Basic Guide To LGBTQIA+ Community Flags & Definitions

Foreword

SOME THOUGHTS ON LANGUAGE

The minority was typically first named by the majority; only when the minority gains voice do they assert that the majority got it wrong. As gender and sexuality become more openly discussed, and emerging voices define themselves, language evolves and can change quickly. Terms are not necessarily homogenous and each person relates to their words personally – words that can have individual or unique definitions for each person.

Language can be used to intentionally and unintentionally offend, primarily when used by someone outside of the related community. Language is also how we connect and engage. Some people will be more flexible and some will be more protective of their preferred terms. It is always good to ask about preferred terms or to use the same words used by the speaker.

We will all get it “wrong” sometimes. The important thing is to apologize and correct.

David M. Schoelen, LCSW Behavioral Health Services Administrator

Preface

WHY THIS INFORMATION?

This information originally came about through a request from staff to share with an audience of a panel being presented at WPATH in 2018. The first version of this booklet only contained the flags of various LGBTQIA+ communities. Our LGBTQIA2+ community's information frequently changes and requires continual research to stay current. In 2021, this book was adapted for a presentation that RUHS-BH presented (virtually) on LGBTQIA+ for a conference. In response to the printed version of the 2nd rendition, the Marketing Department requested an online version. Additional information about the flags and what the colors stand for. As we move forward, we will continue to update the information to the best of our abilities. We hope this information provides some insight as well as bridges the gap of understanding for Riverside County, and beyond.

THE FLAGS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THEIR MEANINGS

A term used to describe someone who does not identify as LGBTQ but who is supportive of LGBTQ equality in its many forms and through a wide variety of different expressions, both personal and private. “A”: Represents allies, as “a” is the first letter of the word. Rainbow Colors: Represents the LGBTQA+ community. Black and White Bars: Represents heterosexual and/or cisgender people.

Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction to others, or low or absent interest in or desire for sexual activity. It may be considered the lack of sexual orientation, or one of the variations thereof, alongside heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality. It may also be a general term used to categorize a broader spectrum of various asexual subidentities. Unlike celibacy, which people choose, asexuality is an intrinsic part of who they are. There is considerable diversity among the asexual community; each asexual person experiences things like relationships, attraction, and arousal somewhat differently. The black stripe represents asexuality, the grey stripe represents the grey area between sexual and asexual, the white stripe sexuality, and the purple stripe community.

BISEXUAL

An individual who is emotionally, romantically, and/or physically attracted to men and women. This is sometimes stated as “bi.” People who are bisexual need not have had an equal sexual experience with both men and women and need not have had any sexual experience at all; it is the attraction that determines orientation. The pink color represents sexual attraction to the same sex only (gay and lesbian), the blue represents sexual attraction to the opposite sex only (straight), and the resultant overlap color purple represents sexual attraction to both (Bi).

LABRYS LESBIAN PRIDE FLAG

The labrys lesbian flag was created in 1999 by graphic designer Sean Campbell, and published in June 2000 in the Palm Springs edition of the Gay and Lesbian Times Pride issue. The design involves a labrys superimposed on the inverted black triangle, set against a violet hue background. The labrys was used as an ancient religious symbol, and for other various purposes. In the 1970s it was adopted as a symbol of empowerment by the lesbian feminist community. Women were considered asocial by the Third Reich because they did not conform to the Nazi ideal of a woman, which included homosexual females, were condemned to concentration camps and wore an inverted black triangle badge to identify them. Some lesbians reclaimed this symbol as gay men reclaimed the pink triangle (many lesbians also reclaimed the pink triangle although lesbians were not included in Paragraph 175 of the German criminal code).

LESBIAN PRIDE FLAG

Lesbian Pride Flag: The original was a red kiss superimposed on six shades of red and pink colors and a white bar in the center was introduced in a weblog in 2010. It was modified by removing the kiss. In a 2018 article on Medium, an author proposed this flag as “A Lesbian Flag for Everyone”. The flag seen here has been voted on by approx. 5000 people as a possibility for a new lesbian flag. A lesbian is a woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction is to other women. Some lesbians may prefer to identify as gay (adj.) or as gay women. Avoid identifying lesbians as "homosexuals," the term homosexual can be taken as a derogatory term.

LGBT

LGBT/LGBTA/LGBTQ: An acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender which refers to these individuals collectively. It is sometimes stated as “GLBT” (gay, lesbian, bi, and transgender). Occasionally, the acronym is stated as “LGBTA” to include asexual, “LGBTQ,” with “Q” representing queer or questioning. More recent acronym includes: LGBTQIA2+ : Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, 2 spirit and + for any other sexual orientation or gender identity and/or expression.

THE ORIGINAL RAINBOW FLAG

Unveiled on June 25, 1978.

The original pride flag used 8 colors (later reduced to 7 because of difficulty in obtaining hot pink fabric). Each color represented a specific aspect of queer culture being celebrated: Hot Pink = Sex, Red = Life, Orange = Healing, Yellow = Sunlight, Green = Nature, Turquoise = Magic/Art, Indigo = Serenity and Violet = Spirit. In 1979, the flag was modified again. Aiming to decorate the street lamps along the parade route with hundreds of rainbow banners, Baker decided to split the motif in two with an even number of stripes flanking each lamp pole. To achieve this effect, he dropped the turquoise stripe that had been used in the seven-stripe flag. The result was the six-stripe version of the flag that would become the standard for future production red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.

PHILADELPHIA’S INCLUSIVE FLAG

In 2017, the LGBT community in Philadelphia wanted to do something to be more inclusive. There had been a number of accusations and scandals surrounding racism and racial discrimination throughout the city. The problems eventually led to 11 venues that catered to the queer community needing to undergo training in racial sensitivity. Two stripes were added in the Philly flag to represent people of color. The change quickly made headlines and sparked debate. Some claimed the original flag included all races and making a separate statement detracted from the spirit of the original. Those on the other side of the argument pointed out that discrimination was a serious issue and issuing a flag that celebrated inclusiveness was completely in keeping with the original sentiment.

PROGRESS PRIDE FLAG

Designed in 2018 by Graphic designer Daniel Quasar, Quasar added a five-colored chevron to the classic Rainbow Flag to place a greater emphasis on “inclusion and progression.” Quasar’s Progress Pride Flag added five arrow-shaped lines to the six-colored Rainbow Flag, which is widely recognized as the symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ+) community. The flag includes black and brown stripes to represent marginalized LGBTQ+ communities of color, along with the colors pink, light blue and white, which are used on the Transgender Pride Flag.

NEW PROPOSED PROGRESSIVE FLAG

The proposed design builds on Daniel Quasar’s instantly iconic 2018 Progress Pride flag, which added a five-striped chevron to the left side of the flag representing LGBTQ+ people of color and the trans community. (Quasar’s design, in turn, was an update to the city of Philadelphia’s 2017 Pride flag, which added black and brown stripes above the six rainbow stripes.)

In Vecchietti’s rendition, a purple circle superimposed over a yellow triangle has been added to the chevron on the left half of Quasar’s design an homage to the popular 2013 intersex flag designed by Australian bioethicist and researcher Morgan Carpenter.

PANSEXUAL

Is characterized by sexual desire and/or attraction that is not limited to people of a particular gender identity or sexual orientation Pansexual people are attracted to all kinds of people, regardless of their gender, sex or presentation; not solely homosexual or heterosexual. the pink represents people who are female-identified, the blue represents people who are male-identified, while the yellow represents nonbinary attraction

POLYSEXUAL

Polysexuality is often compared to and confused with both bisexuality and pansexuality. To be pansexual is to be attracted to all genders. To be bisexual is, traditionally, to be attracted to two genders, specifically men and women. However, as time has gone on, it has also come to mean to be attracted to people of various genders, beyond binary gender identities.

A polysexual person is not attracted to all genders. They also do not even have to be attracted to both women and men at all, as traditionally described by bisexuality. For example, a polysexual person might be attracted to women, genderqueer and nonbinary people, but not to men. The flag colors are pink representing attraction to women, green representing attraction to non-binary people, and blue representing attraction to men.

INTERSEX

“Intersex” is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male. Or a person may be born with mosaic genetics, so that some of her cells have XX chromosomes and some of them have XY. Though we speak of intersex as an inborn condition, intersex anatomy doesn’t always show up at birth. Sometimes a person isn’t found to have intersex anatomy until she or he reaches the age of puberty, or finds himself an infertile adult. Yellow and purple were chosen as colors as they were viewed as free from gender associations and were historically used to represent intersex people. The circle is described as "unbroken and unornamented, symbolizing wholeness and completeness, and our potentialities.

