Glossary

A person who experiences little to no romantic attraction. An aromantic person can, however, have friendships, sexual relationships, or romantic relationships, depending on their desires and needs, without this calling their romantic orientation into question.

A person who does not identify with any gender, or who feels that they are gender-neutral. Some agender people may nevertheless adopt a variety of gender expressions.

A person who is emotionally, romantically, and/or sexually attracted to people of various genders, including their own. The intensity and nature of this attraction can vary from person to person.

It refers to discrimination, rejection, or prejudice against bisexual or pansexual people. Biphobia can manifest itself in the form of questioning their sexual orientation, erasing their existence, or perpetuating negative stereotypes.

The process by which a person who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, or part of any other gender or sexual minority chooses to disclose their sexual orientation and/or gender identity to others. This decision is based on individual freedom and may be influenced by a social context that remains largely heteronormative and cisnormative.

A set of social norms that assume everyone is cisgender—that is, that their gender aligns with the one assigned to them at birth. This norm often renders transgender and non-binary people invisible or illegitimate.

The name a transgender person used before their transition, which no longer reflects their current identity. Using this name without consent can be perceived as disrespectful or harmful, as it denies the person’s reality.

It is unequal or unfair treatment of a person or group of people based on actual or perceived characteristics, such as origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, or social class. Discrimination can be direct, indirect, institutional, or systemic.

Rejection, contempt, fear, or discrimination toward non-binary people, or those perceived as such. It can take the form of mockery, stereotypes, erasure, or a refusal to acknowledge their identity.

An acronym referring to female, intersex people, non-binary people, trans people, agender people, and others. It is often used to refer to people who are not cisgender men or who were assigned female at birth, particularly in feminist or activist contexts.

A man who is emotionally, romantically, and/or sexually attracted to men. The term “homosexual” may also be used, although “gay” is often preferred because of its more positive and community-oriented connotation.

The way a person expresses their gender through their appearance, clothing, body language, voice, or behavior. Gender expression does not always conform to stereotypes associated with masculinity or femininity.

A social and cultural category that shapes the roles, behaviors, and perceptions associated with what is considered masculine or feminine. Gender is distinct from sex, which is assigned at birth based on biological criteria, and it is not limited to the male/female binary.

A set of social norms that present heterosexuality as the norm, or even as the only legitimate model for relationships. It contributes to the invisibility of other sexual orientations and to the prioritization of heterosexual relationships at the expense of others.

An attitude of rejection, contempt, fear, or hatred toward homosexual people or those perceived as such. Homophobia can manifest itself in the form of discrimination, mockery, or physical or verbal abuse.

A person born with sex characteristics (chromosomes, hormones, genitalia) that do not fit traditional definitions of male or female. Intersex people may or may not identify as male, female, or otherwise.

It is a process by which certain people, experiences, identities, or realities are ignored, downplayed, or erased in society, the media, institutions, or history. Invisibilization often contributes to reinforcing inequalities and power dynamics.

This is discrimination against or rejection of intersex people—that is, people whose sex characteristics do not strictly conform to medical or social norms of male or female.

A woman who is emotionally, romantically, and/or sexually attracted to women. The term can also be embraced as a political identity and as a form of solidarity among women who love women.

An acronym that encompasses lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other identities. The “+” sign highlights the diversity of experiences and identities beyond this list.

The act of referring to a person using a first name, pronoun, adjective, or gender that does not align with their gender identity. This may be intentional or unintentional, but is often experienced as a form of symbolic violence or a microaggression.

These are remarks, behaviors, or attitudes—often trivialized or unintentional—that convey prejudices or stereotypes toward people belonging to marginalized groups. Microaggressions can have a significant psychological impact when they occur repeatedly.

A person whose gender identity is not strictly limited to the categories of “man” or “woman.” The term can encompass a wide range of experiences, depending on whether the person identifies as falling between the two, beyond the two, or outside this binary.

The act of disclosing a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or intersex status without their consent. Such disclosure may put the person in a difficult situation, expose them to risks, or infringe on their privacy.

A person who may be emotionally, romantically, and/or sexually attracted to people of all genders, or for whom gender is not a determining factor in attraction.

A communication strategy in which a company, institution, political party, or government pays lip service to LGBTQIA+ people in order to polish its image. This public display of support is not necessarily accompanied by genuine, consistent, or lasting commitments.

An inclusive and political term referring to people whose gender identity and/or sexual orientation do not conform to dominant cisgender and heterosexual norms. Reappropriated after having long been used as an insult, “queer” emphasizes the fluidity and diversity of identities.

It is a system of domination, discrimination, or prejudice based on a supposed hierarchy of human groups according to their origin, skin color, or ethnicity. Racism can be individual, institutional, or systemic.

It is a social process through which individuals or groups are assigned racial characteristics—often in a stereotypical manner—in order to distinguish them from one another or to rank them hierarchically. Racialization is not based on biological reality, but on a social construct.

A system of discrimination, stereotypes, and power dynamics based on gender and the notion that there is a hierarchy between the sexes or genders. It can manifest itself openly or in more subtle ways, through unequal attitudes, remarks, or practices.

Sexual orientation refers to a person’s capacity to feel emotional, physical, and/or sexual attraction toward individuals of the opposite sex/gender and/or the same sex/gender, and to engage in intimate and sexual relationships with those individuals.

“Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity”
An acronym referring to a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity, regardless of the sex assigned at birth. It is used particularly in legal and institutional contexts, such as asylum proceedings, to recognize persecution based on these grounds.

A person whose gender identity does not align with the sex assigned to them at birth. Some transgender people choose to undergo social, medical, or legal transition, depending on their needs and preferences, but this is neither a requirement nor the norm.

A neutral third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to a person without specifying their gender.

A general term referring to the fact that a person’s gender identity differs from the one assigned to them at birth. It can encompass a range of transgender experiences without reducing people to a single experience.

It is an attitude of rejection, fear, or hostility toward people who are perceived as foreigners or as coming from another country, culture, or community.