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Surrogate A surrogate is a person who carries the pregnancy of another person or couple. This process usually includes a legal agreement between the surrogate and parent(s). Surrogacy is pursued by people and couples who are not able to carry their own children, such as AMAB couples or AFAB people experiencing fertility issues. ​ < Back to Glossary

CBT Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a psycho-social intervention that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression and anxiety disorders. CBT aims to stop negative cycles such as these by breaking down things that make you feel bad, anxious or scared. By making your problems more manageable, CBT can help you change your negative thought patterns and improve the way you feel. ​ < Back to Glossary

LGBTQIA2S+ Initialism referring to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two spirit. The umbrella term can both be used to describe the collective of people who fall under this group of identity labels, or an individual who identifies as part of this group. ​ < Back to Glossary

Erasure The act of ignoring, explaining away, or otherwise dismissing parts of culture or the experiences of specific communities in media or history. This is especially prevalent for the bisexual community - both by heteronormative society and the Queer Community. ​ < Back to Glossary

Implicit Something that is suggested but not directly expressed. A lot of real-world homophobic, biphobic, transphobic, racist and ableist behaviours can be implicit. This can sometimes make it hard to call out. (See Gaslighting) ​ < Back to Glossary

Self Your self is your sense of who you are, deep down — your identity. It refers to the totality of the individual, consisting of all characteristic attributes, conscious and unconscious, mental and physical. ​ < Back to Glossary

Intersex An umbrella term used to describe a person who is born with a physiological or biological variation in their sex development. Their body may not fit some stereotypical ideas of what we are taught about female and male bodies. ​ < Back to Glossary

Islamophobia The expressed dislike of, prejudice or discrimination against Islam or towards Muslims, especially as a political force. ​ < Back to Glossary

Propaganda Propaganda is information that is used to promote a political cause and persuade its audience. The information presented is generally misleading, often skewing or manipulating facts and tapping to the fear of the receiver. See: Hate Speech and Discrimination, < Back to Glossary

Surgery (See Bottom Surgery, Top Surgery, HRT, Gender Dysphoria and Bodily Autonomy) See: Bottom Surgery, Top Surgery, HRT, Gender Dysphoria and Bodily Autonomy. < Back to Glossary

Self Compassion Compassion involves allowing ourselves to be moved by suffering, and experiencing the motivation to help alleviate and prevent it. An act of compassion is typically defined by its helpfulness. Qualities of compassion are patience and wisdom; kindness and perseverance; warmth and resolve. Self-compassion on the other hand is extending compassion to one's self in instances of perceived inadequacy, failure, or general suffering. Research indicates that self-compassionate individuals experience greater psychological health than those who lack self-compassion. It is associated with a lower tendency for self-criticism, depression, anxiety, rumination, thought suppression, perfectionism, and disordered eating attitudes. It's worth noting that self-compassion is different than self-esteem; which is more of a subjective emotional evaluation of the self. ​ < Back to Glossary

Trigger In mental health terms, a trigger refers to something that affects your emotional state, often significantly, by causing extreme overwhelm or distress. A trigger affects your ability to remain present in the moment. It may bring up specific thought patterns or influence your behavior. ​ < Back to Glossary

Undetectable HIV medication (antiretroviral treatment, or ART) works by reducing the amount of the virus in the blood to undetectable levels. This means the levels of HIV are so low that the virus cannot be passed on. This is called having an undetectable viral load or being undetectable. ​ < Back to Glossary

Home Having a place we can call home, a space we possibly share with loved ones is a key part of one's existence. Maslow refers to it as a physiological need - sitting at in the foundation of the hierarchy pyramid. Rather than a symbolic place, home can also characterise a 'feeling' that is conducive to our sense of belonging. See: Grounding and Belonging. < Back to Glossary

Representation How communities are portrayed, often in reference to media. Diverse representation is important because it informs our self image and perception of the communities we are in, but also how we perceive others. ​ < Back to Glossary

Ambassador An ambassador (in terms of DEI) is normally someone who an organisation or brand partners with. Normally, this ambassador will be part of a marginalised community who is vocal on societal issues and injustices. ​ < Back to Glossary

Abolition The action of putting a stop to a system, practice, or an institution, typically to make way for more progressive legislation and ways of working to reflect the liberalised views of mainstream society. ​ < Back to Glossary

Imposter Syndrome Imposter syndrome is loosely defined as doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud. It disproportionately affects high-achieving people, who find it difficult to accept their accomplishments. Many question whether they're deserving of accolades. This feeling is compounded when someone belongs to a marginalised community. ​ < Back to Glossary

Anti-Semitism Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities. Just like any other form of discrimination, Anti-Semitism has no place in the Queer Community, or in wider society as a whole. ​ < Back to Glossary

Detransition Detransitioning is when a person decides to stop or reverse their gender transition. Detransitioning can be a permanent or temporary choice. People may choose to detransition for a variety of reasons such as health concerns, financial instability, a lack of social support, exposure to violence or simply deciding that transitioning was not right for them or did not alleviate their gender dysphoria. ​ < Back to Glossary