Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversity Counselling and Psychotherapy

A (typically) heterosexual and/ or cis person who supports members of the LGBT community.

Hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people.

Someone who does not experience sexual attraction.

Is an umbrella term used to describe an emotional, romantic and/ or sexual orientation towards more than one gender, bi people may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, including, but not limited to, bisexual, pansexual, bi-curious, queer, and other non-monosexual identities.

The fear or dislike of someone based on prejudice or negative attitudes, beliefs, views about bisexual people.

Collective value which means that all Black lives, regardless of actual or perceived sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression, economic status, ability, disability, religious beliefs or disbeliefs, immigration status or location, matter. “Everybody is important and has the right to be safe and happy’.

Someone whose gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth. Non-trans is also used by some people.

Permission for something to happen or agreement to do something.

When a person first tells someone or others about their identity as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans.

The ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society.

A physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, senses, or activities.

The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, sex, or disability.

The practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc.

Item descriptionEquality is about ensuing that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents.

Executive function and self-regulation skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully.

Strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof.

Refers to a man who has an emotional, romantic and/ or sexual orientation towards men. Also, a generic term for lesbian and gay sexuality – some women define themselves as gay rather than lesbian.

Often expressed terms of masculinity and femininity, gender is largely cultured determined and is assumed from the sex assigned at birth.

Used to describe when a person experiences discomfort or distress because there is a mismatch between their gender assigned at birth and their gender identity. This is also the clinical diagnosis for someone who doesn’t feel comfortable with the gender they were assigned at birth.

How a person chose to outwardly express their gender, within the context of societal expectations of gender. A person who does not conform to societal expectations of gender may not, however, identify as trans.

Denoting or relating to a person who does not identify themselves as having a fixed gender.

A person’s innate sense of their own gender, whether male, female, or something else (see non-binary), which may or may not correspond to the gender assigned at birth.

Another way of describing a person’s transition. To undergo gender reassignment usually means to undergo some sort of medical intervention, but it also can mean changing names, pronouns, dressing differently and living in their self-identified gender. Gender reassignment is a characteristic that is protected by the Equality Act 2010.

This allows trans people to be legally recognised in their affirmed gender and to be issued with a new birth certificate. Not all trans people will apply for a GRC, and you need to be over 18 to apply. You do not need a GRC to change your gender markers at work, or to legally change your gender on other documents such as your passport.

Any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on a person’s disability or perceived disability; race or perceived race; or religion or perceived religion; or sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation or a person who is transgender or perceived to be transgender (Crown Prosecution Service).

Denoting or relating to a world view that promotes heterosexuality as the normal or preferred sexual orientation.

Discrimination or prejudice against gay people on the assumption that heterosexuality is the normal sexual orientation.

This is considered a more medical term used to describe someone who has an emotional, romantic and/ or sexual orientation towards someone of the same gender. Today the term ‘gay’ is more generally used.

The fear or dislike of someone based on prejudice or negative attitudes, beliefs, views about lesbian or gay people. Homophobic bullying may be targeted at people who are, or who are perceived to be gay or lesbian.

The fact of being who or what a person or thing is.

In social justice theory, internalised oppression is a concept in which an oppressed group uses the methods of the oppressing group against itself.

The interconnected nature of social categorisations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.

A term to describe a person who have biological attributes of both sexes or biological attributes do not fit with societal assumptions about what constitutes male or female. Intersex people may identify as male, female, or non-binary.

Refers to a woman who has an emotional, romantic and/ or sexual orientation towards women.

Having mental capacity means being able to make and communicate your own decisions (definition from Mental Health Foundation).

Is a relationship with only one partner at a time, rather than multiple partners. A monogamous relationship can be sexual or emotional, but it’s usually both. Many modern relationships are monogamous.

A concept where neurological differences are recognised and respected in the same way as any other human difference.

Not displaying or characterized by autistic or other neurologically atypical patterns of thought or behaviour.

An umbrella term for a person who does not identify as only male or only female, or who may identify as both or neither (also known as genderqueer).

When a lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans person’s sexual orientation or gender they identify as is disclosed to someone without their consent.

Someone who identifies as male or female or man or woman but was assigned differently at birth. This increasingly is used by people to acknowledge a trans past.

Refers to a person whose emotional, romantic and/ or sexual attraction towards others is not limited by biological sex, gender, or gender identity.

If someone is regarded immediately to be seen as a cisgender man or cisgender woman (see cisgender).

Usually, a term used to describe the varied experiences of people of colour and much more embracing terminology for our modern day.

Have multiple loving, intentional, and intimate relationships at the same time. Polyamory is a type of open or non-monogamous relationship that follows certain guidelines. Polyamory specifically refers to people who have multiple romantic relationships at the same time.

Words we use to refer to people’s gender in conversation – for example ‘he’ or ‘she’. Some people may prefer others to refer to them in gender neutral language and use pronouns such as they/their and ze zir. It is found that there is a direct correlation between using the right gender pronoun and impact to a person that identifies as transgender and/ or non-binary mental health. In groupwork or in a teaching environment best practice is to ask everyone to name or display their gender pronouns, then no one feels isolated or like the only one and it normalises this language.

A special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.

In the UK it is against the law to discriminate against someone because of a protected characteristic. It is against the law to discriminate against someone because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. You are protected under the Equality Act 2010 from these types of discrimination.

In the past a derogatory term used for LGBT individuals. The term has now been reclaimed by LGBT people and young people who don’t identify with traditional categories around gender identity and sexual orientation but is still viewed to be derogatory by some, so care needs to be taken to how it is used and by whom.

The process of exploring your own sexual orientation and/ or gender identity.

A person who is prejudiced against or antagonistic towards people on the basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized.

The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.

Assigned to a person on the basis of primary sex characteristics (genitalia) and reproductive functions. Sometimes the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ are interchanged to mean ‘male’ or ‘female’.

Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, based on sex or gender.

Sexual Consent happens when all people involved in any kind of sexual activity agree to take part by choice. They also need to have the freedom and capacity to make that choice (definition from Rape Crisis).

A person’s emotional, romantic and/ or sexual attraction to another person.

Item descriptionJustice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.

Spirituality involves the recognition of a feeling or sense or belief that there is something greater than myself, something more to being human than sensory experience, and that the greater whole of which we are part is cosmic or divine in nature.

An acronym for trans exclusionary radical feminist. TERF views “deny the validity of transgender people and transgender identities,” said Sarah McBride, national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign.

An umbrella term to describe people whose gender is not the same as, or does not sit comfortably with, the sex they were assigned at birth. Trans people may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, including (but not limited to): transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, gender fluid, non-binary, gender-variant, crossdresser, genderless, agender, nongender, third gender, two-spirit, bigender, trans man, trans woman, trans masculine, trans feminine and neutrois.

A term used to describe someone who is assigned female at birth but identifies and lives as a man. This may be shortened to trans man, or FTM, an abbreviation for female to male.

A term used to describe someone who is assigned male at birth but identifies and lives as a woman. This may be shortened to trans woman, or MTF, an abbreviation for male to female.

The steps a trans person takes to live in the gender with which they identify. Each person’s transition will involve different things. For some this involves medical transition, such as hormone therapy and surgeries, but not all trans people want or are able to have this. Transitioning may also involve things such as telling friends and family, dressing differently, and changing official documents (this is also known as social transitioning).

The fear or dislike of someone based on the fact they are trans, including the denial or refusal to accept their gender identity.

This was used in the past as a more medical term to refer to someone who transitioned to live in the ‘opposite’ gender to the one assigned at birth. This term is still used by some, it is felt that the terms trans or transgender are more inclusive.

Is the fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners.