Sexual orientation is an often enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, or both. It also refers to an individual’s sense of personal and social identity based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions and behaviors.
Transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity or gender expression does not conform to that typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth. Some who do not identify as either male or female prefer the term “gender nonbinary” or “genderqueer.”
Sexual orientation and gender identity are not the same thing—they are distinct aspects of being a person. Children have a sense of their gender from about ages 3–5, and people develop a sexual orientation as they mature.
Adapted from Answers to your questions for a better understanding of sexual orientation and homosexuality and Answers to your questions about transgender people, gender identity, and gender expression
Grassroots and state-level advocacy
The last several years have seen an unprecedented spike in legislation around the country related to LGBTQ+ people
