5 Quick Definitions to Help Expand Your Understanding of Sexuality and Gender

August 6, 2016 / AJ+

Pansexual? Asexual? Cisgender? What do all these terms mean – and what do they have to do with you?

You were probably taught that sex, gender, and sexuality are pretty simple concepts – that we’re all either men or women, attracted to men and/or women.

But if you’re operating on traditional ideas about these concepts, then you don’t have the right info.

And the more we can learn what’s beyond the narrow identity boxes society tries to put us all in, the more we can create a world of understanding for everyone’s identities.

So here’s an AJ+ video to break down a few terms that you might find confusing. We hope this helps you build your understanding for others – and you might even learn something new about yourself!

With Love,
The Editors at Everyday Feminism

Click for the Transcript

Participant 1: Gender and sexuality: They’re more complicated than you might think.

Participant 2: So we’re here to break down some terms that you might not know about.

Participant 3: Pansexuality refers to people who are attracted to people regardless of their gender identity or biological sex.

Participant 1. Then there’s asexuality.

Participant 2 So that’s when you don’t experience sexual attraction or uninterested in sexual activity.

Participant 1: Asexual people may choose to pursue a romantic relationship without the components, or they may prefer to remain single.

Participant 2: But identity isn’t just about who you date.

Participant 4: It’s about who you are.

Participant 5: And for some people, that’s not as simple as male or female.

Participant 6: Cisgender people are those whose identity matches the gender they were assigned at birth. It’s what most people think of when they say gender.

Participant 5: Transgender people are people whose identity don’t match the one they were assigned at birth, and they may or may not have surgery to get their body in line with their identity.

Participant 7: But the gender box is getting even bigger.

Participant 4: Genderfluid and genderqueer people identify as two or more genders.

Participant 7: And may move between masculine and feminine presentations.

Participant 1: All these words can be dizzying, and we’re just scratching the surface.

Participant 7: But in the end, it’s simple. You do you.

To learn more about this topic, check out:

[do_widget id=’text-101′]