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Celebrating LGBTQIA+ History & Culture

Recognizing the courageous, continued path toward equality as well as a beautiful culture of love and acceptance.

When there鈥檚 love, there鈥檚 life.

Unearthing TU鈥檚 LGBTQIA+ history honors the advocates who fought for recognition and rights, deepens our appreciation for the community we enjoy today and inspires us to support the journeys of those who come next.

This page is a celebration of the unique identities and shared community that comprises LGBTQIA+ culture at TU. You鈥檒l find ways to deepen your understanding about the community, tap into support services and resources, and connect with community members through events, organizations and more. You鈥檒l also hear words of wisdom from queer faculty, staff and students themselves, because advice from those who came before can be a powerful guidepost along your own path forward.

Our Community

TU鈥檚 queer community spans the full spectrum of LGBTQIA+ experiences. Community groups and events help you find a chosen family to accept and support you through whatever stage of the journey you鈥檙e on. From celebratory parades to one-on-one mentoring to hands-on advocacy, we welcome the unique talents and viewpoints you bring.

鈥 At a time when a lot of organizations are getting rid of diversity programming, TU is dedicating itself to doing more and being better鈥鈥檓 very proud to hold this space and support so many students, faculty and staff in our community. 鈥

ALLYSON DEMAAGD (SHE/HER/HERS), SEXUALITY & GENDER DIVERSITY COORDINATOR

What We鈥檙e Up To

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Our History

Our Identities

We are all on a lifelong journey of growth and evolution. We celebrate the right to identify ourselves on our own terms, and to change those terms if and when we change. An abridged glossary is provided below to enhance our understanding of some of the ways individuals may identify. A can be found through the PFLAG glossary.

鈥 Being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community means being a part of a long-time, ongoing and ever-evolving push to create an expansive and more just world. I take immense pride in the history of that struggle and the way we are always seeking ways to grow our understanding of different lived experiences. 鈥

KALIMA YOUNG (SHE/HER/HERS), ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

Terms and Definitions

Describes a per颅son who does not iden颅ti颅fy as male or female or some com颅bi颅na颅tion of male and female. Some agen颅der indi颅vid颅u颅als see them颅selves as gen颅der颅less, while oth颅ers see themselves as gender neutral.

Describes a per颅son who is not sex颅u颅al颅ly attract颅ed to oth颅ers and has no desire to engage in sex颅u颅al behav颅ior. Asex颅u颅al颅i颅ty dif颅fers from celiba颅cy in that a per颅son who is celi颅bate is sex颅u颅al颅ly attract颅ed to oth颅ers but choos颅es to abstain from sex. Asex颅u颅al is sometimes abbre颅vi颅at颅ed as 鈥媋肠别.

Describes a per颅son who has two gen颅ders. Peo颅ple who are bigen颅der may expe颅ri颅ence two gen颅der iden颅ti颅ties at the same time or at dif颅fer颅ent times. These gen颅der iden颅ti颅ties can be bina颅ry, like male and female, or can include non颅bi颅na颅ry identities.

Describes a per颅son whose gen颅der iden颅ti颅ty match颅es the sex 鈥 male or female 鈥 orig颅i颅nal颅ly iden颅ti颅fied on their birth cer颅tifi颅cate (i.e., peo颅ple who are not trans颅gen颅der). Cis颅gen颅der, which is pro颅nounced sis-gen颅der, describes only a person鈥檚 gen颅der iden颅ti颅ty 鈥 not their sex颅u颅al or roman颅tic attrac颅tions. Sometimes, cis颅gen颅der is abbre颅vi颅at颅ed as 鈥媍is in casu颅al conversation.

Describes a per颅son whose gen颅der expres颅sion or gen颅der iden颅ti颅ty 鈥 or both 鈥 changes over time. Not every颅one whose gen颅der iden颅ti颅ty or expres颅sion changes iden颅ti颅fies as gen颅der fluid.

Describes not identifying as of or for a par颅tic颅u颅lar gen颅der. The term is often used to describe spaces and objects, such as gender-neutral or all-gender bathrooms. May also describe people who iden颅ti颅fy as gen颅der neu颅tral and don鈥檛 sub颅scribe to gen颅der stereo颅types.

Describes a per颅son who does not adhere to the tra颅di颅tion颅al expec颅ta颅tions 鈥 in terms of their appear颅ance or behav颅ior 鈥 of their assigned gen颅der. Some of these indi颅vid颅u颅als iden颅ti颅fy as trans颅gen颅der but oth颅ers, for exam颅ple, mas颅cu颅line les颅bians, do not.

Describes a person, often of South Asian descent, who was registered as male at birth but who identifies as female or as neither male nor female.

Describes one's sexual and romantic orientation as well as their gender identity and expression as they both relate to one's identity as an Indigenous person. 

Describes a per颅son born with sex char颅ac颅ter颅is颅tics that are not typ颅i颅cal for male or female bod颅ies. Sex char颅ac颅ter颅is颅tics are phys颅i颅cal fea颅tures relat颅ing to sex 鈥 includ颅ing chro颅mo颅somes, gen颅i颅tals, hor颅mones and oth颅er repro颅duc颅tive anato颅my 鈥 as well as sec颅ondary fea颅tures that emerge from puber颅ty. Inter颅sex is an umbrel颅la term, and inter颅sex char颅ac颅ter颅is颅tics and traits are not always appar颅ent or iden颅ti颅fied at birth. The I鈥 in the longer ver颅sion of LGBTQ (LGBTQIA+) stands for intersex.

An acronym that collectively refers to individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual or aromantic. It is sometimes stated as LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) or LGBTQ as cultural opinions of the term queer focus increasingly on its positive, reclaimed definition. The Q can also stand for questioning, referring to those who are still exploring their own sexuality and/or gender. The 鈥+鈥 represents those who are part of the community but for whom LGBTQIA does not accurately capture or reflect their identity.

Describes a queer person who is typically (but not always) assigned female at birth and who presents masculinely. 

Describes a per颅son who does not iden颅ti颅fy as exclu颅sive颅ly male or exclu颅sive颅ly female and usu颅al颅ly prefers鈥 they as a pro颅noun. Enby is the pho颅net颅ic pro颅nun颅ci颅a颅tion of 鈥NB, which stands for non颅bi颅na颅ry. Not all non颅bi颅na颅ry indi颅vid颅u颅als pre颅fer or use this term.

Describes a per颅son who is attract颅ed to, or has the poten颅tial to be attract颅ed to, peo颅ple of any gen颅der or gen颅der iden颅ti颅ty. This attrac颅tion can be emo颅tion颅al or physical.

An adjec颅tive used by some peo颅ple whose sex颅u颅al ori颅en颅ta颅tion is not exclu颅sive颅ly het颅ero颅sex颅u颅al. Queer was once used as a pejo颅ra颅tive term and has been reclaimed by some 鈥 but not all 鈥 mem颅bers of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Describes a per颅son who is still dis颅cov颅er颅ing and explor颅ing their sex颅u颅al ori颅en颅ta颅tion, gen颅der iden颅ti颅ty, gen颅der expres颅sion or some com颅bi颅na颅tion there颅of. Using this term enables an indi颅vid颅ual to iden颅ti颅fy as part of the LGBTQIA+ com颅mu颅ni颅ty while avoid颅ing oth颅er labels and rec颅og颅niz颅ing that their process of self-iden颅ti颅颅fi颅颅ca颅颅tion is still underway.

Describes a person's romantic attraction regardless of sexual orientation. Examples include:

  • Aromantic: individuals who do not experience romantic attraction toward individuals of any gender(s).
  • Biromantic: romantic attraction toward males and females.
  • Heteroromantic: romantic attraction toward person(s) of a different gender.
  • Homoromantic: romantic attraction towards person(s) of the same gender
  • Panromantic: romantic attraction towards persons of every gender(s).
  • Polyromantic: romantic attraction toward multiple, but not all, genders.
  • Gray-romantic: individuals who do not often experience romantic attraction
  • Demiromantic: an individual who does not experience romantic attraction until after a close emotional bond has been formed. People who refer to themselves as demiromantic may choose to further specify the gender(s) of those they are attracted to (e.g. demi-homoromantic).

Definition adapted from the LGBT Center at UNC-Chapel Hill

Coined by Cleo Manago. Sometimes used by members of the Black community or people of African descent to express sexual orientation without relying on terms of European descent,  

Describes a per颅son who iden颅ti颅fies as hav颅ing both a mas颅cu颅line and a fem颅i颅nine spir颅it. It is used by some Native Amer颅i颅can and Alas颅ka Native peo颅ple to describe their sex颅u颅al, gen颅der and/鈥媜r spir颅i颅tu颅al iden颅ti颅ty. It may encom颅pass same-sex attrac颅tion and also include rela颅tion颅ships that could be con颅sid颅ered poly.

Definitions adapted from and . 

 

Pronouns strengthen inclusion. Here's how to use them effectively.

More information on pronouns Tips for using pronouns

 

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