Glossary of GLBT Terms for Teens

The word androgynous refers to a person who does not display a distinctly male or distinctly female appearance.

A baby dyke is a young lesbian, usually in her teens or early twenties.

Barebacking is unprotected anal sex (without a condom) between men.

Questioning your sexual orientation or being gay curious, is really common for a lot of teens.

A term for people interested in exploring same gender sexual experiences without necessarily identifying as gay, lesbian or bisexual.

Bisexual individuals are sexually and romantically attracted to people of the opposite gender and people of the same gender.

A butch lesbian is a woman who may dress and act in a way that society considers masculine.

Cissexual and cisgender are terms for non-transsexual people.

Acknowledging one's GLBT orientation is called coming out.

A dental dam is a barrier used to reduce the risk of STDs during oral sex.

Being on the down low refers to men who discretely, or secretly, have sex with other men.

Drag refers to dressing in the clothes and adopting the persona of someone of the opposite gender. Drag kings and queens often use drag as a form of performance.

The ex-gay movement says people can change their sexual orientation. This is not possible and claiming it is promotes anti-gay feelings and hostilities.

A femme lesbian is a woman who dresses and act in a way that society considered typically feminine.

FTM refers to a transgender person who is transitioning from female to male.

Being gay means being romantically and/or physically attracted to the same gender.

A Gay /Straight Alliance is an organization, often found at schools, that is made up of people who support the GLBT community.

Questioning your sexual orientation or being gay curious, is really common for a lot of teens.

Gay Pride refers to feeling positively about being gay or celebrating the GLBT community. Many cities hold annual Gay Pride events.

Gaydar is the sixth sense some GLBT people have which tells them someone else is gay.

Gender refers to the behavioral, cultural, and psychological traits typically associated with one sex.

Gender identity refers to whether we feel strongly that we are either male, female or transgender. Some people feel they do not conform to any gender identity.

Gender Identity Disorder (GID) is a controversial psychological diagnosis that may be given to a transgender person.

Gender non-conforming refers to people who do not adhere to society's rules about dress and activities for people that are based on their sex.

Genderqueer refers to people who do not adhere to strictly male or female identities and roles. A genderqueer person often chooses to present as neither clearly male, nor clearly female, but rather as a gender-free individual.

Heteroflexible often refers to people who don't identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual but who are still open to experiencing same sex sexual experiences.

Heterosexism is the assumption that everyone is heterosexual or that being heterosexual is preferable to being GLBT.

Homophobia is the fear, dislike, or hatred of a person who is gay, lesbian, or bisexual.

Being lesbian refers to women who are romantically and/or physically attracted to other women.

MSM stands for "men who have sex with men."

MTF refers to a transgender person who is transitioning from male to female.

The offensive phrase, "No homo" is used by people who don't want others to mistake them for gay.

Outing is telling people that someone else is gay without their permission.

Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) is a well established support group.

Safer sex refers to things we do to lower the chances of contracting a sexually transmitted infection during sexual activity.

Same sex marriage is when two people of the same gender wed.

Sex refers to biological maleness or femaleness.

Sexting is sending sexual text messages and pictures.

Sexual orientation refers to the direction of a person's romantic and sexual attractions. There are many common sexual orientations.

People often assume the term sodomy refers to anal sex between men. In fact, it is an old term that was used Biblically to refer to oral and anal sex. As a result, numerous laws existed prohibiting this act.

The word straight is a commonly used term for a heterosexual person.

A straight ally is someone who identifies as heterosexual but supports GLBT rights.

Transgender individuals may have the genitals of one sex, but a gender identity usually associated with the other.

Transphobia is the fear, hatred or dislike of a person because that person is transgender.

A transsexual is a person who identifies as a member of the opposite gender. People who are transsexual often want to surgically or hormonally alter their bodies to match their identity.

Gay bashing refers to beating someone up for being gay or for being perceived to be gay. Gay bashing can also refer to beating someone up for being transgender.

WSW stands for "women who have sex with women."

A gay bear is term for a subculture of gay men who are often hairy, large or chubby.