This glossary covers a wide range of terms and abbreviations used by or when talking about folks in the Trans* community. Some of these words are outdated terms and others are very new. We are constantly creating new language to describe our life experiences and as such, there may be some terms missing from this glossary. If you would like to add a word to our glossary, please email equity@sa.ucsb.edu.
QTBIPOC
An acronym standing for “Queer and/or Trans Black, Indigenous, People of Color,” which may refer to groups or individuals who occupy marginalized gender/sexual identities as well as marginalized racial identities.
Queer
Abnormal or strange. It may also be used as an umbrella term for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Historically, queer has been used as an epithet/slur against people whose gender, gender expression, and/or sexuality do not conform to dominant expectations. Some people have reclaimed the word queer and self identify as such. For some, this reclamation is a celebration of not fitting into norms, a radical and anti-assimilationist stance that captures multiple aspects of identities. In it’s reclamation, queer is used as an adjective (e.g. “queer people,” “queer community”) instead of a noun. (Source: UC Davis “LGBTQ+ Glossary”)
Questioning
The process of exploring one’s own gender identity, gender expression, and/or sexual orientation. Some people may also use this term to name their identity within the LGBTQIA+ community.