LGBTQ+ Terminology and Concepts

LGBTQ+ Terminology and Concepts: 43 PLANJUS glossary terms and guides, including "In the Closet" (Dans le placard), AMAB and AFAB, Androgyny.

• "In the Closet" (Dans le placard) — Being "in the closet" means living behind a mask. For a trans person, it means continuing, day after day, to play the role of the gender assigned at birth.
• AMAB and AFAB — You've probably already come across these acronyms, AMAB for "Assigned Male At Birth" and AFAB for "Assigned Female At Birth".
• Androgyny — Androgyny is a gender expression that combines elements of masculinity and femininity. It manifests as a self-presentation that blurs traditional boundaries, adopting characteristics often associated with both genders.
• Assignment at Birth — Assignment at birth is the process by which a sex (male or female) is attributed to an individual at birth, based primarily on the observation of their external genitalia.
• Bear — A "Bear" is a gay man characterized by a strong physique (robust, stocky, even large) and developed body hair.
• CEC (Civil Status Change) — CEC, or Civil Status Change, is a french administrative term that covers a deeply human and political reality.
• Cis-passing — "Passing" is somewhat like a social charade where you didn't choose the rules. It's a person's ability to be perceived by others as belonging to a certain category.
• Cisgender Person Definition — A cis person, or cisgender, is an individual whose gender identity corresponds to the one assigned at birth.
• Cisnormativity — Cisnormativity is the twin sister of heteronormativity, applied to gender. It is this omnipresent and often unconscious presumption that everyone is cisgender.
• Coming Out — "Coming Out" is the process by which an LGBTQ+ person (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, etc.) reveals their sexual orientation or gender identity to others.
• Deadname — A "deadname" is the birth name or previously used name of a transgender or non-binary person before their transition, which they no longer wish to use.
• Dicklit Definition — So, you're wondering what a 'dicklit' is? Imagine a clitoris that has grown in volume, lengthened, to the point of resembling a small penis.
• Escort Boy — An escort boy is a man who offers paid companionship and/or sexual services. These services can range from simple presence to more intense practices, often negotiated via gay chat platforms or gay apps.
• Femmis and Ladyck — We're going to talk about 'femmis' or 'ladyck'. This is what some trans women or non-binary individuals call their penis after it has changed due to hormones.
• Gaslighting — Gaslighting, in this game, is the most extreme form of possession. It is a consensual act where you give your Master not only your body, but also your reality.
• Gay Cruising Spots — "Going to a cruising spot" means going to a public place known to be a meeting point for sexual encounters between men, often anonymous and quick.
• Gender and Sexuality — Forget what you were taught in school. Gender is not what you have between your legs.
• Gender Expression — Gender expression refers to how a person presents their gender to the outside world through their behavior, clothing, hairstyle, voice, mannerisms, and other attributes.
• Gender Identity — Gender identity is the internal and profound sense of being a man, a woman, both, neither, or another gender.
• Gender/Orientation Conversion — This fantasy is a dark and twisted parody of conversion therapies. It is a scenario where a Dominant pretends to "force" a submissive to change their sexual orientation or fundamental gender identity through extreme means.
• IRL Plan Definition — An "IRL plan" (In Real Life) is a physical, face-to-face sexual encounter. It is the direct opposite of a "cam plan" or cybersex.
• LGBTQ+ Ally — An "Ally" is a person who supports and respects members of the LGBTQ+ community. This term refers to an ally, someone who does not belong to the LGBTQ+ community but actively commits to defending the rights and promoting the inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals.
• LGBTQIA+ — LGBTQIA+... this acronym, sometimes lengthy, refers to Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, or Aromantic individuals.
• Misgendering — Misgendering someone is refusing to see them as they are. It is the act of assigning them a gender that is not their own, most often by using the wrong pronoun or incorrect agreements.
• Morinom and Deadname — The "morinom" or "deadname" (literally "dead name" in English) is the first name assigned to you at birth but which you have decided no longer to use, because it does not correspond to your gender identity.
• Normativity — Normativity is the invisible framework that governs our lives. It's the idea that there is a "normal" way to live, think, and be, and that this normality is self-evident, that it is natural.
• Omegaverse (A/B/O) — Forget the gender you know. In the Omegaverse, biology rules, and it's brutal.
• Out — Being "out" is the opposite approach to being stealth. It is the choice, for a trans person, to live openly, without hiding who they are.
• Outing and Outer — Outing, or the act of "outing" someone, is one of the most violent and destructive acts there is.
• Sex — We have long been told that sex was a binary affair: XX for girls, XY for boys, period. However, the reality is much more complex and exciting than that.
• Sex Friend — A sex friend is a friend with whom you have sex. It's a hybrid relationship, halfway between a fuck buddy and a couple.
• Sexting — Sexting is a theater of desire in the palm of your hand. It's the art of building unbearable sexual tension solely with words, photos, and videos.
• Sexual Characteristics — When we talk about "sex," most people immediately think of external genitalia. But biological reality is a much richer and more complex tapestry.
• Skoliosexual Definition — Today, let's talk about a word you may have come across but which is less and less used: 'skoliosexual'.
• Stealth Definition — The term "stealth", borrowed from English, evokes stealth, the act of moving without being seen, like a submarine navigating in deep waters.
• Trans Person — A trans person is simply someone whose gender is not the one they were assigned at birth. It's an act of reclaiming power over oneself, a monumental "fuck you" addressed to the quick checkbox filled by a doctor years ago.
• Transgender — Let's talk about an essential and often misunderstood word: 'transgender'. It's a term that touches the core of a person's identity.
• Transidentities — The term "transidentities," in the plural, encompasses the richness and diversity of the experiences of trans people.
• Transition — Transition is the process a transgender person undertakes to align their life and appearance with their gender identity.
• Transphobia — Transphobia is much more than a simple "fear" of transgender people. It is a system of hatred, discrimination, and prejudice that can take many forms, ranging from seemingly harmless inappropriate jokes to the crudest physical violence.
• Understanding the LGBTQ+ Term — The term LGBTQ+ is much more than a simple acronym; it is a flag, a gathering, and a celebration of the diversity of identities and orientations.
• Undetectable and U=U — "Undetectable = Untransmittable" means that an HIV-positive person whose viral load has been undetectable for more than 6 months thanks to treatment does not pass on HIV through sex.
• Viral Load (VL) — Viral load is the amount of HIV measured in the blood (in copies per millilitre); on effective treatment it becomes undetectable, which protects the person's health and prevents sexual transmission.