The Garden :: Petals and Thorns

Gender and Sexuality Glossary E-H

This glossary is, by definition and nature, incomplete due to ever evolving definitions and separation of gender and orientation. The Garden is aware that there are many genders and orientations are not represented here due to population concentration and space available. However, if members wish specific definitions added, please send us a note and we will add it.

Egogender	a gender that is so personal to your experience that it can only be described as "you"
electrolysis	The painful and costly procedure of having hair permanently removed. MTFs and some cross dressers remove facial and body hair through electrolysis, while some FTMs undergo electrolysis before certain types of phalloplasty.
Emotional Libertarianism	A belief that every individual is entirely responsible for his or her own emotional responses, and that one person's behavior is never the "cause" of another person's emotion.
en femme	A term often used by male-to-female cross dressers to indicate being cross dressed and not in traditional male clothes.
enanthate	Short for testosterone enanthate, one of the main injectable forms of testosterone prescribed to FTMs in the United States. See also "testosterone."
Epicene	sometimes used synonymously with the adjective "androgynous"; the feeling either having or not displaying characteristics of both or either binary gender; sometimes used to describe feminine male identifying individuals
Erasure	Ignoring the existence of genders and sexualities in the middle of the spectrum
Espigender	a gender that is related to being a spirit or exists on a higher or extradimensional plane
estrogen or estradiol / E	Sometimes shortened to "E." A hormone responsible for producing feminine secondary sex characteristics such as breast growth and increased fat distribution around the hips and waist. Estrogen therapy is administered to MTFs to induce the presence of feminine secondary sex characteristics. It may also cause softening of the skin, slowing or stopping of scalp hair loss, decrease in muscle mass, decrease in sex drive, decreased erections, and decrease in testicular size. Estrogen can be taken in pill, patch, or injection forms.
Ethical Slut,The	A book (Dossie Easton and Catherine A. Liszt, Greenery Press, 1998, ISBN 1890159018) which outlines a framework for responsible non-monogamy and champions taking joy in ethical, safe promiscuity. Commentary: The Ethical Slut is not a book about polyamory per se; the primary focus is on creating relationships which are not sexually monogamous and are positive and healthy, but it does not focus exclusively on loving or emotional intimate relationships, and does not create frameworks for managing the emotional or romantic component of such relationships. Nevertheless, it is very popular in the polyamory community, and is very useful to many polyamorous people. The ideas described in The Ethical Slut are pertinent to and valuable in swinging relationships as well.
Exgender	the outright refusal to accept or identify in, on, or around the gender spectrum
Existigender	a gender that only exists or feels present when thought about or when a conscious effort is made to notice it
Faesari	a gender identity where one feels most comfortable within the gender neutral spectrum, but still feels a strong attachment to femininity. Pronounced "fay-sar-ee". femininity is however YOU wish to define it, since it's cultural dependent
Fag	1.Derogatory term for a gay or effeminate man. 2. Derogatory term for any individual who does not match their assigned gender role. 3. Sometimes reclaimed by gay men as a self-identifier.
fag hag	A term primarily used to describe women who prefer the social company of gay men. While this term is claimed in an affirmative manner by some, it is largely regarded as derogatory.
Family	Colloquial term used to identify other LGBTQQI community members
Family of Choice	Persons or a group of people an individual sees as significant in one's life. It may include none, all, or some members of their own family of origin. In addition, it may include individuals such as significant others, domestic partners, friends, and/or coworkers.
Female	one of two binary genders where one feels fully and completely female; can and is used in conjunction with other gender labels and identities
Female Symbol	The female sign (♀️) is connected to Venus the Roman goddess of love, whose Greek equivalent is Aphrodite. The female symbol depicts a hand mirror. The hand mirror depicts a tool used for view pride and looks, commonly associated with women. Women are expected to be soft and caregivers.These signs correlate with societal expectations of their assigned gender. For example, women are expected to be caring, hospitable, and should always look nice.
Femfluid	having fluctuating or fluid gender feelings that are limited to feminine genders
Femgender	a nonbinary gender which is feminine in nature
Femme	An individual of any assigned sex who identifies with femininity as dictated by traditional gender roles. A femme person who is read as a woman may often be read as straight or gender normative, even if this is not the case.
Ficto-	only felling a certain type of attraction towards fictional characters
Fin-	feeling attraction to fem(me) identifying people
finasteride	Brand name "Propecia," an anti-androgen often prescribed in combination with estrogen therapy for MTF transsexuals. See also "anti-androgen," "estrogen" and "hormone therapy."
Fluid Bonding	Of or related to practices which involve the exchange of bodily fluids, such as barrier-free sexual intercourse and BDSM: blood play.
Fluidflux	the feeling of being fluid between two or more genders that also fluctuate in intensity; a combination of genderfluid and genderflux
Fray-	only experiencing attraction towards those you are less familiar with; the feeling is lost when they become closer or more familiar; the opposite of demi-
Friction Party	Colloquial; see cuddle party. Commentary: The term "friction party" is not trademarked; the term cuddle party is. Friction parties, unlike cuddle parties, are informal social gatherings that aren't typically run as a business, may not be open to general admission (that is, they may be private), and may or may not charge for access.
Friends with Benefits / FWB	A relationship in which two (or more) people establish a friendship that includes sex or sexual activity, but without romantic love and typically without the same type or degree of expectations or other practical or emotional entanglements that typically accompany romantic relationships.
FTM	Female To Male; A person who has undergone medical treatments to change their sex characteristics from female-at-birth to male, often times to align them with their gender identity.
full-time	Going full-time, or living full-time, in the social role of the sex opposite that assigned at birth.
Futanari / (ふたなり	seldom: 二形, 双形, literally: dual form; 二成, 双成, literally: [to be of] two kinds) is the Japanese word for hermaphroditism, which is also used in a broader sense for androgyny
gaff	A device used to conceal a genetic males penis so that no "bulge" is visible.
gay	1. Term used in some cultural settings to represent males who are attracted to males in a romantic, erotic and/or emotional sense. Not all men who engage in "homosexual behavior" identify as gay, and as such this label should be used with caution. 2. Term used to refer to the LGBTQI community as a whole, or as an individual identity label for anyone who does not identify as heterosexual.
Gayelle	Gayelle is a new word that some women are trying to get to replace the word "lesbian"
Gemigender	having two opposite genders that work together, being fluid and flux together
Gender	the identity you choose regardless of your sex, which relates to your societal and cultural portrayal of sexuality and gender. A complex system of roles, expressions, identities, performances, and more that are given gendered meaning by a society and usually assigned to people based on the appearance of their sex characteristics at birth. It is a broad spectrum that differs from one person to the next.
gender binary	The idea that there are only two genders or sexes-male/female or man/woman, and that a person must be strictly either/or.
Gender Confirming Surgery / Sex Reassignment Surgery / Gender Reassignment Surgery	Medical surgeries used to modify one's body to be more congruent with one's gender identity.
gender cues	What people use to attempt to tell the gender/sex of another person. Examples include hairstyle, vocal inflection, body shape, body movements and gestures, facial hair, etc. Cues vary by culture.
gender dysphoria	The state of discomfort felt by transsexuals and some transgender people caused by the incongruity between one's physical sex and one's gender-identity.
Gender Expression	How one presents oneself and one's gender to the world via dress, mannerisms, hairstyle, facial hair etc. This may or may not coincide with or indicate one's gender identity. Many utilize gender expression in an attempt to determine the gender/sex of another individual. However, a person's gender expression may not always match their gender identity.
Gender Identity Disorder/ GID / Gender Identity Dysphoria	A condition identified by psychologists and medical doctors wherein a person who has been assigned one gender at birth identifies as belonging to another gender. Discomfort or distress caused by one's assigned sex and the desire to change the characteristics that are the source.
Gender Neutral	the feeling of having a neutral gender, whether somewhere in between masculine and feminine or a third gender that is separate from the binary; often paired with neutrois
Gender Non Conforming / Gender Creative	A person who either by nature or by choice does not conform to gender-based expectations of society (e.g. transgender, transsexual, intersex, genderqueer, butch, cross-dresser,etc.). Also known as ‘Gender Variant.'
gender normative / genderstraight	A person who, by nature or by choice, conforms to mainstream gender-based expectations of society. Also sometimes referred to as "Genderstraight."
gender oppression / genderism	The societal, institutional, and individual beliefs and practices that privilege cisgender (gender-typical people) and subordinate and disparage transgender or gender variant people.
Gender Presentation / Gender Expression	The gender you present yourself to others. This is sometimes referred to asgender expression
Gender roles	Certain behaviors an activities expected/considered acceptable of people in a particular society based upon their designated gender
gender variant	A person who, either by nature or by choice, does not conform to gender-based expectations of society.
gender-bender / gender-blender	A person who merges characteristics of gender in subtle ways or intentionally flaunts merged/blurred cultural/stereotypical gender norms for the purpose of shocking others, without concern for passing. Unless someone chooses this label for themselves, it may be considered derogatory.
Genderblank	a gender that can only be described as a blank space; when gender is called into question, all that comes to mind is a blank space
Genderflow	a gender that is fluid between infinite feelings
Genderfluid	the feeling of fluidity within your gender identity; feeling a different gender as time passes or as situations change; not restricted to any number of genders
Genderfluid Flag	Within the transgender umbrella, gender ﬂuid is a subgroup in the genderqueer community. The Gender Fluid ﬂag consists of ﬁve stripes. This ﬂag represents the ﬂuctuations and ﬂexibility of gender in gender ﬂuid people. The ﬁrst stripe is pink which represents femininity or feeling female. The second stripe is white, representing the lack of gender. The third stripe is purple and represents a combination of masculinity and femininity including various degrees of androgyny. The fourth stripe is black and represents all other gender, third genders, and pangender. The ﬁnal stripe is blue and represents masculinity or feeling male
Genderflux	the feeling of your gender fluctuating in intensity; like genderfluid but between one gender and agender
genderfuck	The idea of playing with gender presentation and cues to purposely confuse "standard" or stereotypical gender expressions.
Genderfuzz	coined by lolzmelmel; the feeling of having more than one gender that are somehow blurred together to the point of not being able to distinguish or identify individual genders; synonymous with blurgender
Genderpunk	a gender identity that actively resists gender norms
Genderqueer	An individual whose gender identity is neither male nor female, is between or beyond genders, or is some combination of genders. Sometimes this includes a political agenda to challenge gender stereotypes and the gender binary system. Genderqueer individuals may or may not pursue any physical changes, such as hormonal or surgical intervention, and may not identify as trans*.
Genderqueer Flag	The genderqueer ﬂag consists of a lavender stripe on the top, as it is a mixture of blue and pink, traditional colors associated with men and women, in order to represent androgyny. The lavender also represents the queer identity, as it has long been a color associated with the LGBT community. In the center is a white stripe, meant to represent the a gender or gender neutral identity. Finally, there is the dark chartreuse green, as the inverse of lavender, it is used to represent third gender identities and all those who identity off the traditional gender spectrum.
Genderwitched	a gender in which one is intrigued or entranced by the idea of a particular gender, but is not certain that they are actually feeling it
Genetic Girl/GG, Genetic Woman/GW	Used frequently in MTF circles. A "female born female."
genital reconstruction surgery/ GRS	For MTFs, this is usually the process of orchiectomy, or removal of the testes, and vaginoplasty, where the outer skin of the penis is surgically inverted to create a clitoris and vagina. For FTMs, this is usually the process of constructing a phallus/penis from an individual's own donor tissue (this is usually referred to as "phalloplasty"), or the process of "freeing up" the enlarged clitoris from its connective tissue (the clitoris is typically elongated and changed somewhat in appearance from testosterone therapy) so that it is presented on the body in a more phallic/penis-like manner (this is usually referred to as "metoidioplasty"). Scrotal implants may or may not be added during these procedures. See also "phalloplasty" and "metoidioplasty" "orchiectomy" and "vaginoplasty."
Gentle folk	Gender neutral replacement for "Ladies and Gentlemen"
Ginger beer	rhyming slang for gender queer; Gender-neutral
Gipster	This hipster gay loves art and the indie lifestyle. They typically hang out amongst themselves and can be a little judgmental. For the most part, they are skinny and adhere to their own style.
Girl flux	when one feels mostly or all female most of the time but experiences fluctuating intensities of female identity
Glassgender	a gender that is very sensitive and fragile
Glimragender	a faintly shining, wavering gender
Gold Star Lesbian	A gold star lesbian is a lesbian who has never slept with a man and has no intention of ever sleeping with a man.
Grey-	the feeling of usually not having any attraction except occasionally depending on the situation; typically paired with asexual and aromantic. Often seen as the "grey area" between asexual and allosexual (not asexual)
Grey Ace	Someone who identifies as part of the asexual community but does not identify as completely asexual. This differs from demisexuality in that being demisexual is a specific orientation and a gray ace is used as a catch all for any unspecified identity under the Ace umbrella.
Greygender	having a gender that is mostly outside of the binary but is weak and can barely be felt
Greyromantic	Someone who identifies as part of the aromantic community but does not identify as completely aromantic. This differs from demiromanticism in that being demiromantic is a specific identity and greyromantic is used as a catch all for any unspecified identity under the aromantic umbrella.
Gym Bunny	A muscular, sculpted gay male, under fifty whose fitness is associated with a gym, not sports
Gym Rat	A very lean and well built gay male that is addicted to working out
Gynephilia	sexual attraction to women or femininity.
Gyragender	having multiple genders but understanding none of them
Handfasting	A Pagan or Wiccan ceremony similar to marriage in the sense that it unites two people in a common bond, but dissimilar to a traditional Western marriage in that it does not necessarily convey sexual exclusivity and may not be intended to be permanent (some handfasting ceremonies last "for a year and a day," others for "as long as the love shall last"). A handfasting is not legally recognized as a marriage unless the person performing the handfasting is authorized to perform marriages in a particular jurisdiction (requirements for such authorization vary from place to place) and the other legal requirements of marriage are met. Commentary: Handfasting ceremonies are not directly related to polyamory; however, some people, particularly those involved with Wiccan or neo-Pagan spirituality or beliefs, may combine the two. While not all Pagans are polyamorous and not all polyamorous people are Pagan, there is enough overlap between the communities that some polyamorous people practice handfasting as an emotional or spiritual symbol of their relationships and commitment.
Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association /HBIGDA	A professional organization devoted to the understanding and treatment of gender identity disorders. The organization is named after one of the earliest physicians to work with transsexuals, Dr. Harry Benjamin. The HBIGDA is best known for publishing the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care (HBSOC) for Gender Identity Disorders.
Harry Benjamin Standards of Care /HBSOC	The most widespread set of standards and guidelines used by professionals for the medical and mental health treatment of transsexuals. The HBSOC are periodically updated and revised as new scientific and medical information becomes available.
Hasbian	A hasbian is a woman who used to identify as a lesbian and date women, but is now dating men.
He or she?	Using the appropriate pronouns when talking to someone who is transgender works on the basis of respect for the individual. Generally the name the person chooses to use indicates their gender preference. So, a transgender person called Steve would be referred to as "he", while another called Rachel would be "she". But if you are unsure, it's best to ask the person politely how they wish to be known. This is especially so if you suspect someone identifies as non-binary, in which case a neutral term like "they" may be more appropriate.
Healgender	a gender that once realized, brings lots of peace, clarity, security, and creativity to the individual's mind
Heliogender	a gender that is warm and burning
Hemigender	a gender that is half one gender and half something else; one or both halves may be identifiable genders
herbals	General term used to refer to over-the-counter herbal hormones that claim to simulate natural or prescription female or male hormones.
hermaphrodite	An outdated term, usually considered offensive, for intersex persons.
Hermie	an androgynous or intersex person
Hetero-	the feeling of being attracted to a gender other than your own
Heteroflexible	the feeling of having mostly hetero- attraction yet having an openness for other genders
Heteronormativity	The assumption, in individuals or in institutions, that everyone is heterosexual, and that heterosexuality is superior to homosexuality, bisexuality, and other sexual orientations.
Heteroromantic	Someone who has romantic feelings for someone of the opposite sex or gender.
heterosexism	Prejudice against individuals and groups who display nonheterosexual behaviors or identities, combined with the majority power to impose such prejudice. Usually used to the advantage of the group in power. Any attitude, action, or practice - backed by institutional power - that subordinates people because of their sexual orientation.
Heterosexual	Originally was not equated here with normal sex, but with perversion. It was connected to one of several "abnormal manifestations of the sexual appetite" in a list of "sexual perversions proper". They were associated with a mental condition, "psychical hermaphroditism." This syndrome assumed that feelings had a biological sex. Heterosexuals experienced so-called male erotic attraction to females and so-called female erotic attraction to males. That is, these heterosexuals periodically felt "inclinations to both sexes." Heterosexuals were also guilty of reproductive deviance as they betrayed inclinations to "abnormal methods of gratification" They fucked for pleasure and also demonstrated "traces of the normal sexual appetite" which was defined as a desire to reproduce.
Heterosexual	A medical definition for a person who is primarily or exclusively attracted to those of the other binary gender or sex than they have . Also known as ‘straight.'
Heterosexual Privilege	Those benefits conferred to heterosexual people(some of which are conferred conditionally to others who are perceived as heterosexual or claim a heterosexual identity) that are denied to people of other sexual orientations.
High Femme	Often used to describe a lesbian, bisexual, or queer woman who presents and identifies firmly as feminine. While many people believe that high femme women are only interested in butch women, that is not true.
HIV-phobia	The irrational fear or hatred of persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Homo-	the feeling of being attracted to your own gender
Homoflexible	the feeling of having mostly homo- attraction yet having an openness for other genders
Homophobia	Direct negative attitudes toward and unfair treatment of people and the irrational fear or hatred of homosexuals, homosexuality who identify or are perceived as non-heterosexual, including the fear of being read as part of the LGBT community. Homophobic behavior can range from telling gay jokes, to verbal abuse, to acts of physical violence.
Homoromantic	Someone who has romantic feelings for members of the same sex or gender.
Homosexual	A medical definition for a person who is primarily or exclusively attracted to those of the same gender or sex they have; this is considered an offensive/stigmatizing term by many members of the queer community.
Hormone Replacement Therapy / HRT / Hormonal Sex Reassignment	Administration of hormones to affect the development of masculine or feminine secondary sex characteristics. Hormone therapy is usually continued for life. Androgens (testosterone) are used for FTMs; Estrogens and anti-androgens are used for MTFs. See also "anti-androgens," "estrogen," and "testosterone."
Horogender	a gender that changes over time with the core feeling remaining the same
Hydrogender	a gender which shares qualities with water
hysterectomy / hysto	The surgical removal of the uterus. This surgery is often pursued by FTMs as part of the transition process, as well as for health reasons. A hysterectomy is required by some states in order to legally change one's gender status from female to male. See also "oophorectomy."