AGENDER

An umbrella term encompassing many different genders of people who commonly do not have a gender and/or have a gender that they describe as neutral. Many agender people are trans. As a new and quickly-evolving term, it is best you ask how someone defines agender for themselves. The black and white stripes represent an absence of gender, the gray represents semi-genderlessness, and the central green stripe represents nonbinary genders.

GENDERFLUID

A gender identity and/or expression which varies over time. Can be all male, all female , or any combination of the two. To be “fluid” with gender expression and or gender identity. The genderfluid flag is meant to encompass all gender identities. According to pride.com, the pink stands for femininity, blue for masculinity, purple for masculinity and femininity, white for lack of gender and black for all genders.

A term for all genders other than female/male or woman/man. Not all nonbinary people identify as trans and not all trans people identify as nonbinary. Sometimes (and increasingly), nonbinary can be used to describe the aesthetic/presentation/expression of a cisgender or transgender person. Yellow represents those whose gender exists outside of and without reference to the binary (Male or Female). White represents those who have many or all genders as white is the presence of all color and/or light.

The purple stripe represents those who feel their gender is between or a mix of female and male as purple is the mix of traditional boy (blue) and girl (pink) colors. The purple also could be seen as representing the fluidity and uniqueness of nonbinary people. The final black stripe represents those who feel they are without gender, as black is the absence of color and/or light.

GENDER-QUEER

Those who identify as genderqueer may identify as neither male nor female may see themselves as outside of or in between the binary gender boxes, or may simply feel restricted by gender labels. Many genderqueer people are cisgender and identify with it as an aesthetic. Not everyone who identifies as genderqueer identifies as trans or nonbinary. Gender-Queer flag colors: lavender Androgynes and androgyny. Also represents the “queer” in genderqueer, white: Agender Identity and Dark Chartreuse Green: “Meant to represent those whose identities which are defined outside of and without reference to the binary."

TRANSGENDER

A term that may be used to describe people whose gender expression does not conform to the cultural norms and/or whose gender identity is different from their sex assigned at birth. Transgender is also considered by some to be a generalized term that encompasses a number of identities which transcend the conventional expectations of gender identity and expression. Navy veteran and transgender woman, Monica Helms created the Transgender Pride flag in 1999. Monica purposefully designed the flag so that, no matter how you hold it, it looks the same. "This symbolizes us trying to find correctness in our own lives," she said, according to Pride. As for the colors, those have a lot of meaning as well. "The light blue is the traditional color for baby boys, pink is for girls, and the white in the middle is for those who are transitioning, those who feel they have a neutral gender or no gender, and those who are intersexed," Monica explained.

GLOSSARY

BEAR: Is LGBT slang for those in the bear communities, a subculture in the gay/bisexual male communities. Bears tend to have hairy bodies and facial hair; some are heavy-set; some project an image of working-class masculinity in their grooming and appearance, though none of these are requirements or unique indicators

Bear Community: The Bear Community is a subculture in the gay/bisexual male communities and an emerging subset of LGBT communities with events, codes and culture-specific identity. It can also be used more generically to describe a physical type. Bears tend to have hairy bodies and facial hair; they are burly, hefty, stocky, husky, rustic, and natural; some are heavy-set or muscular; some are chubby; some project an image of working-class masculinity in their grooming and appearance, though none of these are requirements or unique indicators. Some bears place importance on presenting a hypermasculine image and may shun interaction with, and even disdain, men who exhibit effeminacy.

Closeted: Describes a person who is not open about their sexual orientation, or an ally who is not open about their support for people who are LGBTQ.

Coming out: For people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, the process of self-acceptance that continues throughout one’s life. People often establish a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender identity to themselves first and then may decide to reveal it to others. Coming out can also apply to the family and allies of people who are LGBT. There are many different degrees of being out: some may be out to friends only, some may be out publicly, and some may be out only to themselves. It’s important to remember that not everyone is in the same place when it comes to being out, and to respect where each person is in that process of self-identification. It is up to each person, individually, to decide if and when to come out or disclose.

Cub: Is a younger (or younger-looking) version of a Bear, typically but not always with a smaller frame. Can be hairy or hairless.

Gay: The adjective used to describe people whose emotional, romantic, and/or physical attraction is to people of the same sex (e.g., gay men, gay people). In contemporary contexts, “lesbian” is often a preferred term for women. People who are gay need not have had any sexual experience; it is the attraction that determines orientation.

Lesbian: A woman whose emotional, romantic, and/or physical attraction is to other women. People who are lesbians need not have had any sexual experience; it is the attraction that determines orientation.

