LGBTTQQIAA2P+ -- the longest version of the acronym that I could currently remember. From left to right, the letters denote: lesbian, gay, bisexual/biromantic, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, aromantic, two-spirit, pansexual/panromantic, etc. Will most likely be subject to updates. More common versions include "LGBT", "GLBT", "LGBTQ", "LGBTQIA+" etc. The word "queer" is commonly used as a condensed umbrella term, and is usually favored as it does not leave any identities unaccounted for (also recognize that some individuals still view the word "queer" as a derogatory slur. It is wise to check with the individuals around you to make sure that no one is triggered or made upset by the use of the word.) There are some debates about what the "A" stands for in many of the acronyms, in terms of whether it means "asexual" or "ally". While straight-cisgender allyship is imperative to the safety and success of the LGBTQIA+ community, it is recognized by many queer individuals that allies are not queer themselves, and therefore are not represented in the acronym.

• Ace Spectrum -- a continuum that contains all ace identities, including asexual, greysexual, demisexual, aromantic, greyromantic and demiromantic.
  • Aromantic -- an individual that does not experience romantic attraction.
  • Asexual -- an individual that does not experience sexual attraction.
  • Demiromantic -- an individual that only experiences romantic attraction to a person after forming an emotional bond with said person.
  • Demisexual -- an individual that only experiences sexual attraction to a person after forming an emotional bond with said person.
  • Greyromantic -- an individual who experiences romantic attraction very rarely or under very specific circumstances.
  • Greysexual -- an individual who experiences sexual attraction very rarely or under very specific circumstances.
• Ace Exclusionism -- the practice of denouncing the place of asexual/ace-spectrum individuals in the LGBTQIA+/queer community. See gatekeeping. This practice is most commonly done by other individuals within the queer community, and is not only disheartening to see, but a clear example of intra-community discrimination against a group underneath the LGBTQIA+ umbrella. You may often see the term "cishet aces" used by ace exclusionists as a means of invalidating asexual people and erasing their identity as queer individuals. While a minority of asexual individuals will not consider themselves to be "queer" per say, it is recognized by the PRIDE Centre and the broader community (aside from exclusionists) that asexual and ace-spectrum individuals are an unalienable part of the queer community, as they are not heterosexual and/or heteroromantic. 
  
• AFAB -- "Assumed Female At Birth", meaning an individual that was pronounced a girl at birth, regardless of current gender identity.
• Agender -- the state of not having a gender identity. This identity is under the genderqueer umbrella.
• Ally -- a heterosexual cisgender person that supports the queer community (in practice -- not just in words).
• AMAB -- "Assumed Male At Birth", meaning an individual that was pronounced a boy at birth, regardless of current gender identity.
• Androgyny/ous -- being neither/both masculine or feminine. Some genderqueer/non-binary people will use this as an identity term, but it is also an adjective.
• Androsexual -- the state of being attracted to men or masculinity.
• Binary genders -- a binary gender is a gender that is "boy" or "girl".
  • Cisgender -- an adjective used to describe individuals that currently identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. Can be separated into two smaller categories, "cisgender boy" and "cisgender girl". Sadly, most human beings do not anticipate that their infants will be born non-binary or genderqueer, so at this point, cisgender identities are limited to the binary genders.
• Bisexual -- the state of being attracted to individuals of your own gender and other genders.
  
• Dysphoria -- dysphoria (sometimes also referred to as body dysmorphia when spoken about in a trans context) is a feeling that some (but not all) transgender and/or genderqueer individuals will experience. Dysphoria occurs when an individual's preferred expression is not able to be fully achieved or realized due to perceived gender, perceived anatomy, unreliable/absent support structure, etc. Dysphoria is an incredibly negative emotional and physical feeling and can cause mental and physical health problems.
  
• Gay -- a word used to describe individuals who experience attraction specifically to individuals of their own gender. Usually denoting a self-identified man who is attracted to other self-identified men, "gay" can be used to describe homosexual women as well. Some individuals use this term as an umbrella word for their identity.
• Gatekeeping -- the practice of "gatekeeping" is something that can be done by a queer or non-queer individual. Gatekeeping (when applied to the LGBTQIA+ community, as there can be gatekeeping in many different minority communities) is when an individual takes it upon themselves to evaluate another individual's "queerness", or the degree to which they belong in the queer community. Examples of this can include but are not limited to: deciding that someone is "not gay enough" to be inside queer safe-spaces, ace-exclusionism, phrases such as "you're not really bisexual/pansexual/etc.", phrases such as "oh, they told me that they're pan but I don't really believe it. I think they're actually [x]." and more. Gatekeeping takes place whenever Individual A provides some sort of obstacle or challenge for Individual B in terms of their access to queer safe-spaces or the queer-community.
• Homosexual -- an adjective used to describe individuals that experience sexual attraction specifically to those of their own gender. This word, in the past, was used to describe the terrible "illness" that was being gay, and so some individuals prefer the word "gay" over this word.
• Intersex -- the "I" in LGBTQIA+ (etc.) A person who cannot be categorized as having strictly male or female genitalia, reproductive organs, sex hormones, etc. Many babies who are identified as intersex at birth have their genitals surgically altered to reflect one of the binary sexes; a process that 9 times out of 10 leads to crippling identity issues and a possibility for dysphoria going into the future.
• Lesbian -- a woman that is solely attracted to other women, be it sexually or romantically.
• Non-binary -- This adjective is used to describe individuals who do not subscribe to the traditional concept of binary genders, i.e. being a girl or a boy. Non-binary people can have a wide arrange of expressions; from feminine to masculine, both or neither. Despite this, these individuals still remain outside the "gender binary". Some non-binary identities include agender, androgynous, genderqueer, genderfluid, bigender, demiboy/girl, etc. Some individuals (like me) use the word "non-binary" as it's own identity term. Many people use the term "genderqueer" interchangeably with "non-binary" and this is perfectly fine.
• Pansexual -- the state of being attracted to individuals regardless of their gender. Can still denote preferences for certain physical traits, like masculinity, femininity, etc.
• Platonic attraction -- a non-sexual attraction that can be felt towards friends, family members, etc. A "friendship" attraction.
• Pronouns -- A pronoun is a word used to refer to a person without using their name. There are many different kinds of pronouns, for example: he/him/his, she/her/hers, they/them/theirs, etc. The "they/them/theirs" pronoun can be used singularly! It is commonly used by non-binary individuals who are not comfortable using a pronoun commonly associated with a binary gender. It is very nice and polite to ask a person what pronouns they use, regardless of whether they are trans and/or non-binary.
• Queer -- a partially-reclaimed word used as an ultra-inclusive umbrella term for the entire LGBTTQIA2+ community. While some individuals still react negatively to this word due to its history as a slur, it is a much more incusive word than any acronym out there.
• Questioning -- the 2nd "Q" in LGBTQQIA...+. A person who is questioning is someone who is considering their own possibility of being queer (regardless of which orientation or identity they're thinking about.) Questioning individuals could spend any amount of time in the deliberation period, whereas at the end of which they could decide whether they are queer or not.
• Romantic attraction -- a non-sexual attraction that can be felt towards love interests, partners, datemates, etc. An "in-love" attraction.
• Sexual attraction -- a non-platonic/romantic attraction that can be felt towards sexual partners, etc. A "Sim's "WooHoo™"" attraction. 
• Transfeminine -- A person who is transitioning to become more feminine, regardless of gender identity.
• Transgender -- this is a very broad term, albeit a simple one. A transgender person is any one person who's natal gender (birth gender) does not match or coincide with their identity gender (current gender). This encompasses FtM and MtF people, as well as some non-binary people who choose to refer to themselves as transgender. Some individuals who would otherwise fit in the transgender box choose not to adopt the label and this is perfectly fine. The choice to adopt the transgender identity label is completely up to the individual to decide, based on their own feelings and experiences. 
• Transmasculine -- A person who is transitioning to become more masculine, regardless of gender identity.
• Transsexual -- A transgender person who has undergone GAS (Gender Affirmation Surgery).
  
• "Transtrender" -- The term "transtrender" (pronounced trans-trender) is a term that some individuals within and outside the queer community will use to invalidate other individuals who they perceive to be calling themselves transgender for popularity, or another ulterior motive. A person is often called a "transtrender" if they appeared to have "tried out" being trans and then decided that they weren't actually trans after all. It is of our belief, here at the PRIDE Centre, that there is no such thing as being a "transtrender" because if an individual ever adopts a trans-spectrum or genderqueer label, it is in no one's right to question that choice as we have no idea what that person is feeling or going through.
  
• Two-Spirit -- the "2" in LGBTQQIA2...+. A translation of the Anishinaabeg (Ojibwa) term niizh manidoowag, referring to individuals who embody both a masculine and feminine spirit (via thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/two-spirit/).

For a glossary of words that are slurs, follow this link.

As always, these definitions are perpetually under change and review and what might have been described as such 10+ years ago could be described in a very different way today. It is also important to recognize that identity is unique to every person, and every queer person has their own identity words that they're attached to. If you are an ally and want to accommodate your LGBTQ+ friend but are unsure how, it is always polite to ask!

While these definitions were, for the most part, created by myself (Avery, the Media Coordinator for 2016/2017 and 2017/2018), there are many ongoing definitions for many of these terms. These are my definitions, and it is possible that some individuals will define these things in different ways. It's important to respect the means of which we describe our own identities. Example:
Person A: "I'm pansexual, so I'm attracted to people of all genders!"
Person B: "Oh, the definition for that is actually 'a person who is attracted to people regardless of gender.'"
Person B shouldn't have corrected Person A's description of their own identity, because even if their means of describing pansexuality is different, unless their definition is deliberately inflammatory, derogatory, or blatantly incorrect, it's up to Person A to decide how they feel about their own identity and how they want others to view theirself.