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## Other Youth Topics

## Breadcrumb

            -  Youth Topics 
            -           Key Terms and Concepts      

# Key Terms and Concepts

Currently, there is no universally-accepted acronym for the community or communities of youth who are not heterosexual and/or express their gender in diverse ways. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, or another diverse identity (LGBTQ+) youth each represent distinct populations with particular and unique experiences.1 This youth topic primarily uses “LGBTQ+” as an inclusive term. Also, it is important to remember that sexual orientation and gender identity intersect with cultural and other aspects of a young person’s identity, such as faith/spirituality and race and ethnicity, and can also change over time.

Below are some of the key concepts and terms related to sexual orientation and gender identity/expression:

**2/Two-Spirit:** An inclusive term created specifically by and used by some Native American communities. It refers to American Indian/Alaskan Native individuals who express their gender, sexual orientation, and/or sex/gender roles in Indigenous, non-Western ways, using tribal terms and concepts, and/or who define themselves as LGBTQ+, questioning, and intersex in a Native context. Often a person’s spiritual experiences or cultural beliefs are core to the formation of their two-spirit identity.2

**Agender:** Individuals who do not identify as any gender.3

**Ally:** A term relating generally to individuals who support marginalized groups. In the LGBTQ+ community, this term is used to describe someone who is supportive of LGBTQ+ individuals and the community, either personally or as an advocate. Allies include heterosexual and cisgender individuals (i.e., those who identify with the sex assigned to them at birth).4

**Asexual:** Individuals who do not experience sexual attraction. An individual can also be aromantic, meaning that they do not experience romantic attraction.5

**Bigender:** Individuals who identify as a person whose gender identity encompasses two genders (often man and woman, but not exclusively), or is moving between two genders.6

**Bisexual:** An individual who has the capacity to form enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attractions to those of the same gender or to those of another gender.7

**Coming Out:** The process through which youth identify, acknowledge, express, and share with others information about their sexual orientation and gender identity. This experience can be an affirming one, resulting in a sense of belonging, but it can also create stress in the life of youth and put them at risk for negative outcomes as a result of LGBTQ+ -related stigma and the responses and behaviors of others. This process includes coming out over time to oneself, to friends and other peers, at school, to family, at work, and in one’s community.8

**Gay:** Individuals whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attractions are to people of the same sex.9

**Gender Identity:** Our internal sense of being male, female, or another identity. Because gender identity is internal, it is not necessarily visible to others.10 “Cisgender” describes youth whose gender identity/expression does not differ from that typically associated with their assigned sex at birth. For example, a young person who was born as male and identifies as a man may be considered cisgender. In contrast, “transgender” (or “trans”) describes people whose gender identity/expression is different from that typically associated with their assigned sex at birth. A relatively small percentage of gender-variant children develop an adult transgender identity, but most adolescents with a gender-variant identity develop an adult transgender identity.11

**Gender Expression:** How youth represent their gender to others. For example, individuals may express their gender through mannerisms, clothes, and personal interests. Our understanding of gender and what it means to be “masculine” and “feminine” is influenced by how we were socialized. For example, families, schools, and the media influence our understanding of gender. Research shows that children as young as two years old can identify a person’s sex based on how they present their gender, that by age three they can begin to see themselves as either male or female, and that around age nine they understand gender roles.12 For most youth, internal gender identity is reinforced by the reactions that others have to our gender expression.13 Other terms are sometimes used to describe one’s gender. For example, “gender fluid” or “gender creative” reflect a more flexible range of gender expression.

**Genderqueer:** Individuals who experience their gender identity and/or gender expression as falling outside the categories of man and woman.14

**Gender Variant:** Individuals who do not follow gender stereotypes.14

**Intersex:** An umbrella term used to describe people with differences in reproductive anatomy, chromosomes or hormones that don't fit typical definitions of male and female.16

**Lesbian:** A woman who has romantic and/or sexual orientation toward women. Some nonbinary individuals also identify with this term.17

**Nonbinary:** Individuals who experience their gender identity and/or gender expression as outside of the male-female gender binary.18

**Pangender:** An individual whose gender identity and/or gender expression is numerous, either fixed (many at once) or fluid (moving from one to another, often more than two).19

**Pansexual:** An individual who experiences sexual, romantic, physical, and/or spiritual attraction for members of all gender identities/expressions.20

**Queer:** Historically, this has been a pejorative term used to describe LGBTQ+ people, but is now used by some people, particularly younger people, whose sexual orientation is not exclusively heterosexual. Some people may use queer, or more commonly genderqueer, to describe their gender identity and/or gender expression.21

**Questioning:** A term used to describe young people who are unsure about their sexual and/or gender identity.22

**Sex:** Genetic and anatomical characteristics with which youth are born, typically labeled “male” or “female.” Some youth are born with a reproductive/sexual anatomy that does not fit typical definitions of “male” or “female.” This is sometimes referred to as “intersex.” Many medical and some advocacy communities now use the term “disorder” (or sometimes, “differences”) of sex development (DSD).23

**Sexual Orientation:** A youth’s emotional, sexual, and/or relational attraction to others.24 For some, this attraction is to people of the opposite sex/gender (heterosexual), the same sex/gender (gay/lesbian), or both sexes/genders (bisexual) or to people in general independent of their sex/gender (pansexual or omnisexual). The term can also refer to low or non-existent attraction to any sex/gender (asexual).

**Transgender:** People whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. Many transgender people will transition to align their gender expression with their gender identity; however, a person does not have to transition to be transgender.25

**Transsexual:** An older term that was developed in the medical and psychological communities to describe individuals whose gender identity is different from the sex they were assigned at birth.26

**Transitioning:** Transgender youth “transition” to express their gender identity through various changes, such as wearing clothes and adopting a physical appearance that aligns with their internal sense of gender. Transitioning may or may not include medical or surgical treatment and depends on a variety of factors, including age, access to and affordability of services, overall health, and personal choice. For transgender youth, transitioning is an important part of affirming their identity.27

## Resources

**Gender-Affirming Care and Young People (PDF, 2 pages)**This resource provides information on gender-affirming care, what it looks like, why it matters, and offers additional resources related to transgender and gender diverse children and adolescents. A glossary of common terms to know when providing gender-affirming care is also included. 

**Answers to Your Questions about Transgender People, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression (PDF, 6 pages)**This document provides information about the difference between biological sex and gender, as well as about gender identity/expression and transgender identity.

**Answers to Your Questions for a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality**This document provides information about sexual orientation and the impact of prejudice and discrimination on those who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual.

## References

1 Institute of Medicine, 20112 Bearse, 2012; Poirier, Fisher, Hunt & Bearse, 20143 Wamsley, 20214 PFLAG, 20215 GLAAD, 20216 PFLAG, 20217 GLAAD, 20218 Poirier, Fisher, Hunt & Bearse, 20149 GLAAD, 202110 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 201211 Institute of Medicine, 201112 Lev & Alie, 201213 Poirier, Fisher, Hunt & Bearse, 201414 University of Massachusetts Amherst, n.d.15 PFLAG, 202116 Wamsley, 202117 Vanderbilt University, 202118 Wamsley, 202119 University of Massachusetts Amherst, n.d.20 Vanderbilt University, 202121 University of Massachusetts Amherst, n.d.22 Institute of Medicine, 201123 Malouf & Baratz, 2012; Poirier, Fisher, Hunt & Bearse, 201424 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 201225 Wamsley, 202126 GLAAD, 202127 Poirier, Fisher, Hunt & Bearse, 2014

## Other Resources on this Topic

### Announcements 

                          - Brief: Discriminatory Transgender Health Bills Have Critical Consequences for Youth
                          - Fact Sheet: System Involvement Among LBQ Girls and Women
                          - LGBTQ Inclusivity in Schools
                          - Online Training: Healthy Sexuality for Youth in Foster Care: An Online Training for Parents and Caregivers of Youth in Foster Care
                          - Pride Month Census Data
                          - Report: Experiences of LGBTQ People in Four-Year Colleges and Graduate Programs
                          - Report: Homelessness and Housing Instability Among LGBTQ Youth
                          - Report: Moving Beyond Change Efforts: Evidence and Action to Support and Affirm LGBTQI+ Youth
                          - Report: Multiracial LGBTQ+ Youth Face Heightened Suicide Risk
                          - Report: The GSA Study: Results of National Surveys About Students’ and Advisors’ Experiences in Gender and Sexuality Alliance Clubs
                          - Report: Violent Victimization by Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, 2017–2020
                          - Research: Examining the Relationship Between LGBTQ-Supportive School Health Policies and Practices and Psychosocial Health Outcomes of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Students
                          - Resource: 2023 International Transgender Day of Visibility
                          - Resource: 2SLGBTQ Community Readiness Survey
                          - Resource: Adoption Triad - Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth Who Are Adopted
                          - Resource: AFFIRM Caregiver: Affirmative Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Caregivers of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning (LGBTQ+) Populations
                          - Resource: Affirming and Supporting LGBTQ Children and Youth in Child Welfare
                          - Resource: Core Youth Outcomes in Youth of Color
                          - Resource: FAQ Update on 988 Services for LGBTQI+ Youth
                          - Resource: Federal Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity
                          - Resource: Federal Funding to Support LGBTQIA2S+ Children, Youth, Young Adults, and Families
                          - Resource: Gender-Affirming Care and Young People
                          - Resource: Inclusive Practices Help All Students Thrive
                          - Resource: LGBTQ Inclusivity Tool
                          - Resource: LGBTQ+ Glossary of Terms
                          - Resource: LGBTQ+ Youth Engagement Virtually and In-Person
                          - Resource: LGBTQIA2S+ Youth Experiencing Homelessness
                          - Resource: Measuring the Impact of Professional Development
                          - Resource: Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention for LGBTQIA2S+ Youth
                          - Resource: Most Kids with Parent in Same-Sex Relationship Live with Female Couple
                          - Resource: National Clearinghouse on Homeless Youth and Families (NCHYF)
                          - Resource: NCFY
                          - Resource: Podcast Series: Collecting Data on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression
                          - Resource: Preventing Suicide Requires a Comprehensive Approach
                          - Resource: Protecting the Rights and Providing Appropriate Services to LGBTQIA2S+ Youth in Out-of-Home Care
                          - Resource: Providing Culturally Competent Mental Health Care to LGBTQIA+ Youth & Young Adults
                          - Resource: Sexual Health Resource Toolkit for Parents and Caregivers of Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
                          - Resource: Supporting LGBTQI+ Students Experiencing Homelessness
                          - Resource: Supporting the Health and Well-Being of Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth
                          - Resource: The National Center for Youth with Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression (The National SOGIE Center) 
                          - Resource: Toolkit for Implementing Authentic Youth Engagement Strategies Within State Advisory Groups
                          - Resource: Toolkit: Creating Inclusive and Nondiscriminatory School Environments for LGBTQI+ Students
                          - Resource: Voices Amplified
                          - Resource: What Does it Mean to be Two-Spirit?
                          - Resource: Working Virtually With Families of LGBTQ+ Youth.
                          - Resource: Youth Acceptance Project
                          - Resource: Youth Advisory Councils
                          - Resource: Youth AFFIRM: Affirmative Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning (LGBTQ+) Populations
                          - Share with Youth: Complete GLSEN 2019 National School Climate Survey
                          - Share with Youth: LGBT Resources — Learn More, Get Involved, and Be Proud of Who You Are!
                          - Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth: A Guide for Foster Parents
                          - Toolkit: Celebrating our Magic: Resources for American Indian/Alaska Native Transgender and TwoSpirit Youth, Their Relatives and Families, and their Healthcare Providers
                          - Webinar Recording: The Impact of Bias, Inequities, and Injustices in Supporting Students Impacted by Human Trafficking
                          - Webinar Series: Supporting Gender Diverse Indigenous Youth
                          - Working With LGBTQ+ Families in Foster Care and Adoption
                          - Youth Voices Have Moved to YE4C

### Briefs 

                          - Recommended Actions to Improve the Health and Well-Being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Communities

### Collaboration Profiles 

                          - Providing Unbiased Services for LGBTQ Youth Project
                          - Y2CONNECT.org

### Data Sources 

                          - 2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report

### Feature Articles 

                          - June is LGBT Pride Month
                          - Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C
                          - New Brief Highlights the Needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth in Child Welfare Settings
                          - New Reports Highlight Human Service Needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Populations
                          - New Reports Highlight the Human Service Needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender (LGBT) Populations

### Publications 

                          - A Practitioner’s Resource Guide: Helping Families to Support Their LGBT Children
                          - A Provider’s Introduction to Substance Abuse Treatment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals
                          - How Are the Lives of LGBTQ Youth Improved by Gay-Straight Alliances?
                          - Identifying and Serving LGBTQ Youth: Case Studies of Runaway and Homeless Youth Program Grantees
                          - Key Policy Letters from the Education Secretary and Deputy Secretary
                          - Learning from the Field: Listening Tour of Programs Serving Youth who are LGBTQI2-S and Experiencing Homelessness
                          - Meeting the Needs of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Youth
                          - Online Sexual Health Resources
                          - Parents’ Influence on the Health of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Teens: What Parents and Families Should Know
                          - Pride in Our Progress
                          - Primary Sources: Learning How Service Providers and Policy Makers Can Help LGBTQ Homeless Youth
                          - Q&A: Meeting the Needs of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Youth
                          - Report: Health-Related Behaviors among Students
                          - Sexual Risk Behavior Differences Among Sexual Minority High School Students — United States, 2015 and 2017
                          - The Economic Well-Being of LGB Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care

### Resources 

                          - 5 Online Resources to Help Domestic Violence Programs Offer Inclusive Services to LGBTQ People
                          - Brief: the Needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth in Child Welfare Settings
                          - Ending Housing Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals and Families
                          - LGBT Populations: A Snapshot of the Knowledge Base and Research Needs
                          - LGBT Youth Resources
                          - Report: Recommendations of the LGBT Subcommittee: Advancing the Reform Process for LGBQ/GNCT Youth in the Juvenile Justice System
                          - Report: Surviving the Streets of New York: Experiences of LGBTQ Youth, YMSM, and YWSW Engaged in Survival Sex
                          - Research: Does Sexual Orientation Affect Teen Pregnancy Risk?
                          - Resource: Guidance to Help Schools Ensure the Civil Rights of Transgender Students
                          - Resource: Helping Youth Prevent Suicide Among Their LGBTQ Peers
                          - Resource: LGBTQ Youth: Voices of Trauma, Lives of Promise
                          - Resources for Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth
                          - Safe Spaces. Safe Places: Creating Welcoming and Inclusive Environments for Traumatized LGBTQ Youth
                          - Share with Youth: This Free Life
                          - The Equal Access to Housing Rule and Youth

### Technical Assistance 

                          - Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Centers

### Tools & Guides 

                          - 3 Bold Steps for School Community Change
                          - Top Health Issues for LGBT Population Information and Resource Kit

### Videos & Podcasts 

                          - NCFY Voices: Does It Get Better for LGBTQ Teens?
                          - Podcast: Teen Pregnancy Prevention for LGBTQ Youth
                          - Voices from the Field: LGBT-Friendly Teen Pregnancy Prevention

### Websites 

                          - Healthy People 2020

### Youth Topics 

                          - Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
                          - Suicide Prevention

## Youth Briefs

How Individualized Education Program (IEP) Transition Planning Makes a Difference for Youth with Disabilities
Youth who receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and especially young adults of transition age, should be involved in planning for life after high school as early as possible and no later than age 16. Transition services should stem from the individual youth’s needs and strengths, ensuring that planning takes into account his or her interests, preferences, and desires for the future.

Youth Transitioning to Adulthood: How Holding Early Leadership Positions Can Make a Difference
Research links early leadership with increased self-efficacy and suggests that leadership can help youth to develop decision making and interpersonal skills that support successes in the workforce and adulthood. In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. Youth leaders also show considerable benefits for their communities, providing valuable insight into the needs and interests of young people

How Trained Service Professionals and Self-Advocacy Makes a Difference for Youth with Mental Health, Substance Abuse, or Co-occurring Issues
Statistics reflecting the number of youth suffering from mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders highlight the necessity for schools, families, support staff, and communities to work together to develop targeted, coordinated, and comprehensive transition plans for young people with a history of mental health needs and/or substance abuse.

Young Adults Formerly in Foster Care: Challenges and Solutions
Nearly 30,000 youth aged out of foster care in Fiscal Year 2009, which represents nine percent of the young people involved in the foster care system that year. This transition can be challenging for youth, especially youth who have grown up in the child welfare system.

Coordinating Systems to Support Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Needs
Research has demonstrated that as many as one in five children/youth have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Read about how coordination between public service agencies can improve treatment for these youth.

Civic Engagement Strategies for Transition Age Youth
Civic engagement has the potential to empower young adults, increase their self-determination, and give them the skills and self-confidence they need to enter the workforce. Read about one youth’s experience in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

## Main navigation

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- Key Terms & Concepts
- Behavioral Health
- Child Welfare
- Families
- Homelessness & Housing
- Juvenile Justice
- Schools
- Transitioning to Adulthood
- Events Celebrating LGBT Identity, Expression, & Well-Being
- References

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## Latest Resources

### Announcements

Opportunity: Validate LGBTQ+ Supportive Practices

Resource: Voices Amplified

Resource: Federal Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity

### Briefs

Recommended Actions to Improve the Health and Well-Being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Communities

### Collaboration Profiles

Y2CONNECT.org

Providing Unbiased Services for LGBTQ Youth Project

### Data Sources

2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report

2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report

2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report

### Feature Articles

Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C

New Brief Highlights the Needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth in Child Welfare Settings

June is LGBT Pride Month

### Publications

Sexual Risk Behavior Differences Among Sexual Minority High School Students — United States, 2015 and 2017

Report: Health-Related Behaviors among Students

The Economic Well-Being of LGB Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care

### Resources

Report: Recommendations of the LGBT Subcommittee: Advancing the Reform Process for LGBQ/GNCT Youth in the Juvenile Justice System

Resource: Helping Youth Prevent Suicide Among Their LGBTQ Peers

Resource: LGBTQ Youth: Voices of Trauma, Lives of Promise

### Youth Topics

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Suicide Prevention