Your Voice Diversity Representation Glossary of Terms

Terms used in the Your Voice Survey September 2022. For more information visit the Your Voice site.
Gender Identities
Cisgender: A term used to describe a person whose gender identity aligns with those typically associated with the sex
assigned to them at birth.
Intersex: Intersex people are born with a variety of differences in their sex traits and reproductive anatomy. There is a wide
variety of difference among intersex variations, including differences in genitalia, chromosomes, gonads, internal sex
organs, hormone production, hormone response, and/or secondary sex traits.
Nonbinary: Both a specific identity and an umbrella term to describes a person who does not identify exclusively as a man or
woman. Nonbinary people may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between, or as falling completely
outside of these categories. While some may identify as transgender, not all nonbinary people do.
Queer: A term people often use to express a spectrum of identities and orientations that are counter to the mainstream.
Queer is often used as a catch-all to include many people, including those who do not identify as exclusively as straight
and/or folks who have non-binary or gender-expansive identities. This term was previously used as a slur and has been
reclaimed by many parts of the LGBTQ+ movement.
Transgender: An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations
based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply specific sexual orientation. Therefore,
transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc.
Self-Describe: Assign a particular characteristic or categorization to oneself; describe oneself as belonging to a particular
category or group.

Sexual Orientation
Asexual: Refers to a complete or partial lack of sexual attraction or lack of interest in sexual activity with others. Asexuality
exists on a spectrum, and asexual people may experience no, little or conditional sexual attraction.
Bisexual: A person emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to more than one sex, gender or gender identity though
not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the same degree.
Gay: A person who is emotionally, romantically, or sexuallyy attracted to members of the same gender. Men, women, and
non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves.
Heterosexual (straight): Describes a person who is attracted only or almost only to the "other" gender.
Lesbian: A woman who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to other women. Women and non-binary people
may use this term to describe themselves.
Pansexual: Describes someone who has the potential for emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to people of any gender
though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the same degree.
Queer: A term people often use to express a spectrum of identities and orientations that are counter to the mainstream.
Queer is often used as a catch-all to include many people, including those who do not identify as exclusively as straight
and/or folks who have non-binary or gender-expansive identities. This term was previously used as a slur and has been
reclaimed by many parts of the LGBTQ+ movement.
Self-Describe: Assign a particular characteristic or categorization to oneself; describe oneself as belonging to a particular
category or group.

Physical health, neurodivergent condition, disability

Disability: A loss or limitation of opportunities to take part in society on an equal level with others due to social and
environmental barriers.
Invisible Disability: A hidden disability is a disability that may not be immediately obvious to others, i.e. non physical signs
and include learning difficulties, mental health as well as mobility, speech, visual and/or hearing impairments.
Neurodiversity: Neurodiversity refers specifically to the limitless variability of human cognition and the uniqueness of each
human mind. We are ALL Neurodiverse because no two humans on the planet are exactly alike.
Physical Health Conditions: A physical health condition refers to any condition that has a short or long-term effect on your
ability to comfortably undergo daily activities without requiring medical support e.g. medication, hospital treatment etc. this
includes; physical structure conditions (e.g. sight loss, D/deaf or hear of hearing, joint disorders, arthritis etc.), non-
communicable diseases (e.g. cancer, cardiovascular disease etc), communicable diseases (e.g. Human Immunodeficiency
Virus (HIV), etc).

Caregiver
A family member or paid helper who regularly looks after a child or a sick, older/senior person, or a person with disability.
It may be a person who is responsible for the direct care, protection, and supervision of children in a childcare home, or
someone who tends to the needs of an older/senior person or a person with a disability.

Ethnicity or Heritage
1. Relating to or characteristic of a human group having racial, religious, linguistic, and certain other traits in common
2. Relating to the classification of mankind into groups, esp. on the basis of racial characteristics
3. Denoting or deriving from the cultural traditions of a group of people.

Faith
A belief with strong conviction; a firm belief in something important to an individual or group.
Someone with faith has complete trust, confidence, reliance, or devotion to a religion, God or
a higher power or other strongly held beliefs