Sexual orientation: a term for the attractions (emotional, physical, sexual, spiritual etc.) one person has for another. Sexual behaviour does not always determine or dictate one's sexual orientation identification. For example, some gay, lesbian, bisexual and straight people are celibate. Some bisexual people may be in long-term monogamous relationships with someone from the same or a different gender. Some people may choose to not label their sexual orientation at all.
Gay or lesbian: a term to describe people who are primarily attracted to people of the same gender. Gay is a term used by men and women. Lesbian refers to women only.
Heterosexual or straight: terms to describe people who are primarily attracted to people of the opposite gender.
Bisexual: a term to describe people have attractions to both men and women.
Click here for more information
Gender identity: a term that refers to the way that people identify their sense of maleness or femaleness. Our society tends to believe in binary notions of gender, rather than viewing gender as fluid.
Transgender: is a term that describes people who do not conform to society's binary expectations of gender. Transgender is a term sometimes use to include a variety of gender identifities, including drag kings, drag queens, transvestites, genderqueers and androgynous people, to name a few. Another way that this term is used is to describe people who may be comfortable with a "third" or "middle" gender that is neither male nor female.
Click here for more information
Transsexual: is a term that describes people who have a persistent desire to change their birth-assigned gender and to live as the opposite gender to that which they were assigned at birth.
Click here for more information
Intersex: is a term used to describe people who are born with "non-standard" sex chromosomes, external genitalia, or an internal reproductive system.
Click here for more information
Two-Spirit: is a term coined and used by North American aboriginal people to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and transsexual identities. The term reflects a traditional respect for people who expressed different sexual orientations and gender identities.
Queer: is a term that is an inclusive term for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual and intersex people. It is a word that has been reclaimed from its past derogatory uses and meanings.