"Embrace All" is a PCSD initiative and program implemented in all of the school buildings. The program is designed to spread messages of kindness, acceptance, and inclusivity. See each middle school site to learn what they offer to help create an inclusive school environment.
LGBT Community Center Programs & Community Groups
Social Programs:
QYOU - Queer Youth Initiative (11-20)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 3:00-7:30 pm
A safe and affirming program for LGBTQ+ youth offering unique, identity-based activities that will provide resources, develop peer-to-peer empowerment, and integrate life skills development.
Trans Wellness
Monday & Wednesday 3:00-7:00 pm
An opportunity for transgender and non-binary individuals to discuss different aspects of their journey.
L.C.A.T.S.
Tuesday 7:00-8:00 pm
The Lorain County Affirming Trans/Non-Binary Support Group is a safe space for queer teens, young adults, parents and advocates. This group meets at LCCC Wellington.
Out, Proud & Pagan
4th Saturday 12:30-1:45pm
A safe place to gather, learn and celebrate. This group aims to grow in understanding of what it means to be queer and Pagan.
TransFamily
2nd Saturday 11:00-1:30 pm
A transgender support group open to everyone. Inclusive of all transgender subcategories including FTM, MTF, crossdresser, genderqueer, and those questioning their gender. Family members, friends, parents and spouses are welcome.
Living Language
LGBTQ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer. This acronym is understood as the shorthand when referring to the large community. Gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and sex assigned at birth are separate, yet related facets of identity and should not be used interchangeably. These identifiers carry cultural weight and should be left up to each person to self-identify.
Sexual Orientation
The type of sexual, romantic, emotional/spiritual attraction one feels for others, often labeled based on the gender relationship between the person the people they are (or are not) attracted to.
Lesbian: A female identified individual who is exclusively attracted to some female identified individuals.
Gay: A male identified individual who is exclusively attracted to some male identified individuals.
Bisexual: An individual who is attracted to both male and female identified individuals. Attraction does not need to be equally split between two genders.
Pansexual: An individual who is attracted to others regardless of biological sex and/or gender identity/expression.
Asexual: An individual who has a lack of or low interest in sexual activity or sexual attraction to others.
Aromantic: An individual who does not have interest in having romantic relationships with others.
Gender Identity
The internal sense of one’s gender and how they label themselves based on their personal experience. Gender identity is separate from biological sex and is something that is self-identified for each individual.
Cisgender: An individual who’s sex assigned at birth aligns with their felt and/or experienced gender.
Agender: An individual who does not identify with a specific gender identity.
(Trans)Woman: A transgender person who identifies as a woman. MTF is also sometimes used to designate that the person was assigned male at birth, but lives and identifies as a woman. The prefix “trans” is optional and left up to the person to use.
(Trans)Man: A transgender person who identifies as a man. FTM is also sometimes used to designate that the person was assigned female at birth, but lives and identifies as a male. The prefix “trans” is optional and left up to the person to use.
Transition: The process of living into a person’s gender identity. This may include the process of coming out, addressing their identified name and pronouns, and adjusting their gender expression. For some it may also entail a medical transition which can include hormone replacement therapy, puberty blockers, and/or gender affirmation surgeries.
Non-Binary: An individual who’s gender does not align with the gender binary.
Gender Fluid: An identity best described as a dynamic mix of genders. A person who is gender fluid may always feel like a mix of genders, but may feel one way more than the others on days and another way on different days.
Genderqueer: An individual who experiences of gender as something that may fall outside of, fall in between, or fluctuate among the binary gender categories of male and female. People who are genderqueer often experience their gender as fluid, meaning it can shift and change at any given time. Genderqueer can also describe a position of questioning one’s gender identity during a particular period of time or in an ongoing way.
Gender Dysphoria: A clinically diagnosable condition that is experienced by some transgender individuals. It describes the comfort or distress that is caused by a discrepancy between a person’s gender identity and that person’s sex assigned at birth. Individuals may feel this to varying degrees from mild to severe. The type of gender affirmation care they seek may relate to the severity of their dysphoria.
Gender Expression Terms
The ways in which people communicate their gender through clothing, behavior, hairstyles, and any other form of personal expression.
Gender non-conforming: Individuals who have a gender expression that falls outside of the typical societal expectations of gender.
Cross-Dresser: People who dress in clothing that is typically associated with members of the opposite sex. These people enjoy dressing in these clothes however do not identify
as transgender.
Femme/Masculine Presenting: How a person performs their felt gender through appearance, mannerisms, speech, habits, behaviors, interest, etc. that falls somewhere on a spectrum of masculinity ad femininity.
Sex Assigned at Birth Terms
Biological and physiological characteristics that define human beings as male, female, or other, designated at birth by medical professionals.
Intersex: A term used to denote a wide variety of conditions that could be described an atypical development of sex characteristics including; an individual born with both male and female, or distinguishable variations in genitals, gonads and/or chromosomes. A person’s physical appearance may not at all vary from non-intersex individuals.
General Terms
Queer: A once derogatory word that has been reclaimed by some in the LGBT community as a powerful term of unity with others who identify within the LGBTQ+ community. It may relate to someone’s sexual orientation, their gender identity and/or expression, or may be
wholly inclusive of all.
Questioning: An individual who is still exploring their sexual orientation and/or gender identity and has not yet determined how they identify.