LGBT Young Adult Literature/Glossary

Welcome to the Glossary page of the LGBT Young Adult Literature wikibook. This page includes a list of all terms that might need explaining in this wikibook. Please add to it if you feel something is missing.

Glossary of Terms

General

• LGBT - stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and it is a term used to describe non-heterosexual people. The term LGBT is mostly used in English-speaking countries.
• Queer - is a colloquial term used to describe gay people. It is commonly used in the UK. Historically it was considered derogatory but nowadays has been re-adopted by the community.

Sexual orientation and gender identity

• Gay/Homosexual - attracted to someone of the same gender. Normally, this term is used for gay males although this term is actually universal.
  • Lesbian - a female attracted to other females.
• Bisexual - one who is attracted to two genders, though the attraction can be towards more than two genders.
• Transgender - gender identity that is the opposite of your birth-assigned gender. For example, an AMAB (assigned male at birth) person identifies as a woman.
• Intersex - one who is not born with sex characteristics (e.g. genitalia, chromosomes, etc.) that are defined as male or female.
• Asexual - lacking sexual attraction to anyone.
• Aromantic - lacking romantic attraction to anyone.
• Pansexual - attracted to anyone regardless of gender, i.e. "gender blind" in attraction.

Media

• Yaoi - A genre of fictional media, including manga, anime, and literature, that focuses on romantic or sexual relationships between male characters. The term primarily targets a female audience and often features themes of romance, intimacy, and emotional connection between male protagonists. While Yaoi content typically portrays male-male relationships, it differs from LGBT representation in that it often caters to fantasies and idealized narratives rather than reflecting real-life experiences or identities.
• Yuri - A genre of fictional media, including manga, anime, and literature, that focuses on romantic or sexual relationships between female characters. Similar to Yaoi, Yuri content is primarily created for and consumed by a female audience. The narratives within Yuri often explore themes of love, intimacy, and emotional connection between female protagonists. While Yuri content may depict same-sex relationships between women, it is distinct from real-life LGBT experiences and identities, often presenting idealized or romanticized portrayals of female-female relationships within fictional contexts.