The Garden :: Petals and Thorns

Gender and Sexuality Glossary M-P

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.

Ma-	feeling attraction to men
Magigender	a gender that is mostly gender and the rest is something else
Male	one of two binary genders where one feels fully and completely male; can and is used in conjunction with other gender labels and identities
male lesbian	A male-bodied person who identifies as a lesbian. This differs from a heterosexual male in that a male lesbian is primarily attracted to other lesbian, bisexual or queer identified people. May sometimes identify as gender variant, or as a female/woman.
Male To Female/ MTF	A person who has undergone medical treatments to change their sex characteristics from male-at-birth to female, often times to align them with their gender identity.
male-to-female transsexual	Often referred to as MTF or M2F. A person who was born in a male body but whose gender identity is female. Also can refer to those assigned male at birth, in the case of intersex people, whose gender identity is female. Usually, male-to-female transsexuals will seek hormonal and/or surgical treatment in order to live successfully as women in society.
Mascfluid	A gender that is fluid in nature, and restricted only to masculine genders
Mascgender	a non-binary gender which is masculine in nature.
Masculine of Center	a term used by people of color to describe lesbian/queer/ womyn who tilt toward the masculine side of the gender scale and includes a wide range of identities such as butch, stud, aggressive/AG, dom, macha, tomboi, trans masculine, etc.
Maverique	taken from the word maverick; the feeling of having a gender that is separate from masculinity, femininity, and neutrality, but is not agender; a form of third gender
men who have sex with men/ MSM	men who engage in same-sex behavior, but who may not necessarily self-identify as gay.
Menosexual	Personal sexually attracted to those who are menstruating.
metoidioplasty/meta	The surgical 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 or penis-like manner. Scrotal implants may or may not be added. See also "genital reconstruction surgery."
metrosexual	First used in 1994 by British journalist Mark Simpson, who coined the term to refer to an urban, heterosexual male with a strong aesthetic sense who spends a great deal of time and money on his appearance and lifestyle. This term can be perceived as derogatory because it reinforces stereotypes that all gay men are fashion-conscious and materialistic.
Min-	feeling attraction to masculine identifying people
Mirrorgender	a gender that changes to fit the people around you
Misgendering	referring to a person in a way that does not reflect their gender identity
MOGAI	Marginalized Orientations, Gender identities, And Intersex. it's meant to be an all inclusive umbrella term for asexuals, homosexuals, multisexuals, trans people, and intersex people. Alternative to LGBTQIAP+ Context: LGBT-MOGAI
Molligender	a gender that is soft, subtle, and subdued
Molly and Tommy	In 18th century England, the term Molly was used for male homosexuals, implying effeminacy; Tommy, a slang term for a homosexual woman in use by 1781, may have been coined by analogy Gender-neutral
Monogamous / Monoamorous	People who have or or open to have relationships with only one other person at a time.
Monosexism	The structural privileging of monosexual identities and behaviors, including the assumption that everyone is attracted to only one gender, that it is better to be monosexual than to be bisexual, that only monosexual identities are real, or that monosexual issues are the only ones deserving of attention. Monosexism causes bisexual erasure, discrimination against bisexual people, social isolation and poor mental health of bisexual people.
Monosexual	Attracted to one gender. May be used for individuals who identify as straight, heterosexual, gay, lesbian, etc.
Multi-	attraction to more than one gender. This can be used in place of bisexual or polysexual if one feels uncomfortable with said term(s).
Multigender	the feeling of having more than one simultaneous or fluctuating gender; simultaneous with multigender and omnigender
Muscle Daddy	A muscular, older man with some hair on his chest. He is a hybrid of a bear and likes to wear leather.
Mx	gender-neutral word to use in place of Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms. Pronounced "mix" or "mux."
Nanogender	feeling a small part of one gender with the rest being something else
Ne/nem/nir/nirs	gender neutral pronouns - pronoun declension: Ne laughed / I called nem / Nir eyes gleam / That is nirs / Ne likes nemself
Neu-	feeling attraction towards people who are genderless
Neutrois	A person who identifies as being neither male nor female. This differs from androgyne, in that an androgyne sees themselves as a mix of two genders and neutrois individual sees themselves as not having a gender.
new woman	A post operative male to female transsexual.