Lifestyle: A negative term often incorrectly used to describe the lives of people who are LGBTQ. The term is disliked because it implies that being LGBTQ is a choice. A preferred approach for LGBTQ+ community, instead of “lifestyle” can be culture or lives.

Otter: Is a man who is hairy, but is not large or stocky - typically thinner, or with lean muscle. Slimmer version of a Bear, but not as lean as a Wolf.

Out: Describes people who openly self-identify as LGBTQ in their public and/or professional lives.

Queer: A term currently used by some people particularly youth to describe themselves and/or their community. Some value the term for its defiance, some like it, because it can be inclusive of the entire community, and others find it to be an appropriate term to describe their more fluid identities. Traditionally, a negative or pejorative term for people who are gay, “queer” is disliked by some within the LGBT community. Historically members of the LGBT community were subject to the slur “queer” during the middle of the twentieth century, these community members may find it offensive. Due to its varying meanings, this word should only be used when self-identifying or quoting someone who self-identifies as queer (i.e. “My cousin self-identifies as queer.”)

Questioning: A term used to describe those who are in a process of discovery and exploration about their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or a combination thereof.

Sexual orientation: Emotional, romantic, or sexual feelings toward other people. People who are straight experience these feelings primarily for people of the opposite sex. People who are gay or lesbian experience these feelings primarily for people of the same sex. People who are bisexual experience these feelings for people of both sexes. And people who are asexual experience no sexual attraction at all. Other terms describing sexual orientation include (but are not limited to) pansexual and polysexual. Sexual orientation is part of the human condition, while sexual behavior involves the choices one makes in acting on one’s sexual orientation. One’s sexual activity does not define who one is with regard to one’s sexual orientation; it is the attraction that determines their orientation.

Twink: is gay slang for a young man in his late teens to early twenties whose traits may include: general physical attractiveness; little to no body or facial hair; a slim to average build; and a youthful appearance that belies an older chronological age.

Ursula: Some lesbians, particularly more masculine ones, also participate in Bear culture referring to themselves with the distinct label Ursula.

Wolf: Is a lean, masculine gay man who is attracted to bears and involved in the bear scene.

GENDER IDENTITY

Androgynous: A non-binary gender identity, having both male and female characteristics. Can be used to describe people’s appearances or clothing.

Gender: A set of social, psychological, or emotional traits, often influenced by societal expectations that classify an individual as either feminine or masculine.

Gender binary: The concept that there are only two genders, male and female, and that everyone must be one or the other.

Gender expression: External manifestations of gender, expressed through a person's name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, and/or body characteristics. Society identifies these cues as masculine and feminine, although what is considered masculine or feminine changes over time and varies by culture. Typically, transgender people seek to align their gender expression with their gender identity, rather than the sex they were assigned at birth. The important thing to remember and respect is that every gender expression is valid.

Gender identity: One’s deeply held personal, internal sense of being male, female, some of both, or neither. One’s gender identity does not always correspond to biological sex (i.e., a person assigned female at birth identifies as male or a person assigned male a birth identifies as female). Awareness of gender identity is usually experienced in infancy and reinforced in adolescence.

Gender neutral: Not gendered. Can refer to language (including pronouns), spaces (like bathrooms), or identities (being genderqueer, for example).

Gender nonconforming: A term used to describe some people whose gender expression is different from conventional expectations of masculinity and femininity. Please note that not all gender nonconforming people identify as transgender; nor are all transgender people gender non-conforming. Many people have gender expressions that are not entirely conventional – that fact alone does not make them transgender. Many transgender men and women have gender expressions that are conventionally masculine or feminine. Simply being transgender does not make someone gender non-conforming. The term is not a synonym for transgender or transsexual and should only be used if someone self-identifies as gender non-conforming.

Gender variant: A term, often used mainly for children and youth that describes those who dress, behave, or express themselves in a way that does not conform to dominant gender norms. Some people do not use this term, because they feel it suggests these identities are abnormal. (See gender non-conforming.)

TGNC: Acronym which stands for transgender and gender nonconforming. Often used when talking about groups of people with diverse gender identities.

Affirmed gender: The gender to which someone has transitioned. This term is often used to replace terms like “new gender” or “chosen gender,” which imply that the current gender was not always a person’s gender or that their gender was chosen rather than simply in existence.

Assigned sex: The sex (male, female intersex) that is assigned to an infant at birth.

