Introduction
Welcome to the Inclusive Language Guide, which is intended to establish an environment in which everyone feels secure and valued. It teaches how to use courteous and inclusive language while engaging with and referring to LGBTIQA+ people.
Our words have a significant impact on the well-being of others. Inclusive communication is critical because it helps battle discrimination that prevents LGBTIQA+ people from receiving the care they require. Let us always be mindful of how our words can influence the lives of others around us.
Language is ever-changing and dynamic. The terms used in this handbook are current and correct, but language, like our identities, develops. While our focus is on LGBTIQA+ inclusive language, it’s important to remember that a person’s identity and experiences might include things like ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, income, social standing, age, ability, disability, or migratory status.
We contribute to a workplace where diversity is celebrated and everyone can thrive by using inclusive language. So, let’s go through this guide together, remembering the value of language in establishing a welcoming and supporting workplace for all.
About
LGBTIQA+ is an abbreviation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Gender Diverse, Intersex, Queer, and Asexual.
It’s like a huge, open umbrella that covers a wide spectrum of sexualities, genders, and sex traits.
Everyone now has a distinct combination of sex, gender, and sexuality. These elements work together like puzzle pieces to form who we are, influencing our bodies, identities, and how we express ourselves. It’s a lovely mosaic of uniqueness!
Key terms
Sex: Refers to a person’s biological sex characteristics. This includes their sex chromosomes, hormones and reproductive organs.
Sex Characteristics: Sex characteristics consist of external genitalia, reproductive organs, chromosomes, hormones, and are used to characterise bodies into medical norms of ‘male’ and ‘female’.
Sex recorded at birth: Refers to the legal sex an individual is assigned when they are born (based on visible sex characteristics).
The initial assignment of an individual’s sex is determined by the observation and recording of sex characteristics at birth or during infancy. However, it is pertinent to note that an individual’s reported sex is subject to change over the course of their lifetime and may deviate from the sex recorded at birth.
Certain individuals exhibit variations in physical or biological sex characteristics, encompassing factors such as chromosomes, hormones, or anatomy. These variations are commonly referred to as intersex variations. Diverse intersex variations may be discerned during prenatal, neonatal, pubertal, or adult stages. Individuals with intersex variations employ a spectrum of terminologies to articulate their bodies and experiences, with preferences ranging from adopting the term ‘intersex’ to eschewing affiliation with the term ‘intersex’ or the LGBTIQA+ acronym altogether. Notably, individuals with variations in sex characteristics are typically assigned male or female at birth or during infancy, paralleling the standard practice for the broader population.
Intersex people are born with physical or biological sex characteristics (such as sexual anatomy, reproductive organs, hormonal patterns or chromosomal patterns) that are more diverse than stereotypical definitions of male or female bodies.
Sexuality or Sexual Orientation: Refers to a person’s intimate, romantic and/or sexual attractions to others. It can include sexual identity (how a person thinks of their sexuality and the terms they identify with), attraction (romantic or sexual interest in another person) and behaviour or relationships.
These attractions can manifest towards individuals of the same gender or sex, another gender, all genders, no gender, or a combination thereof. Various terms are employed to delineate sexuality, with individuals opting to describe their sexual orientation in relation to emotions, behaviours, or experiences, such as ‘same-sex’ or ‘gender-attracted.’ Alternatively, some individuals may opt not to assign any specific terminology. The fluidity of sexuality is observed in some individuals, leading to changes over time, while for others, it remains consistent throughout their lifespan.
Lesbian: Refers to a woman (cisgender or transgender) or gender-diverse person who is romantically and/or sexually attracted to women.
Gay: Refers to a person who is romantically and/or sexually attracted to people of the same sex and/or gender as themselves. This term is often used to describe men who are attracted to other men, but some women and gender diverse people may describe themselves as gay.
Bisexual: Refers to a person who is romantically and/or sexually attracted to people of their gender and other genders.
Pansexual: Refers to a person who is romantically and/or sexually attracted to people of all genders and regardless of gender.
Queer: is often used as an umbrella term for diverse genders or sexualities. Some people use queer to describe their gender or sexuality as an identity that does not correspond to heterosexual norms. For some people, especially older people, ‘queer’ has negative connotations because, in the past, it was used as a discriminatory term.
Questioning: Refers to people exploring or questioning their gender or sexual orientation. For various reasons, people may not wish to have one of the other labels applied to them. It is important these people feel welcome and included in LGBTIQA+ communities.
Asexual: Refers to a person who does not experience sexual attraction but may or may not experience romantic attraction towards others. Asexual people can be of any gender or sexual orientation.
Heterosexual: is another word for ‘straight’. It generally refers to men who are attracted to women or women who are attracted to men.
Gender: Gender is a social and cultural concept. It refers to the way a person feels and sees themselves. It can be about differences in identity, expression and experience as a woman, man or gender-diverse person.
Gender Identity: Refers to who a person feels themselves to be.
Gender Expression: Refers to the external appearance of one’s gender identity. Gender can be expressed through behaviour, body language, clothing, hairstyles, and voice. These expressions may or may not conform to the binary genders (man or woman).
Gender Experience: Describes a person’s alignment with the sex recorded for them at birth, i.e. a cisgender experience or a transgender experience.
Cisgender or “cis”: Describes a person whose gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth. The word cisgender is the antonym of transgender. The prefix ‘cis’ is Latin and means on this side of the term cisgender is not an insult or derogatory term and is used to replace words like “normal” or “regular” (which pose trans or gender diverse identities as being “abnormal” or “irregular”).
Transgender or “trans”: Refers to a person whose gender does not align with the gender they were assigned at birth. The Latin prefix trans means “across” but also “beyond.” “Trans” is sometimes used as an umbrella term, but not everyone may necessarily identify with it or use it to describe themselves. For example, a man who was assigned female at birth might refer to himself as ‘a trans man’, ‘a man with a trans history’ or ‘a man’.
Non-binary: Refers to a person whose gender sits outside of the spectrum of man or woman or male and female. A person who is non-binary might feel like they have a mix of genders or like they have no gender at all. A person might identify solely as non‑binary or relate to non-binary as an umbrella term.
Gender diverse: Gender diverse is an umbrella term used to describe gender identities that demonstrate a diversity of expression beyond the binary framework. Language in this area is dynamic and constantly changing, particularly among young people.
Genderqueer: Refers to a person who does not conform to and challenges traditional gender norms associated with their identity or gender expression.
Genderfluid: Refers to a person who does not identify with a binary gender (male or female) and instead has a fluid gender identity.
Agender: Refers to someone who identifies as having no gender.
Sistergirl and Brotherboy: These are terms used in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to describe transgender people.
Sistergirl: describes gender-diverse people with a female spirit and takes on female roles within the community, including looking after children and family.
Brotherboy: describes gender-diverse people with a male spirit and take on male roles within the community.
Gender Incongruence: Refers to the intense feelings of discomfort and often distress felt by someone whose gender identity differs from/does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth.
Gender Euphoria: Refers to the feelings of joy, happiness and completeness when an individual’s gender identity aligns with their gender expression.
Misgendering: Occurs when a person is referred to or addressed using language that is not affirming for them. This can include the incorrect use of a former name (deadname), pronouns (she/he/they), familial titles (father, sister, uncle), or making assumptions about their appearance.
Deadname: A term used by some transgender or gender diverse people to describe the name they were given and known by prior to affirming their gender and/or coming out.
Deadnaming: Refers to the act of somebody incorrectly using that name to refer to someone.
Gender Affirmation: Refers to the social, medical and legal actions and/or changes an individual may make to live as their authentic self. Gender affirmation is different for every individual and may occur over a short or long period of time.
