binary entry (updated 5/31/2023)
- Queer Reclaimed in community
“This term was previously used as a slur, but has been reclaimed by many parts of the LGBTQ+ movement.”
— Glossary, Queer entry (updated 5/31/2023)
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“An inherent or immutable enduring emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to other people. Note: an individual's sexual orientation is independent of their gender identity.”
— Glossary, Sexual orientation entry
- Transgender Use
“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 …”
— Glossary, Transgender entry (updated 5/31/2023)