Cisgender: A term used to describe an individual whose gender identity aligns with the one typically associated with the sex assigned to them at birth. This is a term that is preferable to “non-trans,” “biological,” or “natal” man or woman.

Cross-dresser: While anyone may wear clothes associated with a different sex, the term cross-dresser is typically used to refer to men who occasionally wear clothes, makeup, and accessories culturally associated with women. Those men typically identify as heterosexual. This activity is a form of gender expression and is not done for entertainment purposes. Cross-dressers do not wish to permanently change their sex or live fulltime as women. Replaces the term "transvestite".

Disclosure: The act or process of revealing one’s transgender or gender nonconforming identity to another person in a specific instance. Related to, but not the same as, coming out.

Gender-affirming surgery: Surgical procedures that help people adjust their bodies in a way that more closely matches or transforms to the desired gender identity. Not every transgender person will desire or have resources for surgery. This should be used in place of the older “sex change” which has become an offensive term to those pursuing gender affirmation.

Gender Congruency: The change in name from Gender Identity

Disorder to Gender Incongruence is an improvement which is less pathologizing as it no longer implies that one’s identity is a disorder. The proposed criteria are better able to account for the diversity in gender and transgender identities encountered in clinical practice, reflecting the paradigm shift away from a binary understanding and treatment approach toward affirmation of a spectrum of transgender identities.

Gender Dysphoria: involves a conflict between a person's physical or assigned gender and the gender with which he/she/they identify. People with gender dysphoria may be very uncomfortable with the gender they were assigned, sometimes described as being uncomfortable with their body (particularly developments during puberty) or being uncomfortable with the expected roles of their assigned gender. People with gender dysphoria may often experience significant distress and/or problems functioning associated with this conflict between the way they feel and think of themselves (referred to as experienced or expressed gender) and their physical or assigned gender.

Passing: refers to society’s perceptions and assumptions of someone’s sexuality or gender.

Specifically, this term is most commonly used to discuss the frequency and extent to which an LGBTQIA+ person is perceived as or assumed to be straight or cisgender.

It’s important to note that some LGBTQIA+ people have the desire to pass while others do not. In fact, the act of being perceived as straight or cisgender can be a source of discomfort and discrimination for some people in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Sex: Refers to biological, genetic, or physical characteristics that define males and females. These can include genitalia, hormone levels, genes, or secondary sex characteristics. Sex is often compared or interchanged with gender. This is thought of as more social and less biological, though there is some considerable overlap.

Stealth: A person who has transitioned and blends into society. This term is used to describe transgender individuals who are stealth do not self-disclose to people that they are transgender. While this is a personal choice this term can be seen as an invalidating term that makes transgender people out to be sneaky or lying about themselves.

Trans: Used as shorthand to mean transgender or transsexual - or sometimes to be inclusive of a wide variety of identities under the transgender umbrella. Because its meaning is not precise or widely understood, be careful when using it with audiences who may not understand what it means. Avoid unless used in a direct quote or in cases where you can clearly explain the term's meaning in the context of your story.

Transgender: A term that may be used to describe people whose gender expression does not conform to the cultural norms and/or whose gender identity is different from their sex assigned at birth. Transgender is also considered by some to be a generalized term that encompasses a number of identities that transcend the conventional expectations of gender identity and expression, including FTM (Female to Male), MTF (Male to Female), genderqueer, and gender expansive. People who identify as transgender may or may not decide to alter their bodies hormonally and/or surgically to match their gender identity (see transsexual.)

Transition: The process one goes through to discover and/or affirm their gender identity. This can, but does not always, include taking hormones, having surgeries, or going through therapy.

Transsexual: An older term that originated in the medical and psychological communities. Still preferred by some people who have permanently changed - or seek to change - their bodies through medical interventions, including but not limited to hormones and/or surgeries. Unlike transgender, transsexual is not an umbrella term. Many transgender people do not identify as transsexual and prefer the word transgender. It is best to ask which term a person prefers. If preferred, use as an adjective: transsexual woman or transsexual man.

Please note:

FTM: Female to Male – Female sex assigned at birth, transitioning to male with the use of hormones and or possibly surgeries, or neither. This term is has been replaced with Transmasculine, as trans men are not going from one gender to another, rather becoming their true selves and is more inclusive of this group.

MTF: Male to Female – Male sex assigned at birth, transitioning with the use of hormones and or possibly surgeries, or neither. This term is has been replaced with Transfeminine, as trans women are not going from one gender to another, rather becoming their true selves, and is more inclusive of this group

Also note:

Transgender women are not cross-dressers nor are they drag queens. Drag queens are men, typically gay men, who dress like women for the purpose of entertainment. Be aware of the differences between transgender women, cross-dressers, and drag queens. Use the term preferred by the person. Do not use the word "transvestite" at all, unless someone specifically selfidentifies that way.

OTHER HELPFUL TERMS

Aro-Ace Spectrum: While asexuality means you do not experience sexual attraction, people who self-identify as aromantic do not experience romantic attraction to others. While many aromantic people also identify as asexual, identifying as one label does not mean the other is automatically implied. Aromantic people can enjoy sex without romance, and asexual people can enjoy romance without sex.

BIPOC: Black, Indigenous & People of Color, Pronounced “bye-pock,” this is a term specific to the United States, intended to center the experiences of Black and Indigenous groups and demonstrate solidarity between communities of color.

Butch: A gender expression that fits societal definitions of masculinity. Usually used by queer women and trans people, particularly by lesbians. Some consider “butch” to be its own gender identity.

Cissexism/Genderism: The pervasive system of discrimination and exclusion that oppresses people whose gender and/or gender expression falls outside of cis-normative constructs. This system is founded on the belief that there are, and should be, only two genders & that one’s gender or most aspects of it, are inevitably tied to assigned sex. Within cissexism cisgender people are the dominant/agent group and trans*/ gender non-conforming people are the oppressed/target group.

Cross Dresser (CD): A word to describe a person who dresses, at least partially, as a member of a gender other than their assigned sex; carries no implications of sexual orientation. Has replaced “Transvestite”

Femme: Historically used in the lesbian community, it is being increasingly used by other LGBTQIA people to describe gender expressions that reclaim/claim and/or disrupt traditional constructs of femininity.

Heteronormativity : the assumption, in individuals or in institutions, that everyone is heterosexual (e.g. asking a woman if she has a boyfriend) and that heterosexuality is superior to all other sexualities. Leads to invisibility and stigmatizing of other sexualities. Heteronormativity also leads us to assume that only masculine men and feminine women are straight.

Hermaphrodite: Is an outdated medical term previously used to refer to someone who was born with some combination of typically-male and typically-female sex characteristics. It’s considered stigmatizing and inaccurate. See intersex.

Heterosexism: Is a behavior that grants preferential treatment to heterosexual people, reinforces the idea that heterosexuality is somehow better or more “right” than queerness, and/or makes other sexualities invisible.

Intersectionality: A term coined by law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw in the 1980s to describe the way that multiple systems of oppression interact in the lives of those with multiple marginalized identities. Intersectionality looks at the relationships between multiple marginalized identities and allows us to analyze social problems more fully, shape more effective interventions, and promote more inclusive advocacy amongst communities.

Microaggressions: Brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights and insults about one’s marginalized identity/identities. (D.W. Sue)

MOGAI: Refers to Marginalized Orientations, Gender Alignments, Intersex, Et Al. In the acronym LGBTQ+ there is more focus on L (Lesbian) G (Gay) neglecting B (Bisexual and T (transgender), not to mention the fact that it fails to include pansexual, asexual, genderqueer/fluid, demisexual, and intersex people, as well as a multitude of other sexual orientations and gender identities. Additionally, people tend to think that A stands for ally, instead of asexual, which tends to give heterosexual people access to queer communities. Some people have reclaimed the term “Queer” but not all people embrace this term because it has been and can be used as a slur. MOGAI allows everyone who identifies as queer to be united under a single term, without this term being a slur or focusing on one identity. This also includes intersex individuals, a group that receives a large amount of discrimination and a very small amount of public awareness.

Privilege: A set of unearned benefits given to people who fit into a specific social group.

SOGI: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Two-spirit: Are individuals viewed in some tribes as having two identities occupying one body. Their dress is usually a mixture of traditionally male and traditionally female articles, or they may dress as a man one day, and a woman on another. Most Indigenous communities have specific terms in their own languages for the gender-variant members of their communities and the social and spiritual roles these individuals fulfill.

Sexuality

Allosexual: A word and category describing those who experience sexual attraction. The use of this term helps normalize the experience of people on the asexual spectrum and provides a more specific label to describe those who aren’t part of the asexual community.

Allosexism: This refers to norms, stereotypes, and practices in society that operate under the assumption that all human beings experience, or should experience sexual attraction.

Allosexism grants privilege to those who experience attraction and leads to prejudice against and erasure of asexual people.

Autosexual: A person who’s sexually attracted to themselves. Someone’s desire to engage in sexual behavior such as masturbation doesn’t determine whether they’re autosexual.

Autoromatic: A romantic orientation that describes a person who’s romantically attracted to themselves. People who identify as autoromatic often report experiencing the relationship they have with themselves as romantic.

Bicurious: This refers to people who are questioning or exploring bisexuality, often due to a curiosity about one’s romantic or sexual attraction to people of the same or different genders.

Biromantic: People who experience romantic attraction, but not sexual attraction, to people of more than one gender.

Cupiosexual: Cupiosexual describes asexual people who don’t experience sexual attraction but still have the desire to engage in sexual behavior or a sexual relationship.

Demisexual: On the asexual spectrum, this sexual orientation describes people who experience sexual attraction only under specific circumstances, such as after building a romantic or emotional relationship with a person.

Demiromantic: This romantic orientation describes people who experience romantic attraction only under specific circumstances, such as after building an emotional relationship with a person.

Fluid: This term refers to the fact that sexuality, sexual attraction, and sexual behavior can change over time and vary based on circumstances. It’s used to describe people who experience shifts in their sexuality, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior in different situations or throughout the course of their lifetime. You may hear someone describe their sexuality as fluid.

Graysexual: Graysexual is used to acknowledge the gray area on the sexuality spectrum for people who don’t explicitly and exclusively identify as asexual or aromantic.

Many people who identify as graysexual do experience some sexual attraction or desire, but perhaps not at the same level or frequency as those who identify their sexuality as being completely outside of the asexual spectrum.

Grayromantic: A romantic orientation that describes individuals whose romantic attraction exists in the gray area between romantic and aromantic.

Many people who identify as grayromantic do experience some romantic attraction, but perhaps not at the same level or frequency as those who identify their sexuality or romantic orientation as something other than asexual.

Gynesexual: A term used to communicate sexual or romantic attraction to women, females, or femininity.

This term intentionally includes attraction to those who identify as women, female, or feminine regardless of biology, anatomy, or the sex assigned at birth.

Libidoist asexual: A term used to describe an asexual person who experiences sexual feelings that are satisfied through self-stimulation or masturbation.

This term acknowledges that, for some people, acting on libido or sexual feelings doesn’t necessarily involve sexual behavior with others.

Monosexual: A broad sexual orientation category that includes people who experience romantic or sexual attraction to people of one sex or gender. Monosexuality typically includes those who are exclusively heterosexual, gay, or lesbian.

Non-libidoist asexual: Referring to an identity on the asexuality spectrum, a non-libidoist asexual is someone who doesn’t experience any sexual feelings or has an active sex drive.

Omnisexual: Omnisexual is similar to pansexual and can be used to describe people whose sexuality isn’t limited to those of a particular gender, sex, or sexual orientation.

Pansexual: A term that describes people who can experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to any person, regardless of that person’s gender, sex, or sexuality.

Panromantic: A term that describes people who can experience romantic, or emotional (but not sexual) attraction to any person, regardless of that person’s gender, sex, or sexuality.

Polysexual: A term that describes people with a sexual orientation that involves sexual or romantic attraction to people with varying genders. Polysexual orientations include bisexuality, pansexuality, omnisexuality, and queer, among many others.

Pomosexual: A term used to refer to people who reject sexuality labels or don’t identify with any of them. Pomosexual is not necessarily an identity.

Romantic attraction: The experience of having an emotional response that results in the desire for a romantic, but not necessarily sexual, relationship or interaction with another person or oneself. Some people experience romantic attraction but don’t experience sexual attraction.

Romantic orientation

Romantic orientation is an aspect of self and identity that involves:

how you identify the way you experience romantic desire (if you do) the gender(s) or sex(es) of the people you engage in romantic relationships with (if any) the gender(s) or sex(es) of the people you are romantically attracted to (if any)

Sapiosexual: A word used to describe those who experience attraction based on intelligence, rather than sex or gender.

Sexual attraction: Sexual attraction refers to experiencing sexual desire or arousal in relation to another person or group of people.

Sex-averse: Sex-averse describes those who are on the asexual spectrum and are averse to or extremely disinterested in sex or sexual behavior.

Sex-favorable: On the spectrum of asexuality, sex-favorable is viewed as the “opposite” of sex-repulsed and describes those who are asexual, and in certain situations can have favorable or positive feelings toward sex.

Sex-indifferent: Sex-indifferent describes those who are on the asexual spectrum and feel indifferent or neutral about sex or sexual behavior.

Sexual orientation or sexuality

Sexual orientation or sexuality is an aspect of self that involves:

how you identify the way you experience sexual or romantic desire (if you do) the gender(s) or sex(es) of the people you engage in sexual or romantic activity with (if any) the gender(s) or sex(es) of the people you are attracted to (if any)

Sexuality can change over the course of someone’s life and in different situations. It’s understood to be a spectrum instead of a series of mutually exclusive categories.

Sex-repulsed: Similar to sex-averse, sex-repulsed is on the spectrum of asexuality and describes those who are asexual and are repulsed by or extremely disinterested in sex or sexual behavior.

Skoliosexual: A sexual orientation that describes people who are sexually attracted to those with non-cisgender gender identities, such as people who are nonbinary, genderqueer, or trans.

Spectrasexual: A term that describes people who are sexually or romantically attracted to multiple or varied sexes, genders, and gender identities, but not necessarily all or any.

Straight: Also known as heterosexual, straight describes people who experience sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to people of the “opposite” gender (e.g., male vs. female, man vs. woman) or a different gender. People who identify as cisgender and transgender can be straight.

References Used:

https://www.transstudent.org/definitions

https://lgbtqhealth.ca/community/two-spirit.php

https://www.glaad.org/amp/ace-guide-finding-your-community

https://pflag.org/glossary

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/sexual-orientation-gender

https://www.healthline.com/health/different-types-of-sexuality

Straightforequality.org

Also referenced:

Psychology Today, Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, asexuality.org

Wikipedia.org, psychiatry.org/patients-families/gender-dysphoria/whatis-

gender-dysphoria, vanderbilt.edu/lgbtqi/resources/definitions

wiki.asexuality.org/Demisexual, lgbtqia.ucdavis.edu/educated/glossary

Original Flag information:

wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow flag (LGBT movement)

outrightinternational.org/content/flags-LGBTQ-community, GLAADMedia-

Reference-Guide-Tenth-Edition.pdf, transstudent.org, Huffpost.com : Lantinx

Verywellmind.com: Polyamory, Slate.com: Passing, transstudent.org, “What is Intersex” from the Planned Parenthood website

Valuable Resources

Riverside County

• Toll Free 24/7 Helpline: 211

• Riverside PFLAG: www.pflag.org/chapter/pflag-riverside

· Temecula PFLAG: www.pflagtemecula.org/

· Palm Springs PFLAG:

• Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance: www.rainbowprideyouthalliance.org

• UCR LGBT Resource Center: http://out.ucr.edu/offcampus.html

• Safeschools desert Cities: www.safeschoolsdc.org/

• TransFamily Support Group: www.transfamilysos.org/

• Cup of Happy Operation Safehouse: operationsafehouse.org/safehouse-riverside/programs/a-cup-of-happy/ ·

• Eisenhower Health: www.eisenhowerhealth.org/

• IEHP: www.iehp.org/

• Kaiser: thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/southerncalifornia/transgender/

•TruEvolution: https://www.truevolution.org/

•Desert AIDS Project: https://www.desertaidsproject.org/

•Foothill AIDS Project: https://fapinfo.org/

Resources Continued

So. Cal LGBT Centers

The Center Riverside: https://www.rivcocenter.org/

Phone# 951-364-3305

The Center Palm Springs: https://www.thecenterps.org/

Phone# 760-416-7790 Email: info@thecentercv.org

The Center Orange County: https://www.lgbtcenteroc.org/

The Center San Diego: https://thecentersd.org/

Los Angeles LGBT Center: https://lalgbtcenter.org/

The Center Long Beach: https://www.centerlb.org/

National Resources

•ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/

•PFLAG: https://www.pflag.org

•Straight for Equality-https://www.straightforequality.org

•GLAAD: https://www.glaad.org/reference/transgender

•WPATH: https://www.wpath.org/

•The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org

•Trans Lifeline: https://www.translifeline.org/

•GLSEN: https://www.glsen.org/

•TSER - Trans Student Educational Resources: www.transstudent.org/

•Equality California: https://www.eqca.org/

•Transgender Law center:

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/archives/category/california

•HRC https://www.hrc.org/