Central Washington University - Diversity Education Center : Safe Space

Sexism: The societal/cultural, institutional, and individual beliefs and practices that privilege men, subordinate women, and denigrate women-identified values.

Heterosexism: The societal/cultural, institutional, and individual beliefs and practices that assume heterosexuality is the only natural, normal, acceptable sexual orientation.

Sexual Orientation: The desire for intimate emotional and sexual relationships with people of the same gender (lesbian, gay), the other gender (heterosexual), or either gender (bisexual).

Homophobia: The fear, hatred, or intolerance of lesbians, gay men, or any behavior that is outside the boundaries of traditional gender roles. Homophobia can be manifested as fear of association with lesbian or gay people or being perceived as lesbian or gay. Homophobic behavior can range from telling jokes about lesbian and gay people to physical violence against people thought to be lesbian or gay.

Biphobia: The fear, hatred, or intolerance of bisexual men or women.

Heterosexual Privilege: The benefits and advantages heterosexuals receive in a heterosexist culture. Also, the benefits lesbians, gay men, and bisexual people receive as a result of claiming heterosexual identity or denying homosexual or bisexual identity.

Heterosexual Ally: Heterosexual people who confront heterosexism, homophobia, and heterosexual privilege in themselves and others out of self-interest, a concern for the well-being of lesbian, gay and bisexual people and a belief that heterosexism is a social justice issue.

Gender Identity: One's psychological sense of being a male or female.

Gender Expression: Everything we do that communicates our sex/gender to others: clothing, hair styles, mannerisms, way of speaking, roles we take in interactions, etc.

Gender Roles: The socially constructed and culturally specific behavior and appearance expectations imposed on women (femininity) and men (masculinity).

Biological Sex: The physiological and anatomical characteristics of maleness or femaleness with which a person is born.

Transsexual: A person, whose biological sex does not match their gender identity and who, through gender reassignment surgery and hormone treatments, seeks to change their physical body to match their gender identity. Transsexuals' sexual orientation can be heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual.

Transgender Person: A person whose self-identification challenges traditional notions of gender and sexuality. Transgender people include transsexuals and others who do not conform to traditional understandings of labels like male and female or homosexual and heterosexual.

Cross-Dresser: A person who enjoys dressing in clothes typically associated with the other gender. Also called a transvestite. Many cross-dressers are heterosexual married men.

Queer: Originally a derogatory label used to refer to lesbian and gay people or to intimidate and offend heterosexuals. More recently this term has been reclaimed by some lesbians, gay men, bisexual people, and transgender people as an inclusive and positive way to identify all people targeted by heterosexism and homophobia. Some lesbians and gay men have similarly reclaimed previously negative words such as "dyke" and "faggot" for positive self-reference.

Drag Queen: A gay man who dresses in clothes, typically flamboyant and glamorous styles, associated with female movie stars or singers, all with theatrical intent and sometimes with the intention of poking fun at gender roles.