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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

Introspection A reflective looking inward: an examination or observation of one's own thoughts and feelings. ​ < Back to Glossary

Gaslighting A deliberate attempt to undermine a victim’s sense of reality or sanity. In a work context, it usually means behaviours that undermine the success, self-confidence, self-esteem or wellbeing of the target. For people in underrepresented groups, it is more likely to occur, with more severe and harmful cumulative effects. Tactics can include withholding (critical information, meeting invitations, silent treatment), isolation (exclusion, causing conflict with coworkers), and discrediting (consistently shooting down the target’s ideas, ignoring or taking credit for them). ​ < Back to Glossary

Accessibility The "ability to access" the functionality of a system or entity, and gain the related benefits. The degree to which a product, service, or environment is accessible by as many people as possible. Accessible design ensures both direct (unassisted) access and indirect access through assistive technology (e.g., computer screen readers). In this sense, thinking about digital accessibility makes us consider the way in which we share information. Universal design ensures that an environment can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people. See: Ableism. < Back to Glossary

Addiction An addiction manifests in any behaviour that a person finds temporary pleasure or relief in and therefore craves, suffers negative consequences from, and has trouble giving up. Members of the LGBTQIA+ Community are statistically more than twice as likely than straight people to battle with addiction at some point in their lifetime. This may be down to increased mental health challenges, internalised negative views about oneself as a result of marginalisation and discrimination, or a coping response to trauma. ​ < Back to Glossary

Black Black is a racialized classification of people, usually a political and skin colour-based category for specific populations with a mid to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin; in certain countries, often in socially based systems of racial classification in the Western world, the term "Black" is used to describe persons who are perceived as dark-skinned compared to other populations. It is most commonly used for people of sub-Saharan African ancestry and the indigenous peoples of Oceania, though it has been applied in many contexts to other groups, and is no indicator of any close ancestral relationship whatsoever. It has been a generally accepted move to capitalise the B in black - "The change conveys “an essential and shared sense of history, identity and community among people who identify as Black, including those in the African diaspora and within Africa,” said John Daniszewski, AP’s vice-president of standards. “The lowercase black is a color, not a person.” ​ < Back to Glossary

Dox The act of publicly providing personally identifiable information about an individual or organization, usually via the Internet. An example could be outing someone online. ​ < Back to Glossary

Sexism Discrimination, prejudice and stereotyping based on gender, most often perpetrated against women and girls. ​ < Back to Glossary

Finances / Financial Status Those who are members of marginalised communities are often under increased financial pressure. This includes the LGBTQIA+ Community. This can be due a variety of factors, ranging from lack of education, nature of employment (e.g. we're more likely to be freelance and experience financial instability), less access to opportunity, to us facing higher living costs due to where we live. See: Bias, Class and Employment Gap. < Back to Glossary

Gender Gender refers to the range of socially-constructed characteristics and behaviours pertaining to femininity and masculinity, with particular reference to social and cultural differences between groups of people rather than biological ones. ​ < Back to Glossary

Gatekeeping The activity of controlling, and usually limiting, general access to something - whether it be information, products or resources. This is undoubtedly a technique that the upper echelons of society use in order to maintain a wealth gap in society. Gatekeeping financial literacy is a great example of this. See: Class, Power and Hierarchy < Back to Glossary

Stereotype A overly simplistic or generalised view of a group of people. Stereotypes are harmful because they flatten and homogenise our varied existences. Thinking intersectionally requires moving beyond stereotypes and witnessing the complexity of the individual people around us. ​ < Back to Glossary

Multicultural Competence A process of embracing diversity and learning about people from other cultural backgrounds. The key element to becoming more culturally competent is respect for the ways that others live and an openness to learn from them. ​ < Back to Glossary

SWERF (Sex Worker Exclusionary Radical Feminist) Radical feminists who exclude the rights of sex workers from their advocacy for women's rights. SWERFs often campaign to criminalise sex work. ​ < Back to Glossary

Non-discrimination Policies An organisation's anti-discrimination policy explains how they prevent discrimination and protect their employees, customers and stakeholders from offensive and harmful behaviours. This policy supports their overall commitment to create a safe and happy workplace for everyone. (See Affirmative Action) ​ < Back to Glossary

Gender Non-Conforming An individual whose gender expression is different from societal expectations related to gender. ​ < Back to Glossary

Closeted / 'In the closet' A somewhat dated term used to describe a person who is not heterosexual, or not cisgender, who is choosing not to disclose their sexuality or gender identity to those around them. It is important to acknowledge that it is an individual's right to choose who they disclose personal information to, or how they choose to disclose it. ​ < Back to Glossary

Capacity Our mental health, physical health and our stress levels are never at a constant - therefore our capacity isn't either. Whether we think about capacity in the context of our personal or professional lives, it is important to be open and honest with those around us, and listen to our bodies and our minds when they need to rest. See: Burnout. < Back to Glossary

Abuse Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a person, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other types of aggression. Historically marginalised groups are disproportionately impacted by the effects of abuse. ​ < Back to Glossary

Food / Diet What we choose to eat and how we consume food are integral parts of self-care. We know that eating a healthy diet can have a huge impact on our wellbeing, but when we really enjoy food, we can also vastly improve our state of mind. Eating with others close to us is also a central part of human nature and culture. Conversations over a meal can be transformative. ​ < Back to Glossary