AFAB (adj.): Acronym meaning "assigned female at birth." Sex classification at birth is usually based on physical anatomy, genitalia, and karyotyping (genetic testing).
Language Primer: Terms, Definitions, and Acronyms
Language evolves, and it can be challenging to keep up with terms, phrases, and acronyms. This language primer is not intended to be an exhaustive list. It is intended to provide you with a basic understanding of commonly used terms relating to the transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) communities. You should use this resource to ensure that TGNC customers and employees are identified, described, and addressed in an accurate manner. It is a best practice to use the language that individuals use to describe themselves.
Note: These terms will occur throughout the Toolkit and will be linked to each entry. Use your browser's back button to return to the Toolkit.
Agender (adj.): An umbrella term that includes many different genders of people who identify as having no gender or having a gender that they describe as neutral. Many agender people also identify as transgender.
AMAB (adj.): Acronym meaning "assigned male at birth." Sex classification at birth is usually based on physical anatomy, genitalia, and karyotyping (genetic testing).
Binary (adj.): A system of viewing gender as consisting of two, opposite categories, termed "male and female," in which no other possibilities for gender or anatomy are recognized.
Birth name (noun): A term used by people who have changed their name to reference the name they were given at birth. Many members of the TGNC communities do not like to have their birth name referenced and find it to be upsetting and disrespectful for others to do so (see Deadname).
Cisgender (adj.): A term used to describe a person whose gender identity aligns with what is expected of them in their culture based on the sex assigned to them at birth. The prefix cis- means "on this side of" or "not across."
Coming out (verb): The process by which an individual chooses to share their sexual orientation or gender identity with others.
Deadname (noun): A term used by some people who have changed their name to reference the name they were given at birth (see Birth name). Many members of the TGNC communities do not like to have their deadname referenced and find it to be upsetting and disrespectful for others to do so.
Enby (adj./noun): An abbreviated term to refer to someone who is nonbinary. The term originates from the phonetic sound of the initials NB.
Gender (noun): A term referring to the socially constructed system of categorizing people according to a range of characteristics often associated with masculinity or femininity. These characteristics may include social structures, attitudes, feelings, behaviors, and/or appearance. Different cultures and societies have different understandings of gender.
Gender Affirming Treatment/Health Care (noun): Any number of treatments including use of hormones or surgeries to change a person's characteristics or appearance to better reflect their gender identity.
Gender Expression (noun): External appearance of one's gender identity, usually expressed through behavior, clothing, haircut, and/or voice. It may or may not conform to socially defined behaviors and characteristics typically associated with the sex assigned to an individual at birth.
Gender Fluid (adj.): A person whose gender identity and presentation shifts or is not fixed.
Gender Identity (noun): An individual's concept of self as male, female, a blend of both, or neither. One's gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth. An individual's gender identity may be consistent for their whole life or may change over time.
Gender Nonconforming (adj.): A broad term referring to people who do not behave in a way that conforms to traditional or societal expectations of their gender. It also includes people whose gender expression does not fit neatly into any one category. Expectations of gender vary across cultures and have changed over time.
Genderqueer (adj.): A term that a person may use to describe themselves as having a gender identity and/or gender expression that falls outside of cultural or societal expectations for their assigned sex. A person who does not identify as male or female, or who identifies as a combination of different genders, may also use this term. Some use genderqueer as an umbrella term. Individuals also use it to express their identity.
LGBTQ+ (adj.): An acronym commonly used to represent the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities. Other variations exist, including LGBT and LGBTQIA (referring to intersex and asexual). They all refer to the communities of people who do not identify as heterosexual, do not identify as cisgender, or do not identify as either.
Misgendering (verb): Attributing a gender to someone that is incorrect or does not align with their gender identity.
Nonbinary (adj.): An adjective describing a person who does not identify solely as a man or a woman, but may identify as both, as a combination, and/or as another gender. Many nonbinary individuals also identify as transgender, but some do not.
Out (adj/verb): The status of making one's sexual orientation or gender identity known to others. An individual may choose to be out in some situations (such as among friends), but not others (such as at work). Examples: I am generally out at work (adj). I don't want someone to out me in a religious setting (verb).
Outing (verb): The act of exposing someone's lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender identity to others without their permission.
Queer (adj.): The term queer can include a variety of sexual orientations and gender identities that are anything except heterosexual and cisgender. In the past, the word queer was used to hurt and insult people. Some people find it offensive, particularly those who remember when the word was used in a painful way. Others use the word with pride to identify themselves. If you are unsure if it is appropriate to use queer to describe a person or a group of persons, ask them what label(s) they ​use for themselves.
Sex (adj.): The classification of people as male, female, or intersex, based on physical anatomy, genitalia at birth, and/or karyotyping. One's sex does not determine their gender, gender identity, or gender expression.
Sexual Orientation vs. Gender Identity: Sexual orientation refers to an individual's attraction to another person romantically, emotionally, and sexually. Common sexual orientations include heterosexual (straight), gay, lesbian, bisexual, and asexual.
Sexual orientation is different than gender identity. Sexual orientation is about who you want to be with. Gender identity is about who you are. This means that being transgender is not the same thing as being gay, lesbian, or bisexual, although some transgender individuals also identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, or asexual. Every individual has both a sexual orientation and a gender identity.
TGNC (adj.): An acronym used to refer to people who fall under the trans and gender nonconforming umbrella. This term can include people who are nonbinary, gender fluid, or genderqueer.
Trans (adj.): An abbreviated term commonly used to reference transgender individuals. (See Transgender.)
Trans feminine (adj.): An umbrella term that describes anyone who identifies as more feminine than masculine, where that identification is different than societal or cultural expectations based on their sex assigned at birth. This term may include some trans women as well as nonbinary people or people who identify with another gender.
Trans masculine (adj.): An umbrella term that describes anyone who identifies as more masculine than feminine, where that identification is different than societal or cultural expectations based on their sex assigned at birth. This term may include some trans men as well as nonbinary people or people who identify with another gender.
Transgender man or trans man (noun): An individual who identifies as a man and who was assigned a different gender at birth. Trans men may also use the term female-to-male (FTM or F2M) to describe their identity, but trans man is used more frequently because it respects the individual's current identity rather than a previous one.
Transgender woman or trans woman (noun): An individual who identifies as a woman and who was assigned a different gender at birth. Trans women may also use the term male-to-female (MTF or M2F) to describe their identity, but trans woman is used more frequently because it respects the individual's current identity rather than a previous one.
Transgender (adj.): An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on their sex classification. Transgender is often abbreviated to trans. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, et cetera.
Transitioning (verb): The processes by which an individual changes from one gender to another. There are three general aspects to transitioning: social (e.g., name, pronouns, interactions), medical (e.g., hormones, surgery), and legal (e.g., gender marker, name change). A trans individual may pursue any combination, or none, of these as part of their transition.