FOR LIFESTYLERS BY LIFESTYLERS

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Lifestyle Socials is devoted to educating the members of our Online Community and Social Club. The following terminology, definitions and descriptions are of terms related to Gender and Sexual Orientation. The Genders and Sexual Orientations defined and described below can be used to self-identify by all individuals regardless of their age, race, cultural background, socioeconomic status, religion, or political affiliation. Our Online Community and Social Club members are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to learn more on their own as this list of terminology, definitions and descriptions IS NOT all-inclusive.

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GENDER

Gender refers to the characteristics of women, men, girls and boys, or another identity, that are socially constructed. This includes norms, behaviors and roles associated with being a woman, man, girl or boy, as well as relationships with each other. As a social construct, gender varies from society to society and can change over time.

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ROMANTIC ORIENTATION

A romantic orientation is the gender or sexuality of the person with whom an individual is most likely to develop a romantic relationship. A romantic orientation will typically influence, and be influenced by, a person’s sexual orientation though it’s not always the case.

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SEX

The male, female, or intersex label assigned to a person at birth, especially as differentiated with reference to the reproductive functions.

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SEXUAL ORIENTATION

An inherent or immutable enduring emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to other people. An individual’s sexual orientation is independent of their gender identity.

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GENDER AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION GLOSSARY

AC/DC: A person who is bisexual.

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​AGENDER: A person who does not identify as having a gender.

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ANDROGYNOUS: A person who identifies with both feminine and masculine characteristics.

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ALLY: A term used to describe someone who is actively supportive of LGBTQ+ people. It encompasses straight and cisgender allies, as well as those within the LGBTQ+ community who support each other (e.g., a lesbian who is an ally to the bisexual community).

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AROMANTIC: A form of romantic orientation characterized by a lack of desire or interest in creating and fostering romantic relationships.

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• Someone who is aromantic is not necessarily asexual.

• Someone who is aromatic may experience sexual attraction and interest in other people.

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ASEXUAL:

• A person who experiences no, little or conditional sexual attraction..

• A person who experiences a desire for sex but it's not with a particular target.

• A person who experiences physical sexual arousal and pleasure from sex, but typically does not experience that initial sexual attraction towards others.

• A person who experiences other types of attraction such as sensual, aesthetic, or physical.

• Also referred to as "ACE".

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BI-GENDER: A person who identifies with two or more genders, either at the same or different times.

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BIROMANTIC: A form of romantic orientation characterized by a strong desire for the companionship behavior typically associated with being in a relationship and being in love and complete lack of enjoyment of the subsequent sexual experiences and commitment related to being in a relationship. These behaviors can include: cuddling, gift-giving, going on dates and holding hands.

 

• A biromantic individual can be heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual or asexual.

• A biromantic individual only desires a physical connection with a counterpart and not the other actions that would occur in a relationship.

 

​BIASED BISEXUALITY: Refers to the reality that men are often expected to be heterosexual while women are actively encouraged to at least be bi-curious in the Lifestyle.

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BIPHOBIA: The fear and hatred of, or discomfort with, people who love and are sexually attracted to more than one gender.

 

BIF: Stands for bisexual female.

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BIM: Stands for bisexual male.

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BISEXUAL: A person who is physically, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to people of more than one sex or gender, not necessarily at the same time, in the same way, or to the same degree. Also referred to as Omnisexual.

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BUTCH: A person who is typically female-identified whose social and relationship roles are perceived by many as being masculine, often having a lesbian, gay, or queer orientation.

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COMING OUT: The process in which a person first acknowledges, accepts and appreciates their sexual orientation or gender identity and begins to share that with others.

 

CROSSDRESSER: A person who likes to dress and act in a style or manner traditionally associated with the opposite gender.

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DEMIROMANTIC: A form of romantic orientation characterized by delayed romantic attraction.

 

• When someone is demiromantic, they do not experience a typical romantic attraction to another person until an emotional connection is developed beforehand.

• It is somewhat common for demiromantic individuals to stop feeling romantic attraction towards their partner when they enter the relationship.

 

DEMISEXUAL: A person that feels limited and, typically, context dependent sexual attraction.

 

• Demisexual people often do not experience physical attraction unless they form a strong emotional connection with the person first.

