Vocabulary for Describing Gender and Sexuality Studies

Gender: The social and cultural constructions of masculinity and femininity, including norms, behaviors, and expectations, that vary across cultures and historical periods.
Sex: The biological and physiological differences between males and females, including differences in chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive organs.
Gender Identity: A person’s self-identification as male, female, or non-binary, which may or may not align with the sex they were assigned at birth.
Sexual Orientation: A person’s self-identification or attraction with regard to sexual preference, including heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, and asexual.
Heterosexuality: Sexual attraction to individuals of the opposite sex.
Homosexuality: Sexual attraction to individuals of the same sex.
Bisexuality: Sexual attraction to individuals of both the same and the opposite sex.
Asexuality: Lack of sexual attraction to others.
Queer: An umbrella term used to describe individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning).
Transgender: A person who identifies as a gender that is different from the one they were assigned at birth.
Gender Expression: The ways in which individuals present and perform gender, including clothing, hair, voice, and mannerisms.
Gender Role: The set of expectations and behaviors associated with being male or female in a particular culture or society.
Patriarchy: A social system in which men hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, and control of property.
Misogyny: Dislike, contempt, or prejudice against women.
Feminism: A social, political, and cultural movement aimed at achieving equality between men and women in all aspects of life, including education, employment, and political representation.
Gender Stereotypes: Overgeneralized beliefs about the characteristics, behaviors, and roles of men and women.
Binary Gender System: A system that views gender as consisting of only two options, male and female, and disregards the diversity of gender identities and expressions.
Intersectionality: The interconnected nature of social categories such as race, class, gender, and sexuality, and the ways in which they combine to create unique experiences of oppression and privilege.
Sexualization: The representation of individuals, objects, or activities as sexually appealing or desirable, often in a manner that objectifies and reinforces gender and power imbalances.
Consent: A freely given agreement, either verbal or nonverbal, to engage in sexual activity with another person.
Sexual Harassment: Unwanted and offensive sexual behavior or remarks, often with the goal of intimidating, threatening, or coercing the recipient.
Rape Culture: A culture in which sexual violence is normalized, excused, and perpetuated, often through victim-blaming, minimization of harm, and perpetuation of rape myths.
Reproductive Rights: The rights of individuals to make decisions about their reproductive health and well-being, including access to contraception and safe abortion.
LGBTQ+ Rights: The rights of individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning, including the right to marry, adopt, and receive equal treatment under the law.
Heteronormativity: The assumption that everyone is heterosexual and that heterosexuality is the only acceptable sexual orientation, leading to the marginalization and exclusion of those who identify as LGBTQ+.
Cisgender: A person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.
Non-binary: A gender identity that does not fall within the binary male/female gender system, and may encompass a wide range of gender expressions and experiences.
Gender Dysphoria: A condition in which a person experiences significant distress or discomfort due to a discrepancy between their gender identity and their sex assigned at birth.
Transphobia: Fear, hatred, or discrimination towards individuals who are transgender or non-binary.
Homophobia: Fear, hatred, or discrimination towards individuals who are homosexual or perceived to be homosexual.
Biphobia: Fear, hatred, or discrimination towards individuals who are bisexual.
Sexism: Prejudice or discrimination based on gender, often with the assumption that men are superior to women.
Male Privilege: Unearned advantages and benefits granted to men as a result of living in a patriarchal society.
The Patriarchy: A social, political, and economic system in which men hold power and dominate decision-making processes, often at the expense of women and other marginalized groups.
The Glass Ceiling: The invisible barrier that prevents women and other marginalized groups from reaching high-level positions in their careers.
Gender Pay Gap: The disparity in average wages earned by men and women, often due to discrimination and gender-based wage gaps in various industries.
Reproductive Justice: A framework for understanding and addressing the interconnections between reproductive health, rights, and social justice, taking into account the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability.
Queer Theory: An interdisciplinary field of study that critiques the binary gender and sexual orientation systems, and explores the ways in which gender and sexuality shape and are shaped by power and social norms.
Gay Rights Movement: A social and political movement aimed at achieving equality and acceptance for individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, or homosexual.
Transgender Rights Movement: A social and political movement aimed at achieving equality and acceptance for individuals who are transgender or non-binary, including the right to self-identify, access healthcare, and live free from violence and discrimination.
Intersectionality: The understanding that various social identities and systems of oppression, such as race, class, gender, and sexuality, intersect and interact to shape a person’s experiences and the ways in which they are marginalized and oppressed.
Patriarchal Dictatorship: A form of government in which the head of state is a man and the government is dominated by men, in which the power of women and other marginalized groups is limited.
Heterosexual Privilege: Unearned advantages and benefits granted to individuals who are heterosexual, often at the expense of LGBTQ+ individuals and communities.
The Closet: A term used to describe the state of being in the closet, or the concealment of one’s sexual orientation or gender identity, often due to societal pressure and discrimination.
Coming Out: The process of disclosing one’s sexual orientation or gender identity to others, often as a way of asserting their identity and living openly and authentically.
The Kinsey Scale: A spectrum that ranges from 0 to 6, with 0 representing exclusively heterosexual and 6 representing exclusively homosexual, developed by sexologist Alfred Kinsey to describe sexual orientation and the complexity of human sexuality.
The Gender Binary: The belief that there are only two genders (male and female), and that people must conform to one of these categories, with no room for fluidity, diversity, or non-binary identities.
Gender Non-Conformity: Behavior, appearance, or identity that does not conform to societal expectations and norms for a particular gender.
Transvestism: The practice of dressing and adopting the mannerisms of the opposite gender for purposes of entertainment, self-expression, or sexual gratification.
Asexuality: A lack of sexual attraction to others, or a lack of interest in engaging in sexual activity.
Polyamory: The practice of engaging in intimate relationships with multiple partners, with the knowledge and consent of all involved.
Homonormativity: The idea that LGBTQ+ individuals and communities should strive to conform to mainstream societal norms and values, such as monogamy, capitalism, and the nuclear family, rather than challenging or subverting these norms.
Sexual Orientation: An individual’s enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, both, or neither.
Gender Expression: The external manifestation of a person’s gender identity, through clothing, mannerisms, behavior, and other characteristics.
Gender Identity: A person’s internal sense of their own gender, which may or may not align with their sex assigned at birth.
Heterosexual Matrix: A term used by feminist and queer theorists to describe the pervasive social and cultural structures that privilege heterosexuality and marginalize other sexual orientations and gender identities.
Androcentrism: A cultural and social bias that prioritizes male perspectives, experiences, and values, and views the world through a male-centered lens.
Heteronormative Family Structure: A family structure based on the assumption that everyone is heterosexual and that the only acceptable family structure is one consisting of a married man and woman and their children.
Sexualization: The process by which a person or object is reduced to their sexuality, and their other qualities and characteristics are ignored or marginalized.
Body Politics: The ways in which power and control are exercised over bodies and bodies are used as symbols of political power.
Toxic Masculinity: Cultural and societal norms that define masculinity as aggressive, dominant, and unemotional, and that restrict the ways in which men can express their gender.
Queer Culture: A culture and community that is inclusive of individuals and groups who are LGBTQ+, and that embraces and celebrates the diversity and complexity of gender and sexual identities and expressions.
Gay Culture: A culture and community that is inclusive of individuals and groups who are gay, lesbian, or homosexual, and that encompasses a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and traditions.
Transgender Culture: A culture and community that is inclusive of individuals and groups who are transgender or non-binary, and that celebrates the diversity and complexity of gender identities and expressions.
Sexual Diversity: The range of human sexual orientations, behaviors, and identities, including but not limited to heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, and pansexual.
Gendered Institutions: Institutions such as the workplace, education, and government, in which gender roles and expectations are reinforced and perpetuated, leading to inequality and oppression.
Queer Politics: A political perspective and movement that seeks to challenge and subvert dominant norms and expectations around gender and sexuality, and to achieve equality and justice for LGBTQ+ individuals and communities.
Intersectionality: The theory and concept that recognizes the interplay of multiple identities and systems of oppression, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, class, ability, etc., and their impact on an individual’s experiences and marginalization.
Cisgender: A term used to describe individuals whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.
Non-Binary: An umbrella term used to describe individuals whose gender identity does not fit within the binary categories of male or female.
Asexual: A term used to describe individuals who experience little to no sexual attraction to others.
Biphobia: Prejudice, discrimination, or hatred towards bisexual individuals, based on the belief that bisexuality is not a legitimate sexual orientation.
Homophobia: Prejudice, discrimination, or hatred towards gay, lesbian, or homosexual individuals, based on the belief that homosexuality is not a legitimate sexual orientation.
Transphobia: Prejudice, discrimination, or hatred towards transgender or non-binary individuals, based on the belief that their gender identity is not legitimate or acceptable.
Queer Theory: An intellectual and cultural movement that emerged in the late 20th century, which seeks to challenge and deconstruct dominant norms and expectations around gender and sexuality, and to promote equality and justice for LGBTQ+ individuals and communities.
Gender Binary: The cultural and societal idea that there are only two genders – male and female – and that gender is an innate, biologically determined characteristic.
Gender Fluid: A term used to describe individuals whose gender identity changes and fluctuates, and who do not conform to the rigid categories of male or female.
Third Gender: A term used in some cultures to describe individuals who do not conform to the binary categories of male or female, and who may have a unique gender identity and cultural role.
Gender Non-Conforming: A term used to describe individuals whose gender expression and behavior do not align with traditional cultural norms and expectations for their gender.
Sexual Harassment: Any unwanted or non-consensual sexual advance, comment, or conduct, which creates a hostile or intimidating environment and interferes with an individual’s work or educational performance.
Patriarchy: A social system in which men hold the primary power and dominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, and control of property and resources.
Gender Pay Gap: The unequal distribution of pay and earnings between men and women, resulting from various factors such as discrimination, occupational segregation, and differences in experience and education.
Toxic Masculinity: A set of cultural norms and expectations that define masculinity as aggressive, violent, dominant, and emotionally repressed, and that can be harmful to both men and women.
Rape Culture: A cultural and societal environment that normalizes, excuses, or minimizes sexual violence, and blames survivors rather than perpetrators.
The Male Gaze: The cultural and societal perspective that views the world and represents women and femininity from a heterosexual male perspective, objectifying and sexualizing women in media and culture.
Sexism: Prejudice, discrimination, or hatred towards individuals based on their gender, and the belief in the inherent superiority of one gender over the other.
The Glass Ceiling: The invisible barrier that prevents women and other marginalized groups from advancing to higher levels of leadership and power in their careers, despite their qualifications and experience.
The Bechdel Test: A simple test to measure the representation and depiction of women in media, based on three criteria: (1) the presence of at least two women who talk to each other, (2) about something other than a man.
The Feminist Movement: A political, social, and cultural movement that seeks to challenge and change the systemic oppression and inequality faced by women, and to promote gender equality and women’s rights.
Queerbaiting: The marketing or representation of a character or relationship as potentially LGBTQ+, in order to appeal to and/or exploit a queer audience, without actually confirming or representing their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Related Articles

Responses