Glossary

﻿ Glossary


 * __ALLY__: **anyone who supports and stands up for the human rights of gay people, regardless of his/her sexual orientation (Wells, 2006).


 * __ANTIHOMOPHOBIA EDUCATION__: **rooted in advocating acceptance, assimilation and tolerance (Sieben, Wallowitz, 2009).


 * __BISEXUAL__: **a person who is attracted physically and emotionally to both males and females (Wells, 2006).


 * __GAY__: **a person who is physically and emotionally attracted to the same sex (Wells, 2006).


 * __GENDER IDENTITY__: **refers to an individual's sense of self as "male", "female", or an identity between or outside those categories (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2011).


 * __GENDER ROLES__: **refer to the roles that society assigns as appropriate for women and men, such as women look after children and men are the breadwinners (Rainbow Resource Centre).


 * __GLBT__: **Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (acronym variant).


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__GLBTQ__: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,Transgender and Queer/Questioning (acronym variant).


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__GLBTT__: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Two-spirited (acronym variant).


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__GLBTTQI__: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Two-spirited, Queer/Questioning and Intersex (acronym variant).


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__GLOW__: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Gay, Lesbian or Whatever (acronym variant).


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE__ (GSA): **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">often a (high) school-based support group that advocates for the human rights and dignity of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals. Membership includes both gay and straight students and adults (Wells, 2006).


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__HETERONORMATIVITY__: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">the assumption that everyone identifies as straight unless specified otherwise (Sieben, Wallowitz, 2009).

__**<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">HETEROSEXISM **__**<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">: " **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">the prejudiced belief that heterosexual people are socially and culturally superior to queer people" (Rainbow Resource Centre, 2009).

__**<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">HETEROSEXUAL **__**<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">a person who is sexually and emotionally attracted to someone of the opposite sex, commonly referred to as being //straight// (Wells, 2006).


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__HOMOPHOBIA__: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">"the irrational fear, dislike, hatred, intolerance or ignorance of gay, lesbian, and queer people and/or those perceived to be gay, lesbian or queer (Rainbow Resource Centre, 2009). Other phobias include //**biphobia**// and //**transphobia**//.


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__LESBIAN__: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">a female who is attracted physically and emotionally to other females (Wells, 2006).


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__LGBT__: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (acronym variant).


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__LGBTQ__: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning (acronym variant).


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__MISOGYNY__: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">the hatred of women.


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__QUEER__: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">although once used in a hurtful and disrespectful manner, this term has been reinvented and redefined by the LGBTQ communities as a postive way to refer to themselves. "Queer" is now considered to be an umbrella term that is all-inclusive, and celebrates LGBTQ identities and differences (Wells, 2006; Rainbow Resource Centre, 2009).


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__QUEER THEORY__: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">suggests removing the focus of study from people who identify as gay to how labels are used to police behavior and affect all people (Sieben, Wallowitz, 2009).

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__**SEXUAL HEALTH:**__ Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. For sexual health to be attained and maintained, the sexual rights of al persons must be respected, protected and fulfilled.


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__SEXUAL ORIENTATION__: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">is the term used to describe an individual's sexual, psychological and emotional feelings of attraction towards another person (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2011).

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__**SEXUALITY**__: Sexuality is a central aspect of being human throughout life and encompasses sex, gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy, and reproduction. Sexuality is experienced and expressed in thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviours, practices, roles and relationships. While sexuality can include all of these dimensions, not all of them are always experienced or expressed. Sexuality is influenced by the interaction of biological, psychological, social, economic, political, cultural, ethical, legal, historical, religious, and spiritual factors. (World Health Organization, 2002).


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__TRANSGENDER__: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">a person whose gender identity, outward appearance, expression and/or anatomy does not fit into conventional expectations of male or female (Wells, 2006).


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__TRANSSEXUAL__: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">a person who experiences intense personal and emotional discomfort with their assigned birth gender (Wells, 2006).


 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__TWO-SPIRIT__: **<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Aboriginal term that identifies individuals as "two-spirited" rather than lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. The term has historical significance in Aboriginal cultures as it refers to the "unique ability to understand both male and female perspectives (Wells, 2006).