• A demisexual person's attraction is typically contingent upon getting to know certain details about their partner, establishing a certain amount of mutual compatibility, or forming a strong emotional connection first.​

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DRAG KING: A person, typically female-identified, who dresses in clothing of the opposite sex and is often exaggerated for the purpose of entertainment or fashion.

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DRAG QUEEN: A masculine or androgynous woman who is physically, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to someone of the same sex or gender.

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DYKE: A masculine or androgynous woman who is physically, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to someone of the same sex or gender.

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​FEMALE: A person who has the identity and characteristics of a woman.

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FEMME: A person who has an appearance or other characteristics traditionally seen as feminine, often having a lesbian, gay, or queer orientation.

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FLUCTUATING: A person whose sexual orientation is shifting and/or developing. Also referred to as Evolving.

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GAY: A person who is physically, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to someone of the same sex or gender.

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GENDER BINARY: A system in which gender is constructed into two strict categories of male or female. Gender identity is expected to align with the sex assigned at birth and gender expressions and roles fit traditional expectations.

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GENDER DYSPHORIA: Clinically significant distress caused when a person's assigned birth gender is not the same as the one with which they identify.

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GENDER EXPANSIVE: A person with a wider, more flexible range of gender identity and/or expression than typically associated with the binary gender system. Often used as an umbrella term when referring to young people still exploring the possibilities of their gender expression and/or gender identity.

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GENDER EXPRESSION: External appearance of a person's gender identity, usually expressed through behavior, clothing, body characteristics or voice, and which may or may not conform to socially defined behaviors and characteristics typically associated with being either masculine or feminine. Also referred to as Gender Presentation.

 

GENDER FLUID: A person who fluctuates between more than one gender, or  between having a gender and not having one.

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GENDER IDENTITY: A person's innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both or neither – how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. One's gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth.

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GENDER NON-CONFORMING: A broad term referring to people who do not behave in a way that conforms to the traditional expectations of their gender, or whose gender expression does not fit neatly into a category. While many also identify as transgender, not all gender non-conforming people do.

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GENDER TRANSITION: The process by which some people strive to more closely align their internal knowledge of gender with its outward appearance. Some people socially transition, whereby they might begin dressing, using names and pronouns and/or be socially recognized as another gender. Others undergo physical transitions in which they modify their bodies through medical interventions.

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GENDERQUEER: A person whose gender identity falls outside the male-female binary. Genderqueer people typically reject notions of static categories of gender and embrace a fluidity of gender identity and often, though not always, sexual orientation. People who identify as "genderqueer" may see themselves as being both male and female, neither male nor female or as falling completely outside these categories.

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HETEROFLEXIBLE: A person who identifies as primarily straight but is sometimes attracted to and will occasionally engage in sexual encounters with members of the same sex or gender.

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HETEROROMANTIC: A form of romantic orientation characterized by a romantic attraction to the opposite sex.

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• When someone is heteroromantic, they are not interested in the sexual experiences that typically go along with being romantically involved with someone else.

• Affection, companionship, and human contact are some of the reasons why heteroromantic people seek relationships with the same sex.

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HETEROSEXUAL: A form of sexual orientation characterized by a physical and sexual attraction to the opposite sex.

 

• When someone is heterosexual, they identify as straight and are physically, sexually, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to members of the opposite sex or gender.

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HOMOFLEXIBLE: A person who identifies as primarily gay or lesbian but is sometimes attracted to and will occasionally engage in sexual encounters with members of the opposite sex or gender.

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HOMOPHOBIA: The fear and hatred of or discomfort with people who are attracted to members of the same sex.

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HOMOROMANTIC: A form of romantic orientation characterized by a romantic attraction to the same sex.

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• When someone is homoromantic, they are not interested in the sexual experiences that typically go along with being romantically involved with someone else.

• Affection, companionship, and human contact are some of the reasons why homoromantic people seek relationships with the same sex.

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HOMOSEXUAL: A form of sexual orientation characterized by a physical and sexual attraction to the same sex.

 

• When someone is homosexual, they identify as gay or lesbian and are physically, sexually, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to members of the same sex or gender.

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INTERSEX: A person who is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn't seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male.​

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LESBIAN: A woman who is physically, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to someone of the same sex or gender. Some non-binary people also identify with this term.

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LGBTQ+: An acronym for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer” with a "+" sign to recognize the limitless sexual orientations and gender identities used by members of our community.

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MALE: A person who has the identity and characteristics of a man.

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NON-BINARY: A person whose gender identity falls outside the male-female binary. Non-binary people may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between, or as falling completely outside these categories. While many also identify as transgender, not all non-binary people do. Non-binary can also be used as an umbrella term encompassing identities such as agender, bigender, genderqueer or gender-fluid.

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OMNISEXUAL: A term that has started to become popular as a synonym for bisexual but without the negative connotations of the word. In some communities, particularly some parts of the lesbian and gay community, antipathy toward or hostility to people who self-identify as bisexual has become common.

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OUTING: Exposing someone’s lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender or gender non-binary identity to others without their permission. Outing someone can have serious repercussions on employment, economic stability, personal safety or religious or family situations.

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PANROMANTIC: A form of romantic orientation characterized by a romantic attraction to all genders and sexes.

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• When someone is panromantic, they will date or start relationships with people of any gender or sex and only feel the need to act on their romantic feeling if their romantic partner aligns with their sexual orientation.

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PANSEXUAL: A form of sexual orientation characterized by a physical and sexual attraction to all genders and sexes.

 

• When someone is pansexual, they are physically, sexually, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to people of all genders and sexes.

• Pansexual people often describe their sexual orientation as being "attracted to people, not parts".

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POLYROMANTIC: A form of romantic orientation characterized by a romantic attraction to multiple, but not all genders.

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• When someone is polyromantic, they will date or start relationships with people of multiple, but not all genders and will only feel the need to act on their romantic feeling if their romantic partner aligns with their sexual orientation.

 

POLYSEXUAL: A form of sexual orientation characterized by a physical and sexual attraction to multiple, but not all genders.

 

• When someone is polysexual, they are physically, sexually, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to people of multiple, but not all genders.

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QUEER: A person who doesn't identify with traditional categories around gender identity and sexual orientation. Queer is often used as a catch-all to include many people, including those who do not identify as exclusively straight and/or folks who have non-binary or gender-expansive identities. This term was previously used as a slur, but has been reclaimed by many parts of the LGBTQ+ movement.

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QUESTIONING: A person who is exploring or examining their sexual orientation.

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SAME-GENDER LOVING: A term some prefer to use instead of lesbian, gay or bisexual to express attraction to and love of people of the same gender.

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SAPIOROMANTIC: A form of romantic orientation characterized by a romantic attraction to intelligence.

 

• When someone is sapioromantic, they experience romantic attraction towards another person's intellect.

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SAPIOSEXUAL: A person who finds intelligence sexually attractive or arousing.

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• Sapiosexual people often experience a greater level of romantic attraction towards intelligence as opposed to any other quality/feature.

• A sapiosexual person could have such a strong romantic attraction to intellect that it can be irrespective of gender or physical attractiveness.

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SAPPHIC: Sexual attraction or activity between women.

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SEX ASSIGNED AT BIRTH: The sex, male, female or intersex, that a doctor or midwife uses to describe a child at birth based on their external anatomy.

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SEXUAL FLUIDITY: One or more changes in sexuality or sexual identity (sometimes known as sexual orientation identity). Sexual orientation is stable and unlikely to change for the vast majority of people, but some people may experience change in their sexual orientation, especially women.

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STRAIGHT: A person who is physically, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to someone of the opposite sex or gender. Also referred to as Cisgender.

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TRANS MAN: A person who is transgender or transsexual and identifies as a man.

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TRANS WOMAN: A person who is transgender or transsexual and identifies as a woman.

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TRANSGENDER: A person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond with their biological sex assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc.

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TRANSITIONING: A series of processes that some transgender people may undergo in order to live more fully as their true gender. This typically includes social transition, such as changing name and pronouns, medical transition, which may include hormone therapy or gender affirming surgeries, and legal transition, which may include changing legal name and sex on government identity documents. Transgender people may choose to undergo some, all or none of these processes.

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TRANSSEXUAL: A person who does not identify with the sex they were born with and is transitioning to the gender with which they identity, usually (but not always) with medical assistance.

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TWO-SPIRIT: A person who has both a masculine and a feminine spirit. Used by Indigenous First Nations and Native American peoples to describe their sexual, gender, and/or spiritual identity.

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UNSURE: A person who is still deciding their sexual orientation.