Gender identity terms and definitions
| Sex—refers to the physical genotype and phenotype, without regard to the sense of self |
| Cisgender—relating to a person whose gender identity and biological sex correspond |
| Gender identity—inherent sense of being male or female regardless of genotypic, phenotypic, or biochemical sex; also referred to as affirmed gender |
| Genderqueer—one who defies or does not accept stereotypical gender roles and may choose to live out-side expected gender norms. Genderqueer people may or may not avail themselves of hormonal or surgical treatments. |
| Sexual orientation—how a person identifies their physical and emotional attraction to others |
| Transgender—an umbrella term used to describe the discordance between a person’s gender identity and expression and the cultural expectations based on the sex assigned at birth |
| Transsexual—an older term that originated in the medical and psychological communities and is typically ascribed to adults committed to making their bodies congruent with their gender identity. This term is still preferred by some people who have permanently changed or seek to change their body through medical interventions (including but not limited to hormone therapy and surgery). |
Adapted from references 10, 11, 29, and 32