Legal status that provides same-sex couples some rights available to married couples in areas such as state taxes, medical decisions and estate planning. Civil unions have been recognized by some states but not the U.S. government. [On June 26, 2015 the U.S. Supreme Court determined that the Constitution guarantees every American the right to marry …
A term used by some to describe people who are not transgender. “Cis-” is a Latin prefix meaning “on the same side as,” and is therefore an antonym of “trans-.” A more widely understood way to describe people who are not transgender is simply to say non-transgender people. [According to the NLGJA Stylebook Supplement on …
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a hate crime is “a traditional offense like murder, arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias. For the purposes of collecting statistics, Congress has defined a hate crime as a ‘criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s …
Traditionally a pejorative term, queer has been appropriated by some LGBT people as a self-affirming umbrella term. However, it is not universally accepted even within the LGBT community and should be avoided unless describing someone who self-identifies that way or in a direct quote. When Q is seen at the end of “LGBT,” it typically …
A flag of six equal horizontal stripes (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet) symbolizing the diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.
Lesbian, gay and bisexual people use various terms to describe their commitments. Ask individuals which term they prefer, if possible. If not, “partner” is generally acceptable. See husband, wife, lover, partner.
Sexual practices that minimize the possible transmission of HIV and other infectious agents. Some publications prefer “safer sex” to denote that no sexual contact is completely safe.
Scientifically observable alteration of blood or other bodily fluids from HIV-negative to HIV-positive. The verb is “seroconvert.” See HIV.
Synonymous with HIV-negative. See HIV.
Synonymous with HIV-positive. See HIV.