Part of our Everyday Work NHRI Guidelines for Mainstreaming SOGISC Work 1.1. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS The use of inclusive, positive terminology empowers individuals and gives needed visibility to the human rights issues they face. Every individual has the right to choose what terms best describe their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or their sex characteristics. It is also their choice whether, when and to whom they disclose this information about themselves. The APF manual and these guidelines use the following terms. Sexual orientation refers to each person’s capacity for profound emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to, and intimate and sexual relations with, another person. A person who is attracted solely to someone of the same sex might identify as gay or, if female, as lesbian. Someone who is attracted to another person regardless of their sex might use the term bisexual. Gender identity is a person’s internal sense of being a man or a woman or a third or other alternative gender, or a combination of genders. Transgender, trans and gender diverse are three umbrella terms to describe people whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. A related term is gender expression. It refers to a person’s ways of communicating masculinity or femininity (or both or neither) externally through physical appearance (including clothing, hair styles and the use of cosmetics) and mannerisms, ways of speaking and behavioural patterns when interacting with others. As gender expression is visible, it is often an element in discrimination against any lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex (LGBTI) person who is considered to be stepping outside gender-based norms. Sex characteristics refers to the chromosomal, gonadal and anatomical features of a person. Some are primary characteristics (for example, reproductive organs, genitalia, chromosomes, and hormones). Some are secondary characteristics (such as muscle mass, hair distribution or breast development). Intersex is an umbrella term used to describe people born with sex characteristics (including genitals, gonads and chromosome patterns) that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies. Umbrella identity terms such as LGB, T and/or I are designed to include anyone who shares a specific characteristic. They do not replace local terms from a specific cultural tradition or language, including terms that have existed for a long time.2 Umbrella terms should be used accurately. For example, a broad umbrella term such as SOGISC (or SOGIESC to encompass gender expression too) or LGBTI is appropriate when the work being described covers all of these issues and communities. Otherwise, it is better to use narrower terms to reflect the tighter focus of your work. Sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression are each a spectrum. They are not limited to two binary concepts such as homosexual or heterosexual, female or male, feminine or masculine. Similarly, there is a broad range of variations in sex characteristics. Read more about SOGISC terminology in this NHRI comic resource at: www.hrc.co.nz/files/4314/2427/ 4895/BornFreeEqual_for_Web.pdf.3 5