Open Arms: Inclusivity & Awareness

Representation Matters

By Gabby Geracitano

Representation matters. Especially for little kids. If you aren’t living under a rock, you probably know there was a movie called Encanto that recently came out. This is an amazing movie with many diverse characters of all body shapes/sizes, skin colors, personalities, and more! I have seen multiple videos of little kids seeing their lookalikes in the movie. They are so heartwarming and adorable to watch, and the little kids' smiles are so cute. Here are some links to the heartwarming videos below.


2-year-old boy’s sweet reaction to his lookalike in ‘Encanto’ l GMA


Kids See Themselves In 'Encanto' Characters



How to Come Out

By Gabby Geracitano

Want to come out but don’t know how? Don’t worry, I’ve got you. I asked a friend what helped her come out, and here’s what she said:

  • Find someone that you trust

  • Make sure that they’re accepting and kind

  • (Optional) Ask if they’re homophobic/transphobic

  • Lastly, spill the secret! Good luck! :)

REMINDER: THIS DOES NOT WORK IN ALL SITUATIONS. If you get bullied or made fun of at school or when you come out to someone, here are a couple of things you can do.

  1. Tell a parent/guardian/trusted adult

  2. Tell your guidance counselor or a teacher

If someone comes out to you and you don’t know how to respond, here’s what you should do. Make them feel accepted and heard. Don’t just brush it off like it’s no big deal, because depending on the person, coming out can actually be a really big deal. Respond with something like “I’m really glad you told me” or “Thank you so much for trusting me.” To make the person who came out to you feel even more accepted, you can ask what you can do to provide support.



DISCLAIMER:

This article is made proudly by members/allies of the LGBTQIAP+ community.

These are some of the most common definitions of many genders and sexualities in the LGBTQIAP+ community. However, definitions can vary by individual, so we don’t mean any offense in any form to those who identify differently to any of the definitions we’ve stated. This article is meant to educate and inform only. There was no other intent behind these words.


Remember, before calling someone a certain term in LGBTQIAP+ community, make sure the individual is comfortable with you using that term to describe them.


Definitions of Common Terms in the LGBTQIAP+ Community:


Biological Sex- There are two sex’s, male and female. Your sex is determined by your biological body and is usually assigned at birth.

Gender- Gender is how you identify (and sometimes what pronouns you use) on and off the traditional binary spectrum.

Sexuality- Sexuality is a person’s identity in relation to the gender or genders they are or are not attracted to.

Pronouns- A word to call someone in place of their name in conversation or text.

Ex: Instead of “Paige likes pizza” you could say “They like pizza”


Common Misconceptions in the LGBTQIAP+ Community:


False: Gender and sex are the same.

True: Gender and sex are different things.

There are two biological sex’s, male and female. Sex does not always correlate with gender. Gender is how you identify (nonbinary, genderfluid, etc…) and can sometimes correlate with pronouns.


False: Your pronouns always correlate with your gender identity.

True: Your pronouns do not always correlate with your gender identity.


Pronouns are something to call someone in place of their name. While many people use pronouns because of their chosen gender, that is not always the case. (For example, someone can identify as non-binary, but choose to use he/him pronouns. That doesn’t invalidate in any way that he is non-binary, it’s only saying that he would like to be referred to as he/him, if someone is not saying his name.)


False: Sexuality and gender correlate.

True: Sexuality and gender do not always correlate.


While sexuality and gender can correlate, that is not always the case. While people can change their pronouns depending on their sexuality, and vice versa, that is not always true, and it’s important to remember that.




Genders:


As stated above, Gender is how you identify (and sometimes what pronouns you use) on and off the traditional male and female spectrum. Here are some of the genders you may see in the LGBTQIAP+ Community, as well as some of their most common definitions, and pronouns, if applicable.


Cisgender- You identify with the gender that corresponds with your biological sex (Common prns: She/Her, He/Him)


Demiboy- You identify with both male and agender genders (Common prns: He/They, They/He)


Demigirl- You identify with both female and agender genders (Common prns: She/They, They/She)


Transgender- Your personal identity does not align with your birth sex.


Genderfluid- You don't identify as having a “fixed” gender. (Gender sometimes varies depending on the day, week, month, etc…)


Nonbinary (all types)- You identify outside of the gender binary (Common prns: They/Them)


Agender (all types)- You don’t identify with a particular gender.


Those who identify with all genders- This definition often varies from person to person, but the common definition is that you do not use a certain set of pronouns, you use all.



Common Pronouns:


As stated above, pronouns are words to call someone in place of their name in conversation or text. Here is a list of pronouns you may see (there are more but these are the most common).


He/Him/His

She/Her/Hers

They/Them/Theirs

It/Its

She/They

They/She

He/They

They/He

She/He/They (/it depending on the individual)

Any Pronouns

All Pronouns

No Pronouns

Neo Pronouns


Sexualities:


As stated above, sexuality is a person’s identity in relation to the gender or genders they are or are not attracted to. Here are some of the sexualites you are likely to see in the LGBTQIAP+ community, and their most common definitions.



L - Lesbian. The most common definiton of lesbian is non-men being attracted to non-men.


G - Gay. Gay is used as an umbrella term by many people. The two most common definitions are: two people of the same gender attracted to each other, or two people of the same sex being attracted to each other.


B - Bisexual (Bi). The most common definition of bisexual is being attracted to two or more genders.


T - Transgender (Trans). The most common definition of transgender is when your personal identity does not align with your birth sex.


Q - (queer and questioning)- Queer is often used as an umbrella term by many people to describe people in the LGBTQIAP+ community.


I - Intersex. The most common definition of intersex is an individual with any of several characteristics that do not fit the common binary of male or female biological bodies. These characteristics can be things like chromosome patterns, or extra chromosomes, and many more. It is up to the intersex individual about whether or not they identify as part of the LQBTQIAP+ community, so it’s always important to ask!


A - Asexual and/or Aromantic (Ace or Aro). The most common definition of asexual is when an individual has no desire for a sexual relationship, or sex in a romantic relationship. The most common definition of aromantic is when an individual has no desire for a romantic relationship.


P - Pansexual (Pan). - The most common definition of pansexual is being attracted to a person regardless of their gender.


+ (Genders and sexualities not previously stated.)