Here’s How You Can Improve Your Knowledge on The LGBTQ+ Community

All you need to know about LGBTQ+ community.

Important terminology related to the LGBTQ+ community.

(Photo: Lijumol Joseph/ The Quint)

(The Quint is republishing this story in the run-up to the anniversary of Section 377 being read down. It was originally published on 22 June 2019.)

Conversations around homosexuality have always been tricky in India. The idea of loving someone from the same sex was unacceptable for a long time and was also deemed illegal in India till the historic Supreme Court verdict of decriminalisation of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on 6 September 2018.

This IPC Section, introduced during the British rule in India, was responsible for criminalising homosexuality. It was referred to as ‘unnatural offences’ and anyone found guilty was severely punished and boycotted.

Even now, despite clearance on the legal front, it is difficult for the Indian society to acknowledge and accept same-sex love holistically. The queer community still has a long way to go before achieving a respectable position in the society. Many still consider it a taboo and there is a lack of positive and safe environment for the community, forcing many individuals to live in a closet and hide their identity.

However, some people have also come out in their support of the LGBTQ+ community and are trying to bring in change. One major way of fostering change is through awareness.

It is therefore imperative to know the terminology related to sexual and gender identity.

Asexual

An individual identifying as an asexual does not experience any kind of sexual attraction. They do have emotional needs but do not have proclivity for any sexual activity.

One must not confuse asexuality with celibacy. People who live their lives as a celibate choose to do so. While celibacy is a choice, asexuality is an identity.

Some asexual people do experience attraction; however, they don’t feel like wanting to act on that attraction sexually.

(Photo: The Quint)

Some asexual people also get into relationships with other; they might also indulge in sexual activities but just lack sexual attraction.

Too caught up to read? Listen to it instead:

Agender

In a literal sense, agender means someone without gender. Agender is not similar to asexual and these terms cannot be used interchangeably. Agender is a relatively new term to be used while describing gender. It is a recognised and celebrated identity in queer spaces today. People who refer to themselves as agender cannot identify as either a man or a woman. Agender people have no gender identity and no gender to express.

(Photo: The Quint)

Where many people identify themselves as a man, a woman, gender fluid, and so on, agender people do not feel that they belong anywhere on the gender spectrum at all.

Bisexual

Individuals identifying themselves as bisexual are emotionally and/or sexually attracted to two sex or genders. People attracted to both males and females identify themselves as a bisexual. There might be a similar explanation for pansexuality, however, this can also differ as it depends on the individual.

(Photo: The Quint)

A bisexual individual is attracted to more than one gender. However, it is not necessary that the attraction to both genders is simultaneous, in the same way or to the same degree.

Bisexuality is a broad term. It includes people who identify themselves as pansexual, queer, fluid and other labels that suggest potential attraction to more than one gender.

Some transgender people also identify themselves as bisexual.

Cisgender

Individuals identifying themselves as cisgender are those whose gender identity accurately reflects their sex assigned at birth, their bodies and their gender expression.

(Photo: The Quint)

Now some might ask twhat’s the difference between being heterosexual and cisgender. This confusion is very common. Cisgender has nothing to do with sexual orientation but refers to gender. While cisgender is related to one’s identify, heterosexuality is refers to who one is attracted to.

It is also important to note that an individual can be cisgender and have any sort of sexuality.

Demisexual

Individuals who identify themselves as a demisexual only experience sexual attraction once they form a strong emotional connection with someone.

(Photo: The Quint)

When a demisexual person is emotionally connected to someone deeply, they experience sexual attraction and desire, but only towards the specific partner or partners.

Generally, they are not sexually attracted to anyone of any gender. Most of the relationships for a demisexual begins with a friendship.

The element of complete trust and security makes them attracted to someone. Demisexual people do feel attracted to strangers, but momentarily.

Pansexual

Being a pansexual is often confused with being a bisexual. It might seem similar from outside but the two are different.

A bisexual individual experiences sexual and/or emotional attraction to more than one gender whereas a pansexual individual can have emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to people of any gender. Pansexuals do not pay attention to the gender of the people that they get attracted to.

(Photo: The Quint)

People are using pansexual as an identity increasingly as they acknowledge that gender is not binary.

In simple terms, pansexuality can be described as being attracted to people of all genders.

Intersex

Individuals born with reproductive or sexual organs that do not fit the typical definitions of female or male refer to themselves as intersex. The term intersex is used to describe someone who has a less common combination of hormones, chromosomes and anatomy used to assign sex to kids at birth.

(Photo: The Quint)

Many a time an intersex individual is assigned their sex at birth through surgery. However, in some cases as the babies mature into adolescents and thereafter adults, their gender differs from the sex selected for them.

These days some people like to wait until intersex babies are old enough to decide their gender identity and if they want any medical treatment.

Gay

Men who are attracted emotionally and/or sexually to some other men, identify themselves as gay.

Usually, people use the term gay to refer to all lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. However, this is incorrect. Gay should not be used as an umbrella term to represent all LGBTQ+ people.

Homosexual

An individual identifying as a homosexual is attracted emotionally and/or sexually to some members of their own sex.

(Photo: The Quint)

If a man is attracted to another man emotionally and/or sexually, he is usually referred to as gay whereas in case of a woman who is attracted another woman emotionally and/or sexually, she is usually referred to as lesbian.

LGBTQ

The full form of LGBTQ is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. It is an umbrella term to refer to people who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and/or queer.

(Photo: The Quint)

Sometimes people use the terms LGBTQ+ or LGBTQQIAPP+ as the umbrella term referring to the entire community.

The term queer is also used interchangeably to refer to the entire community.

Queer

Queer is a very broad term. It is used by many to encompass all non-heterosexual, non-cisgender identities. It is considered as an identity that advocates breaking binary thinking and sees both sexual orientation and gender identity as potentially fluid. People prefer it as it gives a sense of community without the need for a more specific label.

It is considered a unifying, celebratory, and neutral term today.

Questioning

The second ‘Q’ in LGBTQQ is for questioning. The term questioning is used to refer to someone who is yet to figure out their orientation. These people are still unsure and are in the process of exploring their identity. It is used to refer to people concerned about applying a social label to themselves for various reasons.

And that wraps up the list of terms one ought to know to increase their awareness on the LGBTQ+ community. On that note, Happy Pride Month!