“Wait, she’s a lesbian now? I thought she was transgender?”
I hear phrases like these all the time. While they can be insensitive, I understand that they often come from a place of true confusion. For this reason, I thought I would clear up the meanings and differences between the terms surrounding sexuality, gender identity, and more. I truly believe that understanding is a key step in the direction of the tolerance, support, love, and community for which we strive as LGBTQ+ advocates.
Some things to keep in mind:
1) Each of these identity categories is a scale.
2) These identities can be fluid.
3) Everyone has several intersectional identities.
4) It’s okay for people to have discovered certain identities and not others.
Sexual Orientation refers to the gender to which a person is sexually attracted.
Romantic Orientation refers to the gender to which a person is romantically/emotionally attracted.
Sex refers to physical sexual characteristics (i.e. genitalia). This is what is most commonly used to announce whether newborn babies get called “female” or “male.”
Gender Identityrefers to a person’s gender as they identify. This may be different from a person’s sex.
Gender Expression refers to the gender expressions to which a person conforms.