BASIC TERMS

THIS SERVES AS A BASIS TO NAVIGATE THE ABOLISHMENT OF REPRESSIVE TERMS.

1. Intersectionality:
   Oppression is not monolithic, and all of our lived identities affect how we interact with the world. These identities cannot be separated out, as these identities do not act independently of one another.
   
   

2. People first language:
   putting the person before the disability, housing situation, illness, marital status or disability, etc., because the condition of the individual is secondary to their humanity.
   
   

3. sex:
   biological male or female.  Scientific and medical label used to refer to the sexual organs with which one is born.
   
   

4. gender:
   social and cultural construct of "masculine" and "feminine"
   
   

5. gender identity:
   based in own self-definition, whereas gender encompasses and specifically refers to the cultural definitions of ourselves thrust upon us.
   Ex) someone might identify with woman, but is perceived and labeled as man by society.
   
   

6. gender expression:
   how someone decides to express their gender identity, but it does not need to be the same as gender identity. It is what how one WANTS to be perceived as by society, how someone decides to manifest their gender to the outside world.
   
   

7. sexuality:
   how one chooses to engage in CONSETUAL sex (it is none of anyone's business, unless they want it to be).