| Ethnicity | Ethnicity is used to categorize groups of people with shared culture and identification, such as racial, national, geographic, tribal, religious, linguistics, or cultural origin. For example, while someone may say their race is Asian, their ethnicity might be Korean; or someone might say they are white, and their ethnicity is Scottish or Cuban because of immigration. It’s important to know that both race and ethnicity are social constructs used to categorize and describe a group of people. |
| Gender |
Gender identity is a person’s internal sense of their gender. Regardless of one's sex assigned at birth, people feel that they are male, female, somewhere in between those categories, both of those categories, or something else altogether. Sometimes people’s gender identity align’s with their sex assigned at birth and sometimes it does not. Here is an incomplete list of some specific gender identities: Cisgender: When a person’s gender identity aligns with their sex assigned at birth. For example, a person assigned male at birth who identifies as a boy; or a person assigned female at birth who identifies as a girl. Transgender: When the sex someone is assigned at birth does not align with their gender identity. Transgender is an umbrella term that can encompass many gender identities. The term transgender is not indicative of gender expression, sexual orientation, hormonal makeup, physical anatomy, or how one is perceived in daily life. Non-binary, genderqueer or gender-nonconforming: Gender identities that describe people who do not identify with the gender binary. People who identify as non-binary, genderqueer or gender-nonconforming may identify as transgender but they also might not. It’s important to realize that some people may not want to use a label to describe themselves, and that people have a right to choose what feels right for them. Additionally, these identities are not hard and fast, gender is ever-changing and a person’s gender identity may change over time. Every person has a gender identity. |
| Intersectionality |
Intersectionality is a theory of identity coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, member of the Combahee River Collective, a Boston-based Black, lesbian, feminist organization. It is a social construct that recognizes the fluid intersection of diverse identities (gender, race, class, religion, employment stats, socioeconomic status, ability, etc) within each individual that informs how one views, discusses and navigates through the world. Crenshaw states, “Intersectionality is a lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects.” (Crenshaw, Columbia Law, 1989). |
| Queer/LGBTQIAAP+ |
Queer is a term for people of marginalized gender identities and sexual orientations who are not cisgender and/or heterosexual. This term has a complicated history as a reclaimed slur. Some individuals prefer the term queer because it is broad and flexible. Queer should never be assigned to someone without them explicitly saying that is how they identify. LGBTQIAAP+ is an acronym that can be used in place of Queer. LGBTQIAAP+ is the umbrella community of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, queer, questioning, intersex, an ally, asexual and/or pansexual. |
| Race |
Race is a term used to identify and define a group of people based on physical characteristics and at times cultural or shared history. Race is a social construct that divides people into groups based on characteristics such as physical appearance (particularly color), ancestral heritage, cultural affiliation, cultural history, and/or ethnic classification. Race is not scientifically based; it has often been used to justify social hierarchies and claim biological superiority, even though the concept has been scientifically debunked. However, race is still used as a means to identify groups of people. People of Color/Person of Color (POC): POC is the term used for any person in society that is considered non-white. However, this can be confusing as some people who identify as POC may be white-passing. As a result, the term POC has been less about skin color and more about marking those who have been affected by racism and white supremacy. BIPOC: This term refers to Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Since the term POC blends all POC into a monolithic group, BIPOC is used to unite all people of color and also acknowledges that Black and Indigenous people experience the highest levels of injustice in U.S. history. |
| Sex Assigned at Birth |
“Sex assigned at birth” is the category assigned to an infant at birth by a medical professional based on the the baby's genitalia and body parts. The “sex assigned at birth” may be male, female or intersex. AFAB= assigned female at birth |
| Sexual Orientation |
Orientation describes who one is attracted to sexually, physically, emotionally, romantically and in other ways. Everyone has an orientation; some people may never experience attraction and they could fall under the umbrella of asexuality and aromanticism. It’s important to note that a person’s feelings about attractions may evolve over time or stay the same. Heterosexual: Physically, romantically, emotionally and/or spiritually attracted to people of the opposite sex or gender. Gay: Physically, romantically, emotionally and/or spiritually attracted to people of the same gender. In the past, “gay” specifically referred to men who are attracted to men. Now, it is common for “gay” to be used for anyone who is attracted to their same gender. Bisexual: Attracted to members of either the male or female sex. Pansexual: Attracted to people of all genders. Also referred to as omnisexual or polysexual), this term refers to the potential for sexual attractions or romantic love toward people of all gender identities and biological sexes. The concept of pansexuality deliberately rejects the gender binary. Asexual: Feel little or no sexual attraction and have little or no interest in having sex or engaging in sexual behaviors. Many asexual people still feel romantic attraction. Aromantic: Experiences little to no romantic attraction. |
| Social Class vs. Socioeconomic Status |
Socioeconomic status is typically defined by a combination of one’s financial income and level of education and occupation. Social class is a marker of one’s positioning within society related to one’s socioeconomic status. Our society divides up social class into five categories: upper, upper-middle, middle, working, and lower class. Beyond socioeconomic status, social class is often thought of as a culture that carries with it group membership, norms, and socialization patterns. For more information on perception of class, read this article: “What Determines How Americans Perceive Their Social Class?” |