Words, Phrases and Concepts

A brief guide to terms as they are used in this website

lesbian, gay: emotionally and/or physically attracted to people of one's own gender.

(The word "homosexual" is deeply offensive to many lesbian and gay people, very understandably when one looks at the history of the word. We recommend that if there is no intention to cause offence, it should be absolutely avoided)

straight: emotionally and/or physically attracted to people of the other gender (heterosexual)

bisexual: able to experience emotional and/or physical attraction both to people of the same gender and to people of the other gender

LGB: a term intended to include and welcome all who are lesbian, gay or bisexual, and also those who do not identify as LGB but whose lives include significant elements of sexual / emotional / erotic relations with people of their own gender

Trans: a term intended to include and welcome all who are transgendered / transsexual, or transvestite or cross-dressing

transgendered: born with gender dysphoria or gender identity disorder, a distressing condition in which the physical body (one's sex) contradicts one's knowledge of what one's natural or true gender is

transsexual: a transgendered person who is living full-time in their true gender, with or without hormonal or surgical intervention

transvestite or cross-dresser: inclusive terms for those many people who do not identify as transgendered but nevertheless find it important to live part of their life as a person of the other gender

LGB/T: a term intended to include and welcome all who are LGB and/or Trans.

 

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

It is important to bear in mind that everyone's sexual orientation (being LGB or straight) is totally separate from their gender identity (being, or not being, Trans).

Everyone, whether Trans or non-Trans, has a sexual orientation (LGB or straight).

Everyone, whether straight or LGB, has a gender identity (i.e. they are or they are not Trans).

There is no link or connection between any human being's sexual orientation and their gender identity. The only reason for having organisations like Intercom that cover both LGB issues and Trans issues is that in practical terms the issues of homophobia and transphobia are very similar: those members of the public who are prejudiced are usually quite indiscriminate (in fact usually totally ignorant) about the difference, and identify all LGB people and all Trans people as if we were all one single group.

 

phobic: motivated by either homophobia or transphobia (see the next two entries below) or by a combination of both.

homophobic: motivated by homophobia, that is, prejudice (or downright hatred) of people who:

  • are LGB, or
  • have LGB relatives or friends
  • support LGB people's right to live without prejudice.

transphobic: motivated by transphobia, that is, prejudice (or downright hatred) of people who:

  • are Trans
  • have Trans relatives or friends
  • support Trans people's right to live without prejudice.

internalised homophobia and internalised transphobia: hatred of one's own self for being LGB or for being Trans. This often has its roots in having grown up in a phobic family or other environment.

 

Internalised phobia and phobic crime

Internalised homophobia can be a significant driver of domestic abuse in same-sex relationships in later life.

Recent research from the University of Georgia Department of Psychology also suggests that coercive phobic behaviour (e.g. violent homophobic attacks by men on men whom they perceive to be gay) may well spring from internalised homophobia: that is, some violent homophobes are themselves LGB but are seriously in denial, and hence in conflict with themselves and potentially with others whom they perceive to be LGB.

These are complex matters, but they need to be fully understood not only by schools and families (who could do a great deal more than is being done at present to reduce the incidence of internalised homophobia) but by frontline and investigating police officers, Youth Offending Teams, the probation service, Crown Prosecutors, the Courts, and any others who are engaged in combating, detecting or prosecuting phobic crimes.

 

Please contact us if you would like to comment on this guide to the terminology we use in this website, and particularly if you would like to see other terms we have used explained on this page.

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