June is pride month!! This month is meant to celebrate the history of the LGBTQ+ community (which you can find a comic about on our Instagram highlights), and all of the struggles that we face to this day. A crucial part of supporting the community is by educating yourself about it, not only during pride month but also consistently throughout the year. This info packet is meant to start you on that journey and clarify some information about sexuality and gender identity, as well as provide relevant resources!
If you need mental health support, please reach out to the Trevor Project- their website, counseling resources (text, call, or online chat), or community (affirming, online community for LGBTQ youth).
There are two parts of the LGBTQ+ community. They united to fight for their human rights, but gender identity and sexuality are still very different parts of your identity that will each require their own thought and consideration on your part.
First of all, what is an umbrella term? It's a "word or phrase that covers a wide range of concepts belonging to a common category".
Example:
Queer- an umbrella term for anyone who is not heterosexual or cisgender. It was used as a derogatory term, and the LGBTQ+ community reclaimed it (it could still be considered offensive when used by cisgender, heterosexual people).
Sexuality:
Umbrella terms: Gay/queer (anyone who's not straight)
Heterosexual (straight)- attracted to the opposite gender you identify with (woman attracted to man and vice versa)
Homosexual- attracted to the same gender you identify with (woman attracted to woman and man to man)
Gay- specifically man attracted to man (or non-binary person)
Lesbian- specifically woman attracted to woman (or non-binary person)
Bisexual (bi)- attraction to 2 or more genders. Here's an article written (by me :)) about some misconceptions surrounding bisexuality
Asexual (ace)- experiencing little to no sexual attraction- its a spectrum
Pansexual- attraction to someone regardless of gender, aka attraction to ALL genders. Can overlap with bisexual, but it's still different and depends on each person's preference
And many more! There are hundreds of labels that you can use to describe your romantic and sexual attractions (here are a few). This can make it confusing, but it can also be helpful once you know exactly who you're attracted to and you're looking for a specific word to describe it!
Finding your sexuality is a whole journey for some, and super easy for others. Sometimes you just know- I'm attracted to girls, not guys, and not anything in between. Sometimes you don't. Both are okay and valid regardless of what label you choose to use in the meantime (if you're unsure, remember you don't owe anybody a label or explanation if you don't want to, and you can always say "queer" or "none of your business" if someone asks). At the end of the day, you love who you love, so don't stress about how that correlates with someone else's gender identity, just listen to your own feelings.
Personal experience stories, research articles, poems, etc: https://issuu.com/eachmind/docs/lgbtq_issue
Sexuality + mental health:
Gender Identity:
Umbrella terms:
Transgender- any gender identity that does not correspond with the sex you were born with
Non-binary- any gender identity that is not entirely male or female
The gender binary: refers to the idea that there are only two genders, men and women (which is false). Gender is a spectrum- there are men, women, non-binary people, gender fluid people, and everything in between. Societal stigmas may make it more difficult to figure out if you don't fit in the gender binary, and if so what you do identify with, but being your authentic self (while still staying safe when necessary) is the most important.
Sex: the sex you are assigned at birth corresponds with your genitals (a penis typically means male, a vulva and uterus typically mean female). The majority of people are classified as male or female at birth, while some are classified as intersex (see below).
Gender identity: how you feel- nobody else can tell you this. This is the gender that your brain and heart tell you feels right to identify with.
Gender expression: the way you dress, do your hair, do your makeup, etc that is typically a means of expressing feminity or masculinity. Although this is completely built up of made-up standards of what is "feminine" or "masculine", those words are often used to describe your gender expression. However, this is completely separate from your gender identity- regardless of how you choose to dress, you may identify with whatever gender, and vice versa.
Cisgender- identifies according to their biological sex (ex. born female, identifies as a woman)
Trans(gender) woman- a person who identifies as a woman and was born male
Trans(gender) man- a person who identifies as a man and was born female
Gender fluid- a person who's gender identity or expression changes (usually changes frequently, but can also simply mean that their gender identity/expression has changed one or more times in their life)
Intersex- a person that is born with reproductive/sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit the boxes of “female” or “male”- this can be for a variety of reasons, but regardless it refers to the person's sex, not necessarily their gender identity
Agender- a person that identifies as gender neutral, or lacking a gender
Pronouns- contrary to popular belief, pronouns do NOT have to correspond to your gender identity or gender expression. The most common pronouns are she/her, he/him, and they/them but there are also other pronouns such as xe/xem, fae/faer, zie/zim, etc, as well as combinations such as she/they or they/he. Combined pronouns usually go by order of preference, but can also mean they are gender fluid and/or prefer certain pronouns at certain times- the best way to check is to ask respectfully!
And many more! Similar to sexuality, there are tons of identifying words for gender identity that don't fit within the few I defined here (here are a few of them). All of those are just as valid, and you might end up identifying with a more specific term, or you might not! Do what makes you happy and comfortable.
Cishet: essentially anyone who's NOT queer. Stands for cisgender + heterosexual.
Another fun infographic!!:
At the end of the day, what's most important is what makes you comfortable! Experiment, consider, and eventually do (or don't) find a label that describes the way you feel. However, also stay considerate of your safety- it may be worth it to express your identity differently in certain situations if that helps keep you safe, so be aware of that. Otherwise, try to find a supportive community and friends (the Trevor Project resources at the beginning of this packet is a great place to start), and learn to embrace your identity and sexuality (check out this and this article about it). Feel free to email (carna.mentalwellness@gmail.com) or dm us (@carna.mentalwellness OR @noemie.ywp2022) with questions or if you need support. Good luck, and happy pride!!
If you'd like to print out this info packet, the easiest way is to print this google doc! FYI: It doesn't have all the links and related info that are on the online versions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cqkOlF0KvIM_oY10KWbtb-Akxstoz2y0HzRTWd_wNQI/edit?usp=sharing
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