Gender identity refers to a persons internal, deeply-felt sense of being either male, female,

something other, or in between. Everyone has a gender identity.

Gender expression refers to an individuals characteristics and behaviors such as appearance, dress,

mannerisms, speech patterns, and social interactions that are perceived as masculine or feminine.

Transgender is an umbrella term that can be used to describe people whose gender expression is nonconforming and/or whose gender identity is different from their birth assigned gender.

Transsexual is a term most commonly used to refer to someone who transitions from one gender to another. It includes students who were identified as male at birth but whose gender identity is female, students who were identified as female at birth but whose gender identity is male, and students whose gender identity is neither male nor female. Transition often consists of a change in style of dress, selection of a new name, and a request that people use the correct pronoun when describing them. Transition may, but does not always, include necessary medical care like hormone therapy, counseling, and/or surgery.

Gender non-conforming refers to a person who is or is perceived to have gender characteristics

and/or behaviors that do not conform to traditional or societal expectations. Gender non-conforming

people may or may not identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.

Genderqueer refers to people who do not identify as, or who do not express themselves as

completely male or female. Genderqueer people may or may not identify as transgender.

Sexual orientation refers to a persons emotional and sexual attraction to other people based on

the gender of the other person. A person may identify their sexual orientation as heterosexual, lesbian,

gay, bisexual, or queer. It is important to understand that sexual orientation and gender identity are

two different things. Not all transgender youth identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer. And not all

gay, lesbian, bisexual, and queer youth display gender non-conforming characteristics.

LGBTQ is an umbrella term that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning.

The category questioning is included to incorporate those that are not yet certain of their sexual

orientation and/or gender identity.

From: Beyond the Binary: A Tool Kit for Gender Identity Activism in Schools, a collaborative project of Gay-Straight Alliance Network, Transgender Law Center, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights