Basic Definitions: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE)

SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Describes to whom a person is sexually attracted. Some people are attracted to people of a particular gender;
others are attracted to people of more than one gender. Some are not attracted to anyone.

Asexual - not sexually attracted to anyone and/or no desire to act on attraction to anyone. Does not
necessarily mean sexless. Asexual people sometimes do experience affectional (romantic) attraction.
Bisexual - attracted to people of one’s own gender and people of other gender(s). Two common
misconceptions are that bisexual people are attracted to everyone and anyone, or that they just haven’t “decided.”
Often referred to as “bi.” See also Pansexual/Fluid and Queer.
Gay - generally refers to a man who is attracted to men. Sometimes refers to all people who are attracted
to people of the same sex; sometimes “homosexual” is used for this also, although this term is seen by many
today as a medicalized term that should be retired from common use.
Lesbian - a woman who is attracted to women. Sometimes also or alternately “same-gender-loving
woman” or “woman loving woman.” See also Gay.
Pansexual/Fluid - attracted to people regardless of gender. Sometimes also or alternately “omnisexual” or
“polysexual.” See also Bisexual and Queer.
Questioning - one who may be unsure of, reconsidering, or chooses to hold off identifying their sexual
identity or gender expression or identity.
Queer - traditionally a derogatory term, yet reclaimed and appropriated by some LGBTQ individuals as a
term of self-identification. It is an umbrella term which embraces a matrix of sexual preferences, gender
expressions, and habits that are not of the heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary majority. It is not
a universally accepted term by all members of the LGBT community, and it is often considered offensive
when used by heterosexuals.
Straight - attracted to people of the “opposite” sex (see below); also sometimes generally used to refer to
people whose sexualities are societally normative. Alternately referred to as “heterosexual.”

GENDER IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION

The ways in which a person identifies and/or expresses their gender, including self-image, appearance, and
embodiment of gender roles. One’s sex (e.g. male, female, intersex, etc.) is usually assigned at birth based on
one’s physical biology. One’s gender (e.g. male, female, genderqueer, etc.) is one’s internal sense of self and
identity. One’s gender expression (e.g. masculine, feminine, androgynous, etc.) is how one embodies gender
attributes, presentations, roles, and more.

Androgyny - The mixing of masculine and feminine gender expression or the lack of gender identification.
The terms androgyne, agender, and neutrois are sometimes used by people who identify as genderless,
non-gendered, beyond or between genders, or some combination thereof.
Cisgender - A gender identity that society considers to “match” the biological sex assigned at birth. The
prefix cis- means “on this side of” or “not across from.” A term used to call attention to the privilege of
people who are not transgender.
Crossdresser - Cross-dressing refers to occasionally wearing clothing of the “opposite” gender, and
someone who considers this an integral part of their identity may identify as a crossdresser (note: the term
crossdresser is preferable to transvestite and neither may ever be used to describe a transsexual person).
Cross-dressing is not necessarily tied to erotic activity or sexual orientation.
Genderqueer/Third Gender/Gender Fluid - These terms are used by people who identify as being between
and/or other than male or female. They may feel they are neither, a little bit of both, or they may simply feel
restricted by gender labels.
Intersex - A general term used for a variety of genetic, hormonal, or anatomical 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. Some intersex individuals identify as transgender or gender variant; others do not. (Note:
hermaphrodite is an obsolete term that is not currently considered appropriate.)
Transgender - First coined to distinguish gender benders with no desire for surgery or hormones from
transsexuals, those who desired to legally and medically change their sex, more recently transgender
and/or trans has become an umbrella term popularly used to refer to all people who transgress dominant
conceptions of gender, or at least all who identify themselves as doing so. The definition continues to
evolve.
Transsexual - The term transsexual has historically been used to refer to individuals who have medically and
legally changed their sex, or who wish to do so. Most transsexual people feel a conflict between their
gender identity and the sex they were assigned at birth. Other labels used within this group are MtF (maleto-female)
or trans woman, and FtM (female-to-male) or trans man.
Two-Spirit – A person who identified with the Native American tradition of characterizing certain members
 of the community as having the spirit of both the male and female genders.

OTHER COMMONLY USED TERMS

Biphobia - Aversion of and/or prejudice toward the idea that people can be attracted to more than one
gender, and/or bisexuals as a group or as individuals, often based on negative stereotypes of bisexuality
and the invisibility of bisexual people.
Coming Out – The process of acknowledging one’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity or expression
to oneself or other people.
Gender Binary - A system of classifying sex and gender into two distinct and disconnected forms of
masculine and feminine. It can be referred to as a social construct or a social boundary that discourages
people from crossing or mixing gender roles, or from creating other third (or more) forms of gender
expression. It can also represent some of the prejudices which stigmatize people who identify as intersex
and transgender.
Heterosexism - The presumption that everyone is straight and/or the belief that heterosexuality is a superior
expression of sexuality. Often includes the use of power of the majority (heterosexuals) to reinforce this belief
and forgetting the privileges of being straight in our society.
Homophobia - Negative attitudes and feelings toward people with non-heterosexual sexualities; dislike of, or
discomfort with, expressions of sexuality that do not conform to heterosexual norms.
Internalized Oppression - In reference to LGBTQ people, internalized oppression is the belief that straight
and non-transgender people are “normal” or better than LGBTQ people, as well as the often-unconscious
belief that negative stereotypes about LGBTQ people are true.
LGBTQ - An acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. This is currently one of the most
popular ways in U.S. society to refer to all people who are marginalized due to sexual orientation and/or
gender identity, although other letters are often included as well to represent identities described above.
Transphobia - Negative attitudes and feelings toward transgender individuals or discomfort with people
whose gender identity and/or gender expression do not conform to traditional or stereotypic gender roles.

SEX
In short, sex is biological. It’s the genitalia you’re born with, your chromosomes, genes, hormones, and physical
characteristics (like facial hair, breasts, and a deep or high pitched voice).

GENDER
Based on your sex, society expects you to behave and look a certain way. Males are expected to be masculine, independent,
the breadwinner in a relationship, and wear shirts and pants. While females are expected to be emotional, “girly,” and quiet,
and wear traditionally feminine clothes like dresses, skirts, and heels. This expectation of how you’re supposed to look and
act (based on your sex) is referred to as gender.

GENDER IDENTITY
Gender identity is a person’s perception of the gender they have. Today, more than 95-percent of people in the U.S feel
that their gender matches their assigned sex (these people are referred to as being cisgender). But what happens when
your sex and gender identity doesn't match? When you have a female body but feel like a boy, or have a male body and
feel like a girl? Or if you don’t identify with either gender, then what?

WHEN GENDER IDENTITY AND SEX DON’T MATCH

When someone feels like their body doesn’t match how they feel, it’s referred to as being transgender. Many transgender
individuals will explain it as feeling like you have the body of a female but the mind of a boy, and vice versa. Many
transgender people will alter their physical appearance and behavior so that it matches their gender identity, rather than
their sex.

SEXUALITY
Sexuality has nothing to do with who you are as a person, but rather who you’re romantically and sexually attracted to. Most
people today identify as one of these sexualities:

Straight/ Heterosexual: People who are attracted to the opposite sex.

Gay/ Lesbian/ Homosexual: People who are attracted to the same sex.
Bisexual: People who are attracted to both the same and opposite sex.
People who are attracted to all genders and sexes. The main difference between someone who is bisexual and pansexual
is that pansexual people can feel attraction to people who are intersexual, gender-queer, transgender, and gender fluid, in
addition to males and females.
Asexual: Asexual people feel little to no sexual attraction to anyone, regardless of their gender or sex. They can, however,
be romantically and emotionally attracted to someone.

What are gender roles and stereotypes?

In This Section
Gender and Gender Identity
What's intersex?
What are gender roles and stereotypes?
Our society has a set of ideas about how we expect men and women to dress, behave, and present themselves.

What are gender roles?

Gender roles in society means how we’re expected to act, speak, dress, groom, and conduct ourselves based upon our
assigned sex. For example, girls and women are generally expected to dress in typically feminine ways and be polite,
accommodating, and nurturing. Men are generally expected to be strong, aggressive, and bold.

Every society, ethnic group, and culture has gender role expectations, but they can be very different from group to group.
They can also change in the same society over time. For example, pink used to be considered a masculine color in the U.S.
while blue was considered feminine.

How do gender stereotypes affect people?

A stereotype is a widely accepted judgment or bias about a person or group — even though it’s overly simplified and not
always accurate. Stereotypes about gender can cause unequal and unfair treatment because of a person’s gender. This is
called sexism.

There are four basic kinds of gender stereotypes:

Personality traits — For example, women are often expected to be accommodating and emotional, while men are usually
expected to be self-confident and aggressive.

Domestic behaviors — For example, some people expect that women will take care of the children, cook, and clean the
home, while men take care of finances, work on the car, and do the home repairs.

Occupations — Some people are quick to assume that teachers and nurses are women, and that pilots, doctors, and
engineers are men.

Physical appearance — For example, women are expected to be thin and graceful, while men are expected to be tall and
muscular. Men and women are also expected to dress and groom in ways that are stereotypical to their gender (men
wearing pants and short hairstyles, women wearing dresses and make-up.

Hyperfemininity is the exaggeration of stereotyped behavior that’s believed to be feminine. Hyperfeminine folks exaggerate
the qualities they believe to be feminine. This may include being passive, naive, sexually inexperienced, soft, flirtatious,
graceful, nurturing, and accepting.

Hypermasculinity is the exaggeration of stereotyped behavior that’s believed to be masculine. Hypermasculine folks
exaggerate the qualities they believe to be masculine. They believe they’re supposed to compete with other men and
dominate feminine folks by being aggressive, worldly, sexually experienced, insensitive, physically imposing, ambitious,
and demanding.

These exaggerated gender stereotypes can make relationships between people difficult. Hyperfeminine folks are more likely
to endure physical and emotional abuse from their partners. Hypermasculine folks are more likely to be physically and
emotionally abusive to their partners.

Extreme gender stereotypes are harmful because they don’t allow people to fully express themselves and their emotions.
For example, it’s harmful to masculine folks to feel that they’re not allowed to cry or express sensitive emotions. And it’s
harmful to feminine folks to feel that they’re not allowed to be independent, smart or assertive. Breaking down gender
stereotypes allows everyone to be their best selves.

How can I fight gender stereotypes?

You probably see gender stereotypes all around you. You might also have seen or experienced sexism, or discrimination
based on gender. There are ways to challenge these stereotypes to help everyone — no matter their gender or gender
identity — feel equal and valued as people.
Point it out — Magazines, TV, film, and the Internet are full of negative gender stereotypes. Sometimes these stereotypes
are hard for people to see unless they’re pointed out. Be that person! Talk with friends and family members about the
stereotypes you see and help others understand how sexism and gender stereotypes can be hurtful.

Be a living example — Be a role model for your friends and family. Respect people regardless of their gender identity.
Create a safe space for people to express themselves and their true qualities regardless of what society’s gender
stereotypes and expectations are.

Speak up — If someone is making sexist jokes and comments, whether online or in person, challenge them.

Give it a try — If you want to do something that’s not normally associated with your gender, think about whether you’ll be
safe doing it. If you think you will, give it a try. People will learn from your example.

If you’ve been struggling with gender or gender identity and expectations, you’re not alone. It may help you to talk to a
trusted parent, friend, family member, teacher, or counselor.

Gender stereotyping
The international human rights law framework prohibits gender stereotypes and stereotyping which undermine the
enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms. States have obligation to eliminate discrimination against women
and men in all areas of their lives. This obligation requires States to take measures to address gender stereotypes both in
public and private life as well as to refrain from stereotyping.

A gender stereotype is a generalised view or preconception about attributes or characteristics, or the roles that are or ought
to be possessed by, or performed by women and men. A gender stereotype is harmful when it limits women’s and men’s
capacity to develop their personal abilities, pursue their professional careers and make choices about their lives.
Harmful stereotypes can be both hostile/negative (e.g., women are irrational) or seemingly benign (e.g., women are
nurturing). For example, the fact that child care responsibilities often fall exclusively on women is based on the latter
stereotype.

Gender stereotyping refers to the practice of ascribing to an individual woman or man specific attributes, characteristics, or
roles by reason only of her or his membership in the social group of women or men. Gender stereotyping is wrongful when
it results in a violation or violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Example of wrongful gender stereotyping are the failure to criminalize marital rape based on societal perception of women
as the sexual property of men, and the failure to effectively investigate, prosecute and sentence sexual violence against
women based on, e.g., the stereotype that women should protect themselves from sexual violence by dressing and behaving
modestly.

Gender stereotypes compounded and intersecting with other stereotypes have a disproportionate negative impact on certain
groups of women, such as women from minority or indigenous groups, women with disabilities, women from lower caste
groups or with lower economic status, migrant women, etc.

Wrongful gender stereotyping is a frequent cause of discrimination against women and a contributing factor in violations of
a vast array of rights such as the right to health, adequate standard of living, education, marriage and family relations, work,
freedom of expression, freedom of movement, political participation and representation, effective remedy, and freedom from
gender-based violence.

Gender role

Men and women in non-traditional gendered occupations, from top left to bottom right, or top to bottom (mobile): a male
midwife in Oslo, Norway; women being sworn into the Afghan National Police; a woman doing construction work in the
Solomon Islands; a male kindergarten teacher in Colorado Springs, U.S. playing the ukulele
A gender role, also known as a sex role,[1] is a social role encompassing a range of behaviors and attitudes that are
generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for people based on their actual or perceived sex.[2][3] Gender
roles are usually centered on conceptions of masculinity and femininity ,[2] although there are exceptions and variations.
The specifics regarding these gendered expectations may vary substantially among cultures, while other characteristics
may be common throughout a range of cultures. There is ongoing debate as to what extent gender roles and their variations
are biologically determined, and to what extent they are socially constructed.
Various groups, most notably the masculist and feminist movements, have led efforts to change aspects of prevailing gender
roles that they believe are oppressive or inaccurate.

The term gender role was first used by John Money and colleagues in 1954, during the course of his study of intersex
individuals, to describe the manners in which these individuals expressed their status as a male or female in a situation
where no clear biological assignment existed.[4]

Gender stereotypes SHARE:

12 Sep 2018

Given how connected the lives of young people are to screens, it is unsurprisingly that you increasingly learn what gender
means – what it means to be a man or a woman – via your screens. This is dangerous if you accept the assumptions about
gender that you see online without questioning them, and begin to think that the gender roles you see are normal. The
online world can stress certain ideas and messages that are then very difficult to dismantle or change.

You might wonder if the media has anything to do with gender at all. Consider these facts:

Only four Disney films feature women speaking over 60% of the dialogue: Inside Out, Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent, and
Sleeping Beauty.
A study on the number of words spoken by male and female characters over 2000 screenplays found that less than one
quarter had about equal speaking lines for men and women. More than half the screenplays had 60 to 90% of the lines
spoken by male characters.
A study on gender in advertising found that only 3% of advertising showed women as leaders, 2% conveyed them as
intelligent, and only in 1% did they come off as interesting.
The problem with being exposed to poor gender representation and gender stereotypes is that they are everywhere all the
time! These stereotyped messages in the media, through television, movies, magazine, music videos, advertising, video
games, social media, and more, can over time influence you to adopt similarly narrow ideas of gender roles in society.

What are common gender stereotypes?

For women, messages about gender still prioritise beauty over brains. For example, the media may:

Praise women who are thin and fashionable, and put down those who have other body shapes and styles
Treat women and girls as sexual objects
Portray women's key role in life as the caretaker or homemaker
Show women as dramatic, catty, and over-emotional
For men, these messages may be more nuanced, but they are just as loud and clear. The media may:

Idealise a buff and toned body shape

Stigmatise boys who show emotion instead of bravado and "grit"
Depict boys who act recklessly, even at the expense of others, as cool
I don’t believe in stereotypes.

That’s great! If you have any doubts at all, you can test yourself by asking yourself questions like this:

What are some stereotypes of boys and girls?

If my best friend started acting in a way that was different from how a guy/girl usually acts, what would other people say
about them?
What would I feel hearing these things that people say?
What would I feel about my best friend acting this way?
At this point, you might think, “I don’t care how my best friend acts. It doesn’t matter.” That’s still great. Now you can consider
a few more questions. If you are a guy, ask yourself:

When was the last time I cried to someone? If something bad happened tomorrow, would I feel okay crying to someone
about it?
When was the last time I helped to clean or cook at home? Do I expect a woman to do these things for me in the future?
Am I comfortable wearing pink?
Would I ever consider being a nurse or pre-school teacher? What about staying at home to take care of my kids in the
future? Why or why not?
If you are a girl, ask yourself:
When was the last time I asserted myself in public? If a situation came up tomorrow, would I be able to talk over a man and
make my opinion known?
Would I ever consider being a police officer or surgeon in the future? What about having a husband stay at home to take
care of my kids in the future? Why or why not?
The answers to these questions, and how quickly or comfortably you answer them, might shed some light on how much
you have internalised these stereotypes. Internalised means how much you have taken these to be the truth, letting them
guide the way you think. To break the hold of these concepts over your mind, be sure to check yourself and correct yourself
if you find yourself thinking them.

Is there anything I can do to avoid or change these stereotypes?

Find good content: look out for shows and movies that features boys and men expressing their emotions constructively and
being kind and vulnerable. Shows like This Is Us or movies like The King’s Speech are good examples. Also find female
characters who are outspoken and follow non-stereotypical goals and paths. Crime shows featuring women as police or
profilers are good examples, such as Bones or Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Think about what you watch: if you are watching content, critically think about what is happening, the types of stereotypes
being reinforced or disrupted on screen, and how these might affect broader power structures
Compliment people differently: in your daily life, try to praise people using compliments that are not just about their
appearance (particularly for women) or their strength (for men) – recognise people for their characteristics beyond any
gender roles
Talk to people: when you are confronted with gender stereotypes, even with your family or friends, speak up against them
– push people to think about where these stereotypes have come from, why they exist, and if they help people