The LGBTQQIA-XYZ Alphabet

1. The LGBTQQIA-XYZ Alphabet

2. Who I Am • Trainer for the GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) • I lead Train the Trainers on LGBT Educational Programming at Western Oregon University for our Safe Zone • Worked for pay and as volunteer on LGBT political and equality issues professionally for 20 years in Oregon and nationally. • Volunteered in LGBT community as an interpreter at Pride and community events for 20 years • I love this topic area. This is my passion.

3. Activity:A Common Human Trait • 16 clues… Raise your hand and keep it raised if you think you know the answer. Lower it if you do not.

4. 1. This trait is “stable, bimodal, behaviorally expressed.”

5. 2. It is a bipolar trait with two basic orientations, with around 92% accounting for the majority population and around 8% for the minority orientation.

6. 3. People with the minority orientation have been persecuted for thousands of years.

7. 4. There are a small number of people who are oriented both ways.

8. 5. Evidence from art history suggests the incidence of the two different orientations has been constant for five millennia.

9. 6. A person’s orientation cannot be identified simply from looking at him/her; those with minority orientation are just as diverse in appearance, race, religion, and all other characteristics as those with the majority orientation.

10. 7. Since the trait is invisible, internal attraction, the only way to identify orientations is by the behaviors that express them. The trait itself, however, is not a “behavior.”

11. 8. Neither orientation correlates with any disease or mental illness. Neither is pathological.

12. 9. Neither orientation is chosen.

13. 10. Signs of the orientation are detectable very early in children, often by age two or three.

14. 11. Although the behavior of both orientations can be changed through coercion and social pressure—in the past, those with the minority orientation were forced as children to behave as if they had the majority orientation—the internal orientation remains.

15. 12. Adoption studies show that the orientation of adopted children is unrelated to the orientation of their parents—their social environment—demonstrating that the trait is not socially, but rather biologically rooted.

16. 13. Studies show that identical twins (who have identical genes), have a much higher than average chance of being concordant for the minority orientation—about 12%--than fraternal twins (who share only half of their genes on average), who are more concordant in turn than adopted siblings (who don’t share any genes), indicating a genetic component.

17. 14. There are 30% more men with the minority orientation than women.

18. 15. Familial studies show no direct parent-offspring connection, but the minority trait clearly runs in families.

19. 16. The pattern in which it runs shows a genetic “maternal effect” with a higher incidence in male offspring.

20. What is this trait?

21. Handedness!

22. Two Trait Profiles Human Handedness Human Sexual Orientation Majority orientation: 95% Minority orientation: 5% Male: 8% Female: 3% No correlations with race, geography, culture, mental or physical pathology Age of first behavioral appearance of trait: 2 Either orientation chosen: NO Can external expression be altered? YES Can internal orientation be altered clinically? NO • Majority orientation: 92% • Minority orientation: 8% • Male: 9% • Female: 7% • No correlations with race, geography, culture, mental or physical pathology • Age of first behavioral appearance of trait: 2 • Either orientation chosen: NO • Can external expression be altered? YES • Can internal orientation be altered clinically? NO

23. Two Trait Profiles Human Handedness Human Sexual Orientation Does trait run in families? YES Maternal effect implies X-chromosome linkage Sexual orientation of adopted children shows no relationship to that of adoptive parents Elevated rate of homosexuality in families with other homosexual children Identical twins more likely to share minority orientation • Does trait run in families? YES • Maternal effect implies X-chromosome linkage • Handedness of adopted children shows no relationship to that of adoptive parents • Elevated rate of left-handedness in families with other left-handed children • Identical twins more likely to share minority orientation

24. LGBTQQIA-XYZ…?! • L • G • B • T • Q • Q • I • A

25. Terminology

26. Terms Related to Sexual Orientation

27. Sexual Orientation An enduring physical, romantic, emotional, and/or relational attraction to another person; may be a same-sex orientation, different-sex orientation, or bisexual orientation.

28. GLBTQ Acronym used to describe people of a non-heterosexual orientation. Implies inclusivity to people of all gender and sexual orientations. LGBT GLBT LGBTQ…

29. Heterosexual/Straight The adjective used to describe people whose enduring physical, romantic, emotional, and/or spiritual attractions are to people of the “opposite” sex.

30. Gay An adjective used to describe a person whose enduring physical, romantic, emotional and/or relational attractions are to people of the same sex. In addition, term used to describe anyone with a homosexual or bisexual orientation, regardless of whether a man or woman.

31. Lesbian Refers to a woman whose enduring physical, romantic, emotional, and/or relational attractions are to other women.

32. Bisexual A person who is physically, romantically, emotionally and/or relationally attracted to both men and women, though not necessarily simultaneously; they may not be equally attracted to both sexes.

33. Pansexual Defined as someone who is attracted to other people regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. Essentially, they mention “falling in love with a person” or being “gender blind”.

34. Asexual Person who does not define or express his or her sexuality in any way that is commonly held or identified.

35. Queer Term used by some GLBTQ people to refer to anyone whose sexual orientation, gender identity or expression is not “standard” in society. Synonym for gay. Traditionally was a slur reclaimed by many in the GLBTQ community.

36. Same-Gender Loving Some prefer to use this term instead of lesbian or gay to express attraction to and love of people of the same gender.

37. Homophobia The fear, hatred of, or discomfort with people who love and are sexually attracted to members of the same sex.

38. Biphobia The fear of bisexuals, often based on inaccurate stereotypes, including associations with infidelity, promiscuity, and transmission of sexual transmitted diseases.

39. Break! 5 minutes

40. Terms Related to Gender Identity and Expression

41. Biological Sex The classification of people as male or female. Determined by our chromosomes (XX for females, XY for males); our hormones (estrogen/progesterone for females, testosterone for males); and our internal and external genitalia (vulva, clitoris, vagina for females; penis and testicles for males).

42. Gender Identity Refers to a person’s innate, deeply felt psychological sense of gender, which may or may not correspond to the person’s assigned sex at birth.

43. Gender Expression Refers to all of a person’s external characteristics and behaviors – such as dress, grooming, mannerisms, speech patterns, and social interactions – socially identified with a particular gender.

44. Gender Role Set of socially-defined roles and behaviors assigned to females or males. Can vary from culture to culture in society. Often described in terms of masculinity or femininity.

45. Transgender Used as an umbrella term for people who experience and/or express gender differently from what others might expect based on the sex they were assigned at birth. This includes people who are transsexual, cross-dressers, or otherwise are gender non-conforming. These people may identify as: trans man, trans woman, genderqueer, bigender, androgynous, or gender variant. It’s what’s between your ears, not between your legs.

46. Trans* Inclusive term to refer to anyone who is transsexual, transgender, or intersexed.

47. Cisgender/”Cis” A neologism meaning "not transgender," that is, having a gender identity or performing in a gender role that society considers appropriate for one's sex. A match between an individual's gender identity and the behavior or role considered appropriate for one’s sex. Someone who is comfortable in the gender they were assigned to at birth.

48. Common Third-Gender or Gender Neutral Pronouns ze, zie, zir, hys, hir, per, they Pronouns used in the trans community instead of “he/she” or “him/her”. These invented pronouns offer inclusion and accuracy for someone who doesn’t identify by the male/female gender classifications.

49. Transsexual A term referring to a transgender person who changes their physical and/or legal sex to better conform to their internal sense of gender identity. The term can also be used to describe transgender people who, without undergoing medical treatment, identify and live their lives as a member of the gender opposite that which conforms to their sex assigned at birth.

50. Cross Dresser A person who occasionally wears clothes and/or makeup and accessories traditionally associated with people of a different gender. This person is usually comfortable with the sex they were assigned at birth and do not wish to change it. who generally have no intention or desire to change their anatomical sex. Cross-dressing is more often associated with heterosexual men, is more often engaged in on an occasional basis, and is not necessarily reflective of sexual orientation or gender identity.