*The terms and definitions below are always evolving and changing and often mean different things to different people. They are provided below as a starting point for discussion and understanding.

 

Ableism: The pervasive system of discrimination and exclusion that oppresses people who have mental, emotional, and physical disabilities.

 

Abuse: A corrupt practice or custom; improper or excessive treatment; language that condemns or vilifies, usually unjustly, intemperately, and angrily; physical maltreatment. 

 

Acceptance: An agreeing either expressly or by conduct to the act or offer of another; the quality or state of being accepted or acceptable for their sexual orientation, identity, gender role(s), and/or body image. 

 

Anabolic steroids: any group of usually synthetic hormones that are derivatives of testosterone, are used medically to promote tissue growth, and are sometimes abused by athletes to increase size and strength of muscles and improve endurance. This is prevalent in males, and reflects the hypermasculinity of both mainstream society and the gay community. It enforces and idolizes the male gender roles, male gender identities, and sexual orientations. Anabolic steroids can also fall into the category of the fetish of muscle worship. 

 

Ageism:  Any attitude, action, or institutional structure that subordinates a person or group because of age or any assignment of roles in society purely on the basis of age (Traxler, 1980, p.4).

 

Agender: A gender identity of null. Could be considered to fall under the transgender umbrella.

Androgyne: A person with traits ascribed to males and females. Androgyny can be physical, presentational, an identity, or some combination.

 

Anorexia: A serious eating disorder primarily of young women in their teens and early 20s, often characterized by a pathological fear of weight gain leading to faulty eating patters, malnutrition, and usually excessive weight loss. A disease that is brought on by body image issues with the goal of attaining a certain archetype body/image. Such a body and image is brought on by the social and cultural ideals of mainstream society and the communities that a person identifies with based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender roles. 

 

Bears/Bear Community: a part of the queer community composed of queer men similar in looks and interests, most of them big, hairy, friendly and affectionate.  The community aims to provide spaces where one feels, wanted, desired, and liked.  It nourishes and values an individual’s process of making friends, of learning self-care and self-love through the unity and support of the community.  Bears, Cubs, Otters, Wolves, Chasers, Admirers and other wildlife comprise what has come to be known as the Brotherhood of Bears and/or the Bear community. 

 

Bigendered: Having two genders; exhibiting cultural characteristics of male and female roles.

 

Body image: A subjective picture of one’s own physical appearance established both by self-observation and by noting the reactions of others through social and cultural institutions, and communities. Body image is also related to a person’s gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or gender roles.

 

Bulimarexia: A combination of two serious eating disorders, bulimia and anorexia. A disease that is brought on by body image issues with the goal of attaining a certain archetype body/image. Such a body and image is brought on by the social and cultural ideals of mainstream society and the communities with which a person identifies based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender roles. 

 

Bulimia: A serious eating disorder that occurs chiefly in females, characterized by compulsive overeating followed by self-induced vomiting or laxative or diuretic abuse, and is often accompanied by guilt and depression. A disease that is brought on by body image issues with the goal of attaining a certain archetype body/image. Such a body and image is brought on by the social and cultural ideals of mainstream society and the communities with which a person identifies based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender roles. 

 

Bullying: To treat abusively; to affect by means of force or coercion; to use browbeating language or behavior. Bullies act in this way because the victims they pursue do not fit their own social and/or cultural norms, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender roles. These actions by bullies can lead to the bullied to pursue dangerous means such as an eating disorder, self-abuse, self-hatred, anger, and/or suicide.

 

Butch: A gender expression that fits societal definitions of masculinity. Usually used by queer women and trans people, particularly by lesbians. Some consider “butch” to be its own gender identity.

 

Chubby Chaser: A person of any gender identity and sexual orientation that defies the social and cultural norms of mainstream society, who is interested romantically in another person who varies from being slightly overweight to obese. Sometimes considered a fetish. 

 

Classism: The institutional, cultural, and individual set of practices and beliefs that assign differential value to people according to their socioeconomic class. This is based off an economic system that inherently creates inequality and ignores basic human needs. 

 

Collusion: Thinking and acting in ways which support the system of oppression. Both privileged and oppressed groups can collude with oppression through their attitudes, beliefs, and actions. 

 

Compulsive exercising: The action of exercising at extreme measures where the body is worked past its safe limits. This action is very common with other eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia. This stems from body image issues in which individuals aspire to achieve a better body promoted by mainstream society through specific gender roles, gender identity, and sexual orientation. This can also apply to queer communities as well. 

 

Cross Dresser (CD): A word to describe a person who dresses, at least partially, as a member of a gender other than their assigned sex; carries no implications of 'usual' gender appearance, or sexual orientation. Has replaced “Transvestite”, which is outdated and considered offensive because it was used historically to diagnose medical/mental health disorders. 

 

Depression: An act of depressing or a state of being depressed or feeling sad; a mood disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty with thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal thoughts or an attempt to commit suicide. This can be a side effect in struggling to attain the archetype body image promoted by mainstream society through gender roles, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Other similar factors apply when certain social/cultural communities become involved. 

 

Dominant group: Members that are privileged by birth or acquisition, and knowingly or unknowingly exploit and reap unfair advantage over members of the target/empowerment group.

 

Drug abuse (substance abuse): The act of partaking in illegal drugs to attain a high but also as a way to lose weight. This is a dangerous way to attain the archetype body image that a person desires. 

 

Diets: A regime of eating right and exercising with a goal of losing weight to achieve a certain body type. Can also involve drug abuse, diet pills, and eating disorders; usually these unhealthier options stem from depression or other ailments where drastic actions are taken to change an individual’s body type. 

 

Emotional eating: A coping mechanism for individuals when situations in life become too stressful, sad, emotional or difficult to confront. Usually this is related to body image and weight gain. Comfort is found in emotional eating, but the food that is giving these individuals the comfort can also be their worst enemy. If left untreated, the actions of such individuals can lead to depression, self-hate, and/or eating disorders. 

 

Empowerment: When target group members refuse to accept the dominant ideology and their subordinate status, and instead take actions to redistribute social power more equitably. 

 

Exercise: The physical action of moving the body to strength and build muscle; goals can include burning fat, losing weight, becoming more fit, etc. Done incorrectly, it can be extremely harmful. Such ways include eating disorders and over exercising. Such extreme lengths to lose weight can be extremely dangerous to an individual’s health. Reasons to exercise stem from both medical reasons and also societal/cultural factors promoting a certain body archetype.

 

Fad diets: Diets that prey on individuals’ insecurities about their weight. These diets promise a quick fix, but often do not ultimately work and can be extremely unhealthy. Because they often do not work, these diets can cause depression and other issues such as eating disorders and self-hate. 

 

Fat: Oily or greasy matter making up the bulk of adipose tissue and often abundant in seeds. In the mainstream social and cultural communities, and in some queer communities, fat is generally considered undesirable. But in other social and cultural communities, fatness is revered and honored; such people are respected within society. 

 

Femme: A gender expression that fits societal definitions of femininity. Historically used in the lesbian community, it is increasingly being used by other queer people. 

 

Food fetish: Those people who get a sexual high off of food. Such people do not conform to the mainstream archetype body image. Generally, these people respect and/or are attracted to individuals who are overweight or considered fat. These people could also fall under the term of other fetishes such as chubby chaser.

 

FTM (F2M): Female-to-male transsexual/transgender person. Someone assigned female at birth that identifies on the male spectrum. 

 

Gender: The expression or behavior of a person qualified by society as masculine, feminine, androgynous or any mix thereof. Fundamentally different from the sex one is assigned at birth. 

 

Gender expression/presentation: How one expresses/presents oneself in terms of dress and/or behaviors that society characterizes as masculine or feminine. Can also be androgynous or something else altogether. Some people differentiate between the terms expression and presentation. 

 

Genderfluid: Being fluid in identity between two or more genders; shifting naturally in gender identity and/or gender expression/presentation. May be a gender identity itself. 

 

Genderfuck: A form of gender identity or expression; an intentional attempt to present a confusing gender identity that contributes to dismantling the perception of a gender binary.

 

Gender non-conforming (GNC): people who do not subscribe to gender expressions or roles expected of them by society. 

 

Gender outlaw: A person who refuses to be defined by conventional definitions of men and women. 

 

Gender queer: A person whose gender identity and/or gender expression falls outside of the cultural norm for their assigned sex. 

 

Gender role: A set of social, behavioral, attitudinal roles, expectations, and norms that within a specific culture are either formally or informally required, or are widely considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific gender identity.

 

Gender variant: A person whose gender identity and/or expression varies from the culturally expected characteristics of their assigned sex. 

 

Gym bunny: A person, usually a man (specifically a gay identifying man), who spends most of their time in gyms working out. Such actions reflect the gender roles and expectations of mainstream society and the queer community. These people can fall into the fetish category of muscle worship.

 

Health awareness: The action of understanding ones limits and strengths both mentally and physically; understanding ones body. This promotes and enforces healthy lifestyle choices and practices in nutrition, sex, and exercising. 

 

Heteronormativity: A set of lifestyle norms, practices, and institutions that promote binary alignment of biological sex, gender identity, and gender roles; assumes heterosexuality as a fundamental and natural norm; places monogamous, committed relationships and reproductive sex above all other sexual practices. 

 

Homonormativity: The reproduction of heteronormative ideas and constructs within the LGBT culture and identity, without critically examining their fundamental assumptions around monogamy, procreation, binary gender roles, etc. 

 

Insecurities: Feelings and assumptions about oneself that he/she/they feels is to be true and ugly traits. Such insecurities stem from mainstream society’s promotion of the archetype body image and through communities with which a person identifies, based on sexual orientation and gender roles. 

 

Intersex: People who naturally develop primary and/or secondary sex characteristics that do not fit into society’s definitions of male and female. Many visibly intersex babies and children are surgically altered by doctors to make their sex characteristics conform to societal binary norm expectations. Intersex people are relatively common, but society’s denial has prohibited public exposure and conversation. Has replaced the politically incorrect term hermaphrodite, which refers to having both sexes; in reality there are many ways to be intersex.

 

Judgment: The process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing. This applies to how people judge others and themselves based on social and cultural norms. Such norms include sexual orientation, gender roles, and gender identity. 

 

Manorexia: A term used to describe the eating disorder anorexia, specifically for males. Anorexia stems from body image issues advocated by social and cultural norms. In the case of manorexia, the hypermasculine male ideal is pushed on men projecting the archetype of a skinny, muscular, masculine man. 

 

MTF (M2F): Male-to-Female transsexual/transgendered person. Someone assigned male at birth that identifies on the female spectrum. 

 

Muscle worship: The sexual fetish around being obsessed with muscles. This fetish is predominately identified by gay males, where hypermasculinity is most prevalent. But this fetish also reflects the ideals of male gender roles and male sexuality on a mainstream social and cultural level.

 

Nutrition: The act or process of nourishing or being nourished. In practicing health awareness, nutrition is incorporated in this process. Achieving good nutrition can be difficult when faced with body image issues, eating disorders, and/or depression. Such nutritional imbalances are caused by the social and cultural constructs of the ideal body types promoted by mainstream society and queer communities. 

 

Neutrosis: A gender identity of null, accompanied by body dysphoria and a desire to be as physically neutral as possible. Could be considered to fall under the transgender umbrella. 

 

Obese: Having excessive body fat. Such a body type is condemned by mainstream society and some queer communities. Because of this rejection, obese people can develop depression, eating disorders, self-hate, anger, etc. But some people, like chubby chasers, honor and revere obese individuals.

 

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): A psychoneurotic disorder in which a patient is beset with obsessions or compulsions or both; and suffers extreme anxiety or depression through failure to think the obsessive thoughts or perform the compelling acts. This disorder can be attributed to eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia, which stem from body image issues.

 

Omnigendered: Possessing all genders; exhibiting cultural characteristics of male and female. The term is used specifically to refute the concept of only two genders.

 

Oppression: Unjust or cruel exercise of authority, power, and/or privilege. Exists when one social group, whether knowingly or unknowingly, exploits another social group for its own benefit. Such factors/levels of oppression include the individual, institutional, and societal/cultural. 

 

Plastic surgery: A measure taken by individuals by free choice or for medical reasons in order to change their appearance. The most common plastic surgeries, highly advertised in mainstream society, include weight loss surgeries (e.g. gastric bypass surgery) and body alterations (e.g. breast implants). Such surgeries are popular because mainstream society promotes an archetype body image. The same ideals of the archetype boy image also include gender identity, sexual orientation, and gender roles.

 

Polygendered/Pangendered: Exhibiting characteristics of multiple genders; deliberately refuting the concept of only two genders.

 

Privilege: Access to resources (social power) only readily available to some people as a result of their social group membership by birth or acquisition. 

 

Proana/Proanorexia: Websites that encourage and promote people, predominantly women, to continue to be anorexic. These websites provide a support structure for individuals who are thinking about becoming or are already anorexic. These sites are very controversial because most people see them as promoting eating disorders and giving a negative message to people who need to seek professional help. Some critics of such sites claim they encourage the deaths of young people. Others, mainly those who have eating disorders, view these websites as helping individuals in their journey of life, and as an option for those who want to change their bodies for the better. 

 

Self-hate: The action or process of hating oneself. This can stem from many factors, one being body image issues. People take such actions because they do not fit in the social and cultural mainstream ideal body type. It is extremely hard to attain such a specific body type, and the image it promotes. If left unattended, this self-hate can lead to depression, self-abuse, and/or eating disorders. 

 

Self-love: The action or process of loving oneself. Such people accept and celebrate who they are, which includes both their strengths and weaknesses; they deter what mainstream society and local communities promote as archetypes. Self-love can be subjective; for example, individuals who frequent proana (see Proana/Proanorexia) websites could also use the term self-love because these websites create an atmosphere where they celebrate their eating disorder. 

 

Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS): Any surgical procedure to alter sex characteristics. This includes “top surgery,” “bottom surgery,” and other surgeries such as orchiectomy, hysterectomy, and facial feminization surgery. Any individual surgery may or may not be pursued by any given trans person as an appropriate treatment for GID or gender dysphoria. Different state laws may require proof of SRS in order to legally change (reassign) one’s gender marker. SRS may also be performed on intersex people, often in infancy before the age of consent. SRS is also known as gender conformation surgery, sex affirmation surgery, gender reassignment surgery, genital reconstruction surgery (GRS), or (often pejoratively) a sex-change operation. 

 

Silent problem: Another term to describe and define eating disorders. It is considered a silent problem because the methods of losing weight are not drastic, so people just assume that people afflicted with eating disorders are dieting and losing weight healthily. Furthermore, it is called the silent problem because people afflicted with eating disorders do not tell people for fear and/or shame.

 

Skinny: A very slim or thin person. Such people are assumed to fit the social and cultural binary norms of the perfect body type. Furthermore, it seems to those who do not fit the body type that they have an easier time in life and are generally more respected. But it should also be noted that skinny people have body image issues as well.

 

Statistics: A branch of mathematics dealing with the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of numerical data. When statistics are applied to social and cultural binary norms of gender roles, sexual orientation, and gender identity, the feelings of being abnormal and cast out feel overwhelming to those who are not recognized or are condemned. Such repercussions of putting a number on someone who does not fit the norms and expectations can feel very personal, and it could possibly lead to depression, eating disorders, and self-hatred. 

 

Stereotype: Something conforming to a fixed or general pattern, especially a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group. A stereotype often represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment.

 

Social group memberships: Identity-based groups that one belongs to that may be a part of the dominant or target group. 

 

Targeted group: Members of social identity groups that are disenfranchised, exploited, and victimized in a variety of ways by the oppressor and the oppressor’s system of institutions.

 

Transfag: A trans male-identified person who is attracted to/loves other male-identified people. 

 

Transgender: Adjective used most often as an umbrella term, and frequently abbreviated to “trans” or “trans*” (here the asterisk denotes the option to fill in the appropriate label, e.g. trans man). It describes a wide range of identities and experiences of people whose gender identity and/or expression differs from conventional expectations based on their assigned sex at birth.

 

Trans Man: Also referred to as an FTM (F2M). The space between trans and man is intentional to avoid rendering invisible or invalidating the man part of the identity. 

 

Transsexual (TS): A person who perceives themselves as a member of a gender that does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. Many pursue hormones and/or surgery. Sometimes used specifically to refer to trans people pursuing gender or sex reassignment. 

 

Trans Woman: Also referred to as an MTF (M2F). The space between trans and woman is intentional to avoid rendering invisible or invalidating the woman part of the identity.

 

Tryke: A trans female-identified person who is attracted to/loves other female-identified people.