Search Results for “Coming Out

Glossary

Coming out

[ kuhm-ing out ]

The process where an LGBTQ+ person shares their sexual orientation and/or gender identity with themselves and others. Coming out is not a requirement of being LGBTQ+ in any way, and it is a deeply personal experience. For those who do come out, most find it to be not a singular, one-time experience, but rather a series of coming outs throughout life.

Glossary

AMAB (potentially outdated, still used by some)

[ ey-mab ]

An acronym that stands for Assigned Male at Birth, used to denote someone whose first years of life were in many ways defined and/or informed by other people imposing boyhood and masculinity on them. Some people push away from the use of the acronym as it centers someone’s assignment at birth, as opposed to someone’s gender. It is still used by many to distinguish unique experiences resulting from that specific assignment.

Glossary

AFAB (potentially outdated, still used by some)

[ ey-fab ]

An acronym that stands for Assigned Female at Birth, used to denote someone whose first years of life were in many ways defined and/or informed by other people imposing girlhood and femininity on them. Some people push away from the use of the acronym as it centers someone’s assignment at birth, as opposed to someone’s gender. It is still used by many to distinguish unique experiences resulting from that specific assignment.

Glossary

Outed

[ out-ed ]

A situation where someone else has shared an LGBTQ+ person’s identity without their consent. This can be incredibly damaging for an LGBTQ+ person, as it takes away their right to share their identity on their terms, and can increase the danger they experience.