LGBTTQI
An umbrella term to include lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, takatāpui, queer, and intersex.
MtF / trans woman
Male-to-female / someone born with a male body who has a female gender identity.
MVPFAFF
An acronym to describe Pasifika identities; Mahu (Hawai’i and Tahiti), Vaka sa lewa lewa (Fiji), Palopa (Papua New Guinea) Fa’afafine (Samoa) Akava’ine (Rarotonga), Fakaleiti (Tonga), Fakafifine (Niue). The abbreviation is gaining increasing use to signify the existence of different Pacific cultures that have a strong presence in New Zealand. Other terms include Fakaleiti, Rae rae, and Fafafine.
Pansexual
Pansexual is characterised by physical or romantic attraction to others, regardless of their gender identity or biological sex. Pansexuality — sometimes known as omnisexuality — is derived from the Greek prefix ‘pan’, meaning ‘all’. As such, pansexuals may be attracted to those of all biological sexes or gender identities — including men, women, those who don’t identify with a specific …
Queer
Queer has been used as a derogatory term for gay and lesbian people in particular. Although some people continue to reject the term, it has been reclaimed and used in a positive sense by some to describe sexual orientation and/or gender identity or gender expression that does not conform to heteronormative expectations. It is sometimes used as an umbrella term …
Sexual orientation
This term describes the direction of one’s attraction, whether emotional, sexual or romantic, to other humans. Heterosexuality and homosexuality represent two ends of the spectrum of desire rather than a set of absolute categories, and sexual orientation may change over time.
Takatāpui
A traditional term meaning ‘intimate companion of the same sex’. It has been reclaimed to embrace all Māori who identify with diverse genders and sexualities such as whakawāhine, tangata ira tāne, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and queer. While some takatāpui identify as whakawāhine or tangata ira tāne, others identify as trans (an umbrella term for people who are transgender, …
Tangata ira tāne
Those born with the wairua of a man.
Trans*
Trans includes those who feel neither or both female/male or experience their gender as ‘fluid.’ This term is used to strategically describe gender diversity without using particular terms like transgender or transsexual. The asterisk signals that these terms are always evolving and incomplete and that language and identity categories can be limiting.
Transexual
This term is typically used for a person who has changed, or is in the process of changing, their physical sex to conform to their gender identity.