Transgender is an umbrella term used to describe people whose gender identity (sense of themselves as male or female) or gender expression differs from that usually associated with their birth sex. Transgender People, Gender Identity and Gender Expression.Available in simplified and traditional Chinese, English, Spanish and Russian. This pamphlet is designed to provide accurate information for those who want to better understand sexual orientation and the impact of prejudice and discrimination on those who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual. Answers to Your Questions For a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality.Understanding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Some who do not identify as either male or female prefer the term “genderqueer.” While it is important to understand that sexual orientation and gender identity are not the same thing, they do both reflect differing forms of gender norm transgression and share an intertwined social and political history.Īdapted from “Answers to Your Questions for a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality,” “Answers to your Questions About Transgender People, Gender Identity and Gender Expression” and the APA’s U.S. The "T" in LGBT stands for transgender or gender non-conforming, and is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity or gender expression does not conform to that typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth. Some people who have same-sex attractions or relationships may identify as “queer,” or, for a range of personal, social or political reasons, may choose not to self-identify with these or any labels. It also refers to an individual’s sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, related behaviors and membership in a community of others who share those attractions and behaviors. Sexual orientation is defined as an often enduring pattern of emotional, romantic and/or sexual attractions of men to women or women to men (heterosexual), of women to women or men to men (homosexual), or by men or women to both sexes (bisexual). The “LGB” in this term refers to sexual orientation. LGBT is shorthand for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.