1
Ableism (n.)
Beliefs or practices that rest on the assumption that being able-bodied is “normal” while other states of being need to be “fixed” or altered. This can result in devaluing or discriminating against people with physical, intellectual or psychiatric disabilities. Institutionalized ableism may include or take the form of un/intentional organizational barriers that result in disparate treatment of people with disabilities. (Definition found here.)
Words to Avoid: “lame,” “dumb,” “retarded,” “blind,” “deaf,”. “idiot,” “imbecile,' “nuts,” “psycho,” and “spaz.”
2
Accessibility (n.)
The "ability to access" the functionality of a system or entity, and gain the related benefits. The degree to which a product, service, or environment is accessible by as many people as possible. Accessible design ensures both direct (unassisted) access and indirect access through assistive technology (e.g., computer screen readers). Universal design ensures that an environment can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people. (Definition found here.)
3
Adultism (n.)
Behaviors and attitudes based on the assumption that adults are better than young people, and entitled to act upon young people without their permission. This treatment is reinforced by social institutions, laws, customs and attitudes. (Definition found here.)
4
Agender (n.)
Not identifying with any gender, the feeling of having no gender. (Definition found here.)
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Affirmative Action (n.)
A set of procedures designed to; eliminate unlawful discrimination among applicants, remedy the results of such prior discrimination, and prevent such discrimination in the future. Applicants may be seeking admission to an educational program or looking for professional employment. (Definition found here.)
6
African American (n.)
Refers to the ethnic group of Americans who come from African descent. (Definition found here.)
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Age-ism (n.)
Prejudiced thoughts and discriminatory actions based on differences in age; usually that of younger persons against older. (Definition found here.)
8
Advocate (n.)
Someone who speaks up for themselves and members of their identity group; e.g. a person who lobbies for equal pay for a specific group. (Definition found here.)
9
Ally (n.)
A person of one social identity group who stands up in support of members of another group. Typically, member of dominant group standing beside member(s) of targeted group; e.g., a male arguing for equal pay for women. (Definition found here.)
Notes: Allies are people who recognize the unearned privilege they receive from society’s patterns of injustice and take responsibility for changing these patterns. Being an ally is more than being sympathetic and feeling bad for those who experience discrimination. An ally is willing to act with, and for, others in pursuit of ending oppression and creating equality. Real allies are willing to step out of their comfort zones. Those who decide to undertake the ally role must recognize and understand the power and privileges that one receives, accepts, and experiences and they use that position to act for justice (Akbar, 2020).
10
Androgynous (n.)
A person whose identity is between the two traditional genders. (Definition found here.)
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Anti-Racist (n.)
Being critically aware of the existence of racism and understanding how it is systemic. An anti-racist person actively seeks to acknowledge the impacts of racism. (Definition found here.)
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Anti-Semitism (n.)
The fear or hatred of Jews, Judaism, and related symbols. (Definition found here.)
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Assigned Sex
What a doctor determines to be your physical sex birth based on the appearance of one's primary sex characteristics. (Definition found here.)
14
Assimilation (n.)
A process by which outsiders (persons who are others by virtue of cultural heritage, gender, age, religious background, and so forth) are brought into, or made to take on the existing identity of the group into which they are being assimilated. The term has had a negative connotation in recent educational literature, imposing coercion and a failure to recognize and value diversity. It is also understood as a survival technique for individuals or groups. (Definition found here.)
15
A-Sexuality (n.)
Little or no romantic, emotional and/or sexual attraction toward other persons. Asexual could be described as non-sexual, but asexuality is different from celibacy, which is a choice to not engage in sexual behaviors with another person. (Definition found here.)
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Belonging (n.)
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17
Bias (n.)
Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in an unfair or negative way. Unconscious bias, also known as implicit bias, is defined as “attitudes and stereotypes that influence judgment, decision-making, and behavior in ways that are outside of conscious awareness and/or control”. (Definition found here.)
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Bigotry (n.)
An unreasonable or irrational attachment to negative stereotypes and prejudices. (Definition found here.)
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BIPOC
Black, Indigenous, People of Color. Term commonly used to describe individuals who are not considered white. (Definition found here.)
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Bi-Phobia (n.)
The fear or hatred of homosexuality (and other non‐heterosexual identities), and persons perceived to be bisexual. (Definition found here.)
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Bi-Racial (adj.)
A person who identifies as coming from two races. A person whose biological parents are of two different races. (Definition found here.)
22
Bi-Sexual (adj.)
A romantic, sexual, or/and emotional attraction toward people of all sexes. A person who identifies as bisexual is understood to have attraction to male and female identified persons. However, it can also mean female attraction and non-binary, or other identifiers. It is not restricted to only CIS identifiers. (Definition found here.)
23
Black (adj.)
Any various populations that have a dark pigmentation of skin who identify as Black, including those in the African Diaspora and within Africa. Should be capitalized. (Definition found here.)
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Black Face (n.)
dark makeup worn to mimic the appearance of a Black person and especially to mock or ridicule Black people. (Definition found here.)
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Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter is a human rights movement, originating in the African-American community, that campaigns against violence and systemic racism toward black people. The movement began with the use of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of African-American teen Trayvon Martin in February 2012. (Definition found here.)
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Body Positivity
Body positivity refers to the assertion that all people deserve to have a positive body image, regardless of how society and popular culture view ideal shape, size, and appearance. (Definition found here.)
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Categorization (n.)
The natural cognitive process of grouping and labeling people, things, etc. based on their similarities. Categorization becomes problematic when the groupings become oversimplified and rigid (e.g. stereotypes). (Definition found here.)
28
Cis-gender (adj.)
From the Latin cis-, meaning “on this side.” A person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth. For example, a person identified as female at birth who identifies as a woman can be said to be a cisgender woman. (Definition found here.)
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Cis-sexism (n.)
Oppression based assumption that transgender identities and sex embodiments are less legitimate than cis-gender ones. (Definition found here.)
30
Classism (n.)
Prejudiced thoughts and discriminatory actions based on a difference in socioeconomic status, income, class; usually by upper classes against lower. (Definition found here.)
31
Colonization (n.)
The action or process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area. The action of appropriating a place or domain for one's own use. (Definition found here.)
32
Color Blind
The belief in treating everyone “equally” by treating everyone the same; based on the presumption that differences are by definition bad or problematic, and therefore best ignored (i.e., “I don’t see race, gender, etc.”). (Definition found here.)
33
Colorism (n.)
A form of prejudice or discrimination in which people are treated differently based on the social meanings attached to skin color.
(Definition found here.)
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Conscious Bias (Explicit Bias)
Refers to the attitudes and beliefs we have about a person or group on a conscious level. Much of the time, these biases and their expression arise as the direct result of a perceived threat. When people feel threatened, they are more likely to draw group boundaries to distinguish themselves from others. (Definition found here.)
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Critical Race Theory
Critical race theory in education challenges the dominant discourse on race and racism as they relate to education by examining how educational theory, policy, and practice are used to subordinate certain racial and ethnic groups. (Definition found here.)
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Cultural Appropriation
The adoption or theft of icons, rituals, aesthetic standards, and behavior from one culture or subculture by another. It is generally applied when the subject culture is a minority culture or somehow subordinate in social, political, economic, or military status to appropriating culture. This “appropriation” often occurs without any real understanding of why the original culture took part in these activities, often converting culturally significant artifacts, practices, and beliefs into “meaningless” pop-culture or giving them a significance that is completely different/less nuanced than they would originally have had. (Definition found here.)
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D.A.C.A (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)
An American immigration policy that allows some individuals who were brought to the United States without inspection as children to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and become eligible for a work permit in the U.S. (Definition found here.)
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Dialogue (n.)
"Communication that creates and recreates multiple understandings” (Wink, 1997). It is bi-directional, not zero‐sum and may or may not end in agreement. It can be emotional and uncomfortable, but is safe, respectful and has greater understanding as its goal. (Definition found here.)
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Disability (n.)
An impairment that may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, sensory, or some combination of these. It substantially affects a person's life activities and may be present from birth or occur during a person's lifetime. (Definition found here.)
Terms to Avoid: "handicapped," "able-bodied," "physically challenged," and "differently abled" (Learn more...)
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Discrimination (n.)
The denial of justice and fair treatment by both individuals and institutions in many areas, including employment, education, housing, banking, and political rights. Discrimination is an action that can follow prejudiced thinking. (Definition found here.)
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Diversity (n.)
The condition of being different or having differences. Differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, health, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, religion, physical size, education level, job and function, personality traits, and other human differences. Some describe organizational diversity as social heterogeneity. (Definition found here.)
42
Dominant Culture (n.)
The cultural values, beliefs, and practices that are assumed to be the most common and influential within a given society. (Definition found here.)
43
Domestic Partner (n.)
Either member of an unmarried, cohabiting, straight and same-sex couple that seeks benefits usually available only to spouses. (Definition found here.)
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Drag Queen / King
A man or woman dressed as the opposite gender, usually for the purpose of performance or entertainment. Many times, overdone or outrageous and may present a “stereotyped image.” (Definition found here.)
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Employee Resource Group [ERG] (n.)
Abbreviation for Employee Resource Group. Typically, an employer-sponsored or –recognized affinity group of those who share the interests and concerns common to those of a particular race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. (Definition found here.)
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Equality (n.)
A state of affairs in which all people within a specific society or isolated group have the same status in certain respects, including civil rights, freedom of speech, property rights and equal access to certain social goods and services. (Definition found here.)
47
Equity (n.)
Takes into consideration the fact that the social identifiers (race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc.) do, in fact, affect equality. In an equitable environment, an individual or a group would be given what was needed to give them equal advantage. This would not