This resource binder was created by Massey's Gay Straight Alliance. It provides information related to understanding what it may be like to be, or to know someone who is, a member of the LGBT community, and what that may entail. Inside you will find definitions, a book and movie list, and other useful resources that may aid you in understanding yourself, or a friend who may identify as someone in the LGBT community. Table of Contents The Basics LGBT Acronym and Definitions Coming Out Massey’s Gay-Straight Alliance Mission Statement Who We Are/What We Do Blog Link Waking Up Blue Media Top 10 LGBT Book List Top 10 LGBT Movie List LGBT Youtubers Celebrity Profiles Current Events Gender Overview Definitions/Different Types The Genderbread Person (Picture) The Genderbread Person (Explanation) Bullying Overview Statistics Religion Gay Rights relating to Religion LGBT and Religion Book List Resources Local LGBT Online Other The Basics LGBT Acronym and Definitions In this section, the extended acronym of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community is broken down and explained in detail to help understand what each term means. These definitions are in no way the only possible explanation for these characteristics as gender and sexuality are a spectrum. Note: For more information on "identifying" as one or more genders (as is mentioned often in this section) see the "Gender" section of this binder. The acronym is as follows: L - Lesbian G - Gay B - Bisexual T - Transgender T - Transsexual Q - Queer Q - Questioning 2S - Two-Spirited I - Intersex A - Asexual A - Ally P - Pansexual Lesbian: A person who is a lesbian is a female, or identifies as a female, and is attracted, both romantically and sexually, to other females or people who identify as females. This is similar to the term gay, but refers exclusively to women or people who identify as women. Gay: A person who is gay, is someone who is both romantically and sexually attracted to someone else who identifies as the same gender as them; such as a male attracted to another male or a female attracted to another female. Unlike the term lesbian, gay refers to any gender. Bisexual: Being bisexual means a person is sexually and romantically attracted to both males and females. People who have a distinct, but not exclusive, sexual preference for one sex over the other may also identify themselves as bisexual. Transgender: Transgender is the state of one's gender identity (self-identification as woman, man, neither or both) not matching one's assigned sex (identification by others as male, female or intersex based on physical sex). Transgender does not imply a specific sexual orientation, and transgender people may identify as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, or asexual. Some may consider conventional sexual orientation labels inadequate or inapplicable for them. Transsexual: Transsexual describes an individual who identifies with a gender inconsistent or not culturally associated with their assigned sex, i.e. in which a person's assigned sex at birth conflicts with their psychological gender. Typically, one may identify as transsexual if they have undergone gender reassignment surgery. Note: Currently, the term trans* is frequently used as an umbrella term for people whose gender identity does not fit the gender they were assigned at birth. Queer: Queer simply refers to someone who identifies as representing a gender and/or sexual minority; such as someone who identifies as a part of the acronym, or someone who finds those labels oppressive or offensive. Questioning: Someone who may identify, or exhibit characteristics of another label in this section, but isn't certain that the specific label refers to them. Often, people who are questioning their sexuality or gender go through a process of exploration to better understand themselves. Two-Spirited: This refers to people who are native to North America, and identify as one of the mixed gender roles discussed in this section. In most cultures, these people are said to possess both a masculine, and a feminine spirit, hence having two spirits manifested in one body. Intersex: Individuals who are intersex are often born with sexually ambiguous bodies. Such as the presence of both male and female genitals, chromosomes or gonads. These make it difficult to classify an individual as either male or female. This term has more recently come to replace the term hermaphrodite (which is now used to refer exclusively to animals). Asexual: Someone who has no sexual or romantic attraction to other people. Asexuality is distinct from abstention from sexual activity and from celibacy, which are behavioral and generally motivated by factors such as an individual's personal or religious beliefs. Some asexual people do engage in sexual activity despite lacking a desire for sex or sexual attraction, due to a variety of reasons, such as a desire to please romantic partners or a desire to have children. Ally: Often referred to as a "Straight Ally", this describes someone who supports or accepts the LGBT community, its members and their beliefs. Allies support equal rights, gender equality and social movements, and challenge homophobia and transphobia. They aim to use their position as heterosexual individuals in a society focused on heteronormativity to fight homophobia and transphobia. Pansexual: This term expresses ones potential to be attracted to any gender identity, expression sex or sexuality. This varies from bisexuality, because it rejects the idea that there are only two genders or gender identities and therefore encompasses a larger population the individual may be sexually or romantically attracted to. Source: http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2013/01/a-comprehensive-list-of-lgbtq-term- definitions/ Coming Out The term “coming out” means the lifelong process and journey of accepting ourselves as queer, and revealing our sexual orientation and/or gender identity to others. It is likely to happen over your lifetime because of heterosexist assumptions made by some people. (i.e. everyone is straight). Coming out is something that many people are constantly thinking about, especially when it comes to dealing with friends, family, teachers, religious leaders, or others who are important. It is a personal choice to either come out, or not, and there is no right or wrong way to do so. It’s also a personal choice as to when to come out, who to come out to, or even who you choose not to come out to. Reasons To Come Out No More Lies Keeping up all the complicated lies you may have to tell in order to keep your sexuality or gender identity a secret takes a lot of energy and wears away at your self confidence. It can feel like a huge relief once the secret is out. You Find Real Support for Who You Are You will learn who can accept the real you, not some fictitious person you have had to invent. This will deepen your feelings your friendships. The people who can’t accept you will be replaced by those who do. While the process may be painful, in the end you will feel accepted as yourself, not as a façade. Possibility of Acceptance Even though families have mixed reactions, many come to a place of acceptance. Once this process starts, many LGBT people say they feel a big sense of relief that they have stopped lying to the people they love. It can also begin to foster a deeper sense of trust with others and with yourself. Your family and friends may or may not be accepting at first. Over time, many will come to accept you as you are. Many LGBT people say they felt relief at simply beginning the process, of dropping the pretence. You can begin to trust yourself and others more, because you are being more honest with yourself and others. You Begin To Feel Like You Fit In Although most LGBT people feel some degree of being an outsider, when you are comfortable being out, it will help you be more genuine in your relationships. You begin to see that everyone is different, that it’s the differences that make life interesting. Liberating, But Scary Too Coming out to yourself can be liberating; many of us feel a weight lift off our shoulders every time we come out to others. After we come out, we typically search for those who are also queer and will listen to us, hang out with us, or can help answer questions. There are also big challenges and important things to consider. Some of us don’t have, or can’t find, others to connect with because we live in a smaller community, don’t have access to transportation, or don’t have Internet access. We may experience pressure from our cultural and religious institutions. There may be fear that someone will tell others about our sexual orientation and/or gender identity (also called being ‘outed’) when we are not ready. There can be additional stressors while coming out such as racism, poverty, homelessness and addiction. The decision to come out to another person is entirely up to you. You should consider whether you might have your personal safety threatened, or lose access to your home before you disclose to others. Dealing with Issues The challenges and issues faced by being queer can lead to increased feelings of depression and isolation, and unhealthy ways to cope with stress. It can possibly lead to excessive drinking, drug use, and smoking. You may even have thoughts about suicide or hurting ourselves, such as self harm through cutting. What’s important to know is that even in the most stressful and painful times, things can and do change for the better. You may not see it at the time, but those who have experienced these feeling have looked back and recognized that those periods of stress were temporary.