QUEER WORDS Queer A umbrella term that is used to describe people that are not heterosexual and/or do not ascribe to hterenormative ideas of gender and gender roles. Sex and gender Key terms both in queer and gender studies. Sex refers to one’s biological sex and gender refers to charactersitics of a a person that are socialy constructed. Gender binary The idea that there are only two genders, male and female. Microaggression A term used for commonplace daily verbal, behavioral or environmental slights against LGBTQIA+ people. Marginalization Marginalization is a process by which certain groups of society are pushed to its margins. Which results in these groups not having as easy access to institutions of power, information, education and respect in society. Cis-sexism (transphobia) A system of ideas that puts trans people on a lower station than cis people. Heterosexism Heterosexism is a system of ideas that consciously or unconsciously places non-heterosexual people at a lower station than those who are heterosexual.
Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist TERFs identify as feminists, but in reality it is about the belief that trans women have the privileges of cis-men as they have not experienced the opression of women and therefore have no business in the fight for women’s rights. TERF-ism assumes that trans women are actually encroaching on the platform of women's rights and thereby strengthening the patriarchy. Pinkwashing A term used to describe when a nation state or a company uses LGBTQIA+ people and their issues to create a positive image of themselves. Rainbow capitalism When companies use the rainbow and other symbols of the LGBTQIA+ community for marketing purposes, without engaging with the queer community in a meaningful way, e.g. through an active fight against prejudice and inequality or financial support for queer organizations. SEXUALITY* Heterosexual Being attracted to the opposite sex; a man is attracted to a woman and vice versa. Note that this word is influenced by the idea that the sexes are only two and opposite to each other. Homosexual Being attracted to the same gender as one's own.
Bisexual Being attracted to more than one gender. Originally the term applied to people who are attracted to both men and women, but it can also apply to one who is attracted to both women and trans people who identify outside of the gender binary. Pansexual Being attracted to all genders; women, men and people of other genders. Note that the term does not necessarily mean that pansexual people are equally attracted to all genders, but simply the ability to be attracted to all genders. The prefix pan- has its roots in the Greek word pâs, which means all. Asexual Being rarely or never being sexually attracted to other people. Some asexual people have a libido but are not interested in satisfying it with other people; other asexual people have little or no libido. Some asexual people are only interested in romantic relationships and/or non-sexual contact (e.g. hugs and cuddles). People who are not interested in romantic relationships are considered aromantic. Another subcategory of asexuality is gray asexuality, and refers to the fact that some people experience sexual attraction as a spectrum, not an either/or. Gray-asexual people rank close to asexual on this spectrum, and therefore feel little sexual attraction.
*A more detailed list of sexualities can be found on the website Hinsegin frá Ö til A.
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