Nin-	feeling attraction towards androgynous identifying people
Nonbinary Flag	This pride flag representing Non-Binary identities was created in 2014 by activist Kye Rowan. Each stripe of the flag supposedly represents different types of non-binary identities: Yellow for people who identify outside of the gender binary, white for nonbinary people with multiple genders, purple for those with a mixture of both male and female genders, and black for agender individuals.
Nocisma-	feeling attraction to everyone except cis men because of associated oppression
Noma-	experiencing attraction to every gender except for self identifying men
Non-binary	Non-binary people are those who don't feel male or female. They may feel like both or like something in between. They may have a gender that changes over time or they may not relate to gender at all.
Nonmonosexual	Attracted to more than one gender. May be used for individuals who identify as queer, fluid, bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, ambisexual, etc.
non-operative / non-op	Individuals who have not attained and may not desire to attain gender reassignment surgery, and may or may not take hormone therapy. For many individuals, self-identification and self-expression, through cross-living or other methods of gender identity achieve harmony or congruence between one's body and one's gender identity and there is no need felt for surgical reconstruction.
Novi-	feeling complicated attraction or lack thereof in such a way that it is difficult or impossible to fit into one word or term
Novigender	A gender that is super complex and impossible to describe in a single term
Novisexual	Feeling as though your sexual attraction is too complicated to pin down to one word. Found in pomosexual community.
Novo-	when one's orientation changes with gender
Nowo	experiencing attraction to every gender except for self identifying women
Omnisexual	(literally, all sexes) bisexual. Usage: In some communities, particularly some parts of the lesbian and gay community, antipathy toward or hostility to people who self-identify as bisexual has become common. The term omnisexual has started to become popular as a synonym for bisexual but without the negative connotations of the word.
Omni-	the feeling of a lack of preference in gender and may be attracted to all genders equally; similar to pan-
Omniacepomo	Person on asexual spectrum who has no preference for partner sex/gender, feels current LGBT+ terminology is not developed enough to pin-point their identity. Omniacepomo was developed due to the creator finding frustration within the LGBT+ community, seeing trends where people would say things like "asexual-pansexual" which, linguistically speaking, doesn't make too much sense (saying you simultaneously have sexual attraction and don't at the same time). Found in the pomosexual umbrella.
Omnigender	the feeling of having more than one simultaneous or fluctuating gender; simultaneous with multigender and polygender
One Penis Policy	An arrangement within a polyamorous relationship in which a man is allowed to have multiple female partners, each of whom is allowed to have sex with other women but forbidden to have any other male partners. Commentary: Its hypothetical opposite, a "one vagina policy" in which a woman has a group of male partners who are each forbidden to have other female lovers, seems so rare as to be theoretical; I've never seen or heard of a real-life example of such a relationship.
Oneirogender	coined by anonymous, "being agender, but having recurring fantasies or daydreams of being a certain gender without the dysphoria or desire to actually be that gender day-to-day"
oophorectomy	The surgical removal of one or both ovaries. This surgery is often pursued by FTMs, usually in combination with a hysterectomy, as part of the transition process, as well as for health reasons.
Oppression	The systematic subjugation of a group of people by another group with access to social power, the result of which benefits one group over the other and is maintained by social beliefs and practices.
orchiectomy / orchidectomy	the surgical removal of the testes. This causes sterilization and greatly reduces the production of testosterone. It should not be confused with penectomy, which is the removal of the penis. Some MTFs undergo orchiectomy as an initial stage before vaginoplasty, while others may choose it as their only genital surgery. Orchiectomy, sometimes in combination with vaginoplasty, is often required to legally change one's gender status from male to female.
Otter	A gay male that is thin or athletic with a lot of body hair or any age. Part of the extended bear family
Outing	When someone discloses information about another's sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics, generally without their knowledge and/or consent.
packing	The process of creating a male-looking bulge in one's crotch. This can be accomplished through a home-made or store-bought pants stuffer, or through a realistic looking prosthetic device. A packing device may be referred to as a "packer" or "packy," or as an "STP packer" if it can also be used to pee through while standing up (STP= Stand To Pee). Some guys simply refer to their packer or prosthetic as a cock and balls, a dick, etc. Some FTMs do not pack at all- some find it too hot and/or sticky, others find it uncomfortable and/or inconvenient, and still others find it personally unnecessary. Some FTMs pack simply for the sake of creating a realistic-looking bulge in their pants. Others may pack only on certain occasions (while swimming, while in the locker room, or wearing tight-fitting pants). Still others may feel incomplete and/or conspicuous without wearing a packer or prosthetic device. Some have realistic prosthetics that are affixed to the skin for wear throughout the day and night. For some FTMs, the term "packing" itself is not even an accurate descriptor for the wearing of a prosthetic device- a prosthetic may be considered more an extension of the body rather than merely a pants-stuffer
Pan-	the feeling of attraction towards any gender or all genders; similar to omni-
Pangender	the feeling of having every gender; this is considered problematic by some communities and thus has been used as the concept of relating in some way to all genders as opposed to containing every gender identity; only applies to genders within one's own culture
Panromantic	Someone who has romantic feelings for a person regardless of their sex or gender.
Pansexual	A person who has the potential to experience sexual, romantic, physical, and/or spiritual attraction for members of all gender identities/expressions.
Pansexual Flag and Symbol	The pansexual pride flag has been found on various Internet sites since mid-2010. It has three horizontal bars that are pink, yellow and blue. The pink band symbolizes women; the blue, men; and the yellow, those of a non-binary gender. A "P" with the tail converted to an arrow with a cross is also sometimes used. It predates the flag and is still in use today. The cross on the "P"'s tail refers to the cross on the Venus or female symbol (♀), and the arrow refers to the arrow on the Mars or male symbol (♂)
Paragender	the feeling very near one gender and partially something else which keeps you from feeling fully that gender
Passing / Being Read As	Being read as belonging to an identity to which you do not belong (i.e. a person of mixed racial background being read as white, a gay person being read as heterosexual, or a transitioned transgender person being read as cisgender). Some transsexual people object to the term "passing," as it implies that one is being mistaken for something they are not. A preferable phrasing is "being read as a man" or ‘being read as a woman."
patch (T patch, or Estradiol patch)	Refers to testosterone or estrogen hormone therapy as applied transdermally via a patch adhered to the skin.
Pecu	alternative term to the word "queer" since some don't feel comfortable reclaiming the word. Pronounced "peck-ku", taken from the old Latin origins for the word "peculiar"
Penulti-	feeling attraction towards every gender except your own
peri-areolar / peri	A type of FTM chest surgery procedure that is effective for individuals with small to medium amounts of breast tissue. In the periareolar method, an incision is made along the entire circumference of the areola. The nipple is usually left attached to the body via a pedicle in order to maintain sensation. Breast tissue is then "scooped out" by scalpel, or with a combination of scalpel and liposuction. The areola may be trimmed somewhat to reduce its size. Excess skin on the chest may also be trimmed away along the circumference of the incision. The skin is then pulled taut toward the center of the opening and the nipple is reattached to cover the opening-much like pulling a drawstring bag closed. Thus, this procedure is also sometimes referred to as the drawstring or "purse string" technique. The nipple/areola may be repositioned slightly, depending on original chest size and the available skin.
Perigender	identifying with a gender but not as a gender
phalloplasty / phallo	A type of genital reconstruction surgery in which a phallus/penis is constructed from an individual's own donor tissue (usually taken from the forearm, leg, and/or abdomen) that has been shaped and grafted into place. Phalloplasty operations are usually done in stages requiring multiple surgeries. Scrotal implants may or may not be added.
Philadelphia Pride Flag	In 2017, a Philadelphia-based activist group called More Color More Pride added black and brown stripes to the top of the traditional LGBTQ+ flag to remind the queer community to be inclusive of people of color.
Pink Jack	In the United Kingdom, since 2006, the Pink Jack, a pink version of the Union Jack, has been used to represent a British LGBT identity
pitcher	See ‘Top.' This term may be offensive to some people.
Placiosexual	a person who feels little to no desire to receive sexual acts but expresses interest/desire in performing them on someone else.
Platoniromantic	feeling no difference between platonic and romantic attraction
Pocket Gender	A pocket gender is an identity used by either one person or a small group of people, and is not recognized officially by the LGBT+ community. The flag was created by gender.wikia.org's Alex Stowe. "... the pink and blue represent masculinity and feminity. They are shaped in (semi) triangles to represent the varying amounts of masculinity and feminity. The purple represents a mix of both (feminity and masculinity and/or genderlessness), the black represents a lack of either or a mix including some form of genderlessness, and the orange represents Maverique, the separation of any gender including genderlessness."
Polar-	feeling either extreme attraction or intense repulsion
Poly-	the feeling of attraction towards most or several genders (but not all)
Polyamory	Refers to having honest, non-monogamous relationships with multiple partners and can include: open relationships, polyfidelity (which involves multiple romantic relationships with sexual contact restricted to those), and sub-relationships (which denote distinguishing between a ‘primary' relationship or relationships and various ‘secondary' relationships).
Polygender	the feeling of having more than one simultaneous or fluctuating gender; simultaneous with multigender and omnigender
Polysexual	Being sexually and/or romantically attracted to more than one sex or gender.
Pomo-	the feeling of having no orientation
Pomoace	An individual who feels like there currently isn't a word to accurately describe how they experience their own sexuality, BUT they feel most connected to the asexual community. This is NOT a way of saying they're asexual or asexual spectrum, rather they can relate a lot to what asexual and asexual spectrum people experience and go through. The pomo prefix acknowledges that there might be a term in the future as our understanding of human sexuality becomes more comprehensive.
Pomoimpla	The idea behind this identity (pomoimpla) is that at the time, there is currently no specific sexual/romantic/sensual (again, depending on what suffix you apply this identity to) but you feel like sometime in the future, our ideas and philosophies behind what makes up our "identity" will advance to a point where a new term will be found and you will feel comfortable identifying as such.
Pomosexual	The "nonbinary" area "between" the different LGBTQIA orientations out there (the easiest way to explain it
Post Operative / Post-Op	Transsexual individuals who have attained one or more gender reassignment surgery procedures.
Power Dyke	A Power Dyke is a lesbian who has gained a position of power, either within the LGBT community, or in the world at large. She could be the head of a non-profit agency, a politician or successful in business. Also known as Power Lesbian or a Suit.
Pre-	a placeholder term for someone who doesn't think they've experienced enough attraction to know their orientation
Prejudice	A conscious or unconscious negative belief about a whole group of people and its individual members. Anyone can be prejudiced toward another individual or group.
pre-operative / pre-op	Transsexual individuals who have not attained gender reassignment surgery, but who desire to and are seeking that as an option. They may or may not cross-live full time and may or may not take hormone therapy.
progesterone or progestins	A hormone sometimes used in the treatment of both FTM and MTF transsexuals. On occasion, FTMs are treated with progesterone to treat menstrual issues in early transition (though the use of testosterone usually eventually suppresses menses in FTMs). MTFs are occasionally prescribed progesterone in combination with estrogen, but there is some disagreement about this practice.
Pronouns	Pronouns are what people prefer to be called based on their gender identity. For example, a woman would typically prefer to be called "she/her", a man "he/him" and a gender-fluid/non-binary person, "they/them".
Proqua-	feeling attracted to feminine people when you yourself are feminine
Proquu-	feeling attracted to masculine people when you yourself are masculine
Proxvir	a masculine gender similar to boy, but on a separate plane and off to itself
Pup	A younger gay man who is generally cute, inexperienced, naive, and eager. He is generally seen with a man not much older than him, but still older. Also, pups can be the submissive type.