Know the words: A glossary of sexuality & gender terms

Pride parades are famous for their vivacious yet agenda-driven theme, which is part festivity and part march for equal rights.

The LGBT community isn't monolithic and there are various terminologies that are used to define sexualities, alternate lifestyles and gender preferences. Here is a glossary of some of the important terms belonging to the queer community that you are probably unaware of.

TRANSGENDER: Denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond with their birth sex.

TRANS-SEXUAL: A person who emotionally and psychologically feels that they belong to the opposite sex.

TRANSVESTITE: Cross-dressers. A person, typically a man, who derives pleasure from dressing in clothes appropriate to the opposite sex.

EUNUCH/ Hijras: A man who has been castrated, especially (in the past) one employed to guard the women’s living areas at an oriental court.

ASEXUAL: A person who has no sexual feelings or desires.

HOMOSEXUAL: A person who is sexually attracted to people of their own sex.

PANSEXUAL: A person who is fluid in sexual orientation and/or gender or sex identity.

CISGENDER: Someone whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex.

QUEER: A term that has been embraced and reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community as a symbol of pride, representing all individuals who fall out of the gender and sexuality “norms”.

ANDROGYNOUS: Someone who reflects an appearance that is both masculine and feminine.

BIGENDER: An individual who identifies both as man and woman.

GENDER-FLUID: Someone who does not identify themselves as having a fixed gender. Their understanding of gender is fluid and capable of shifting to fulfill the person’s mood depending on what feels right on a given day.

GENDER-NONCONFORMING: A person who does not look or behave according to their gender.

GENDER-QUESTIONING: An individual who is exploring one’s own sexual orientation.

AGENDER: Denoting or relating to a person who does not identify themselves as having a particular gender.

NON-BINARY: Also termed Gender queer, is a catch-all category for gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine—identities which are thus outside of the gender binary.

POLYAMOROUS: It is the practice, desire of intimate relationships that are not exclusive with respect to sexual relationships, with knowledge and consent of everyone involved.