A person’s innate sense of their own gender, whether male, female or something else, which may or may not correspond to the sex assigned at birth.

A person’s sexual attraction to other people, or lack thereof. Along with romantic orientation, this forms a person’s orientation identity

An umbrella term for people whose gender identity doesn’t sit comfortably with ‘man’ or ‘woman’. These identities are varied and can include people who identify with some aspects of binary identities, while others reject them entirely.

Refers to a man who has a romantic and/or sexual orientation towards women or to a woman who has a romantic and/or sexual orientation towards men.

Term used by those wanting to reject specific labels of romantic orientation, sexual orientation and/or gender identity. It can also be a way of rejecting the perceived norms of the LGBT community

An umbrella term to describe people whose gender is not the same as, or does not sit comfortably with, the sex they were assigned at birth.

Calling someone by their birth name after they have changed their name. This term is often associated with trans people who have changed their name as part of their transition.

Used to describe when a person experiences discomfort or distress because there is a mismatch between their sex assigned at birth and their gender identity. This is also the clinical diagnosis for someone who doesn’t feel comfortable with

How a person chooses to outwardly express their gender, within the context of societal expectations of gender. A person who does not conform to societal expectations of gender may not, however, identify as trans.

This might be considered a more medical term used to describe someone who has a romantic and/or sexual orientation towards someone of the same gender. The term ‘gay’ is now more generally used.

Someone whose gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth. Non-trans is also used by some people.

Refers to a woman who has a romantic and/or sexual orientation towards women. Some non-binary people may also identify with this term.

Words we use to refer to people’s gender in conversation - for example, ‘he’ or ‘she’. Some people may prefer others to refer to them in gender neutral language and use words such as they/their and ze/zir.