This is often used to describe sexual orientation, gender identity and / or spiritual identity. 2SLGBTQ+ stands for:ĢS – Two-Spirit (or 2 Spirit or 2S): an important term within some Indigenous cultures and for some Indigenous people, meaning a person with both a feminine and a masculine spirit living in the same body. Sexual orientations and gender identities that aren’t heterosexual or cisgender are often described by the acronym 2SLGBTQ+ (or a variation of this acronym). he, she, they, etc.), the clothing they wear and many other things. The way a person’s gender is expressed can involve things such as the name or pronouns they use (e.g. if a person feels like a woman, a man, both, neither or anywhere along the gender spectrum). Gender is a term that’s usually used to talk about how a person feels inside (i.e. which visible sex organs a person is born with, like a penis or a vulva). Sex is a term that’s usually used to talk about a person’s biology, or what body parts are used to assign their sex at birth (i.e. What’s the difference between sex and gender? Check out the gender identity section below for more identities. People whose gender identities are different than the sex they were assigned at birth may use the word transgender (trans) or another term they feel more aligned with. (This definition is informed by The 519’s Glossary of Terms).įor example, people whose gender identities match the sex they were assigned at birth are cisgender. It can be a person’s sense of being a woman, man, both, neither or anywhere along the gender spectrum. A person’s gender identity may be the same as or different from their assigned sex at birth.
Gender identity describes a person’s internal and individual experience of gender.
You can read about many more sexual orientations below! Another sexual orientation is heterosexual or straight, which means being any combination of physically, sexually, romantically and / or emotionally attracted to people of a different gender. Sexual orientation describes the way a person feels toward people of a particular (or more than one) gender physically, sexually, romantically and / or emotionally.įor example, one sexual orientation is gay, which means being any combination of physically, sexually, romantically and / or emotionally attracted to people of the same gender or gender identity.
We support you in using the language that feels best for you. You also don’t need to choose any identifiers or labels until and if / when you’re ready. Kids Help Phone knows that while you may use any of - or even a combination of - the words under the 2SLGBTQ+ umbrella to describe yourself, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you feel like a part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community as a whole, and that’s OK. This page is for anyone, however you identify. Any and all combinations of sexual orientations and gender identities are possible and unique to each individual. Here, Kids Help Phone shares information about sexual orientations, gender identities and commonly used terms to better understand yourself and those around you. 2SLGBTQ+ is an acronym that stands for Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning and additional sexual orientations and gender identities.