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Ally An ally is someone who supports people who are in a minority group or who are discriminated against, even though they do not belong to that group themselves. True allyship requires action and continuous unwavering solidarity. It is not about convenience or optics - this would be considered 'Performative Allyship'. The positive effect of an ally can only be evaluated by the receiver. ​ < Back to Glossary

Consent Permission for something to happen or agreement to do something. Within relationships, consent is vitally important when we consider physical intimacy and identity disclosure. This is something we should all campaign for, both within the Queer Community, but also wider society as a whole. It is also imperative that when someone shares personal information with us, that we only share this further with others after gaining consent (e.g. if someone discloses that they have a disability). ​ < Back to Glossary

Inter-able When a non-disabled person / people and disabled people mix. This could term could be applied to things like sports teams, but is most-commonly seen in connection with intimate relationships. ​ < Back to Glossary

Story-telling Storytelling is essential because of its central role in human experience, culture, and history since the dawn of humankind. Storytelling stimulates our brain in a unique way, as we connect with the message we not only absorb the information but feel the emotion too. We all have unique life experiences and stories to tell. Sharing our stories with others can provide opportunities for learning, insight, understanding and connection. The wisdom of others can also be an essential tool in helping us learn more about ourselves. ​ < Back to Glossary

WLW Women who love or are sexually attracted to other women. ​ < Back to Glossary

Inclusion The practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or mental disabilities and members of other minority groups. It's important to recognise however that inclusive practices and policies benefit all parts of society. ​ < Back to Glossary

Transmisogynoir Discrimination that falls at the intersection of transphobia, misogyny and anti-black racism, as experienced by Black trans women and trans feminine people. ​ < Back to Glossary

Internalised Homophobia Internalised homophobia occurs when a person is subject to society’s negative perceptions, intolerance, and stigma toward people with same-sex attraction. Consciously or unconsciously, they then turn those ideas and homophobic biases inward, believing that they are true, and experience self-hatred because of being a socially stigmatised person. ​ < Back to Glossary

Privacy It relates to an individual's ability to determine for themselves when, how, and for what purpose their personal information is handled by others. Protecting privacy is key to ensuring human dignity, safety and self-determination. It allows individuals freely develop their own personality and explore their own identities. ​ < Back to Glossary

Body Image Body image is a person's thoughts, feelings and perception of the aesthetics or sexual attractiveness of their own body. In the Queer Community, people can especially have trouble with their body image, due to mainstream beauty standards being determined by heteronormative society. There are also very prevalent archetypes that exist within the Queer Community, which can determine what is attractive, meaning we are constantly comparing ourselves to others. See: Archetypes, Body Dysmorphia & Body Shaming. < Back to Glossary

South East Asian South East Asian culture and heritage is typically associated with the region made up of Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. ​ < Back to Glossary

Grassroots A Grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organisations use collective action from the local level to effect change at the local, regional, national or international level. Often, the biggest changes as far as the fight for equality for the LGBTQIA+ Community comes from Grassroots movement. See: Activist and Equality. < Back to Glossary

Community Care If self-care is about what you do for yourself, then community care is what you put into and what you are able to receive from the community you have built around yourself, as well as the community you live in. Practicing community care can look like cleaning for a friend who is going through a tough time, volunteering, donating to mutual aid efforts or getting to know (and helping out) your neighbours. It's essentially how we show up and create space for each other. ​ < Back to Glossary

Empathetic Witness Empathetic witnesses are people who value transformational relationships. It's not necessarily somebody who can change the other person's situation, but somebody that can mirror, validate, and accept that person's feelings and emotions. Through presence and understanding, they ensure the other person feels seen and heard. Having empathetic witnesses in our life can help us process our experiences and encourage us to continue moving forward through our low and high moments. ​ < Back to Glossary

Visibility (See Representation) ​ < Back to Glossary

Feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritises the male point of view and that women are treated unjustly in these societies. It is everyone's duty, including in the Queer Community, to promote gender equality in our society. See: Misogyny. < Back to Glossary

Sexuality 1. How a person experiences and expresses their sexual identity. 2. Referring to someone's sexual orientation i.e. the gender(s) they are attracted to. ​ < Back to Glossary

Femme Femme originated as a term used to describe lesbians with a feminine gender expression, in contrast with "butches". It is also used within the transgender community (trans femme) as an umbrella term for trans women and transfeminine non-binary people. ​ < Back to Glossary

Humanistic A person having a strong interest in or concern for human welfare, values, and dignity. ​ < Back to Glossary

Grey Also known as grey-A, this is an umbrella term which describes people who experience attraction occasionally, rarely, or only under certain conditions. People may also use terms such as gay, bi, lesbian, straight and queer in conjunction with grey to explain the direction of romantic or sexual attraction as they experience it. ​ < Back to Glossary