Part I Experiences of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex in the Asia Pacific 1.3. DEFINITIONS Sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression are each a spectrum. They are not limited to two, binary options, such as heterosexual or homosexual, male or female, or masculine or feminine. Similarly, the umbrella term ‘intersex’ encompasses a broad range of variations in sex characteristics. Each of these concepts is distinct from the other. For example, someone’s intersex trait does not disclose anything about the person’s sexual orientation, sex or gender identity. Similarly, transgender people have the same range of sexual orientations as the population as a whole; they are heterosexual, homosexual and bisexual. Most lesbians, gay men and bisexual people are neither transgender nor intersex – and some are either or both. Every person has the right to choose what terms best describe them. The examples provided here form a small proportion of the very large number of terms used in the Asia Pacific. They include terms specific to particular countries, cultures and/or languages in this region.27 Sexual orientation refers to each person’s capacity for profound emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to, and intimate and sexual relations with, another person. Sexual orientation itself has three separate components: who someone is attracted to (sexual attraction), who the person is sexual with (sexual behaviour) and how the person identifies (sexual identity).28 Each of these elements can be described as occurring on a spectrum, from heterosexual (opposite sex) at one end to homosexual (same sex) at the other. If someone is attracted solely to people of a different sex they are often described as ‘heterosexual’. A person who is attracted solely to someone of the same sex might be called ‘homosexual’ or ‘gay’ or, if female, ‘lesbian’. Someone who is attracted to another person regardless of their sex might use the term ‘bisexual’ or ‘pansexual’.29 ‘Asexual’ typically refers to a person who does not experience sexual attraction to others. Collectively, the abbreviation ‘LGB’ is often used to describe sexual orientations other than heterosexuality. In some parts of the region, the term ‘queer’ has been reclaimed as an umbrella term for lesbian, gay and bisexual people, particularly young people.30 The assumption that all people are heterosexual – and the design of laws, policies and practices based on that assumption – is called ‘heteronormativity’. Dislike or prejudice against people because they are lesbian, gay or bisexual, or are assumed to be not heterosexual, is called ‘homophobia’. Homophobic discrimination or violence breaches lesbian, gay and bisexual people’s right to equality and security. 27 The lists of terms identified through the Being LGBT in Asia consultations in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam in 2013 and 2014 can be found in each of the respective country reports; www.asia-pacific. undp.org/content/rbap/en/home/operations/projects/overview/being-lgbt-in-asia.html. 28 F. Pega, A. Gray, J.F. Veale, D. Binson and R.L. Sell, ‘Toward Global Comparability of Sexual Orientation Data in Official Statistics: A Conceptual Framework of Sexual Orientation for Health Data Collection in New Zealand’s Official Statistics System’, Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2013:473451, doi:10.1155/2013/473451. 29 The term ‘bisexual’ commonly refers to someone who may be attracted to either men or women. An alternative word, ‘pansexual’, recognises that a person may also be attracted to someone who identifies as a third or non-binary gender. 30 The ‘Q’ in the longer abbreviation ‘LGBTQI’ sometimes refers to ‘queer’, though more commonly it denotes ‘questioning’. This acknowledges that people exploring their identity, including young people, may not identify with specific labels about their sexual orientation or gender identity. Chapter 1: Understanding sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics | 11