Glossary
Compiled By Chris Urrutia

Glossary Compiled by Chris Urrutia The following people were interviewed for this glossary:

William Leap, Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology at American University in Washington D.C., founder of the Lavender Languages and Linguistics Conference,

Assemblymen Jose Peralta and Mike Giararis at last year’s Pride Parade in Jackson Heights.

Lisa Jean Moore, coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program in Lesbian and Gay/Queer Studies at the College of Staten Island and CUNY Graduate Center.

Steven Franconi, 26, Plumber, Middle Village.

Louise Hinkley, 32, guidance counselor, Flushing.

Bruce Schlenheim, 44, manager of local pharmacy, Astoria.

GAY -
Leap: One is never wrong using that term, specifically referring to men. Sometimes people use it as shorthand, appropriate for women and men, but it could be misunderstood it extends a masculine reference to women.

Moore: A quote that is often thrown out by people just for the sake of it, which saddens me. In the community, it is an acceptable term for any person of either gender.

Franconi: If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say this word on the street or on TV.

Hinkley: We're all familiar with this one. People use it to discriminate others. I always wonder how the gay community treats its usage.

Schlenheim: A word that is used way too often. But I would like to give all the respect in the world to people who are openly gay, who have to deal with everything our society throws at them.

LESBIAN -
Leap: Appropriate, though you might even find some women prefer to call themselves 'a gay woman.

Councilwoman Melinda Katz and the famous parader of Queens.

Moore: Refers only to women, though many use the term "gay" synonymously.

Franconi: A gay woman, obviously. Don't know much more.

Hinkley: This is a gay female. I think its origin is from Ancient Greece. Do gay women refer to be called gay or lesbian?

Schlenheim: This is a gay woman. You don't hear it nearly as much as "gay."

BISEXUAL -
Leap: This actually gets a lot of negative play within the gay community. It's used as a form of derision. It supposedly refers to those who have sex with both sexes, but I also hear it being used by people who say they aren't confined to labels.

Moore: This is a tricky one that raises controversy. People in the community joke about bisexuals going "both ways," though bisexuals exist and otherwise function normally in the community.

Franconi: Someone with a sexual attraction to both sexes. I happen to know a couple of bisexual people, and I'll tell you, they're the nicest people I've met.

Hinkley: I'm confused by the term. I know what it means, but there seems to be some kind of aura of hatred around a bisexual person. They're prone to insults quite a bit.

Schlenheim: A person who prefers either sex. How does the gay community accept them?

TRANSGENDER -
Leap: This has two meanings: In general, it can be anyone who is working against or cutting across conventional sex gender binaries. It can also be anyone who is not comfortably heterosexual, an effeminate boy, or anyone going against gender stereotypes.

Councilmen John Liu was the grand marshal at the parade last year.

Moore: For the most part, this refers to someone who has had a sex change. Transvestite, on the other hand, is a person who merely dresses of the opposite sex.

Franconi: I confuse this word with transvestite sometimes. Someone transgendered has had a sex change. Someone transvestite has had a clothing change.

Hinkley: A person who, for whatever, reason, has had a sex change. I really feel for these people for the abuse they receive. And it must be a bit difficult adapting to life in the opposite sex from the get-go.

Schlenheim: Someone who had a sex change operation. It must take a lot to be able to commit to something like that.

QUEER -
Leap: Once derogatory, it became a term of identity in the 90s with people who didn't identify with 'gay,' which had taken on a commercial club scene, lighthearted flavor. It's not nearly as accepted outside of white circles as people might think. A National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce study in 2000 claimed 80 percent of African-American men and women reject it completely.

Moore: I find this to be a silly word because its definition is ambiguous and shrouded in negative connotations. It was used to label gays and lesbians in past eras, so it is sometimes shunned by those in the community.

Franconi: Usually refers to a gay person. But I know it gets used a lot in plenty of other situations.

Hinkley: What exactly does queer mean? But for this case, I'll say a gay or lesbian person. What about bisexuals though?

Schlenheim: A bad omen to hear it, I think. What do gays think about this one? It's used negatively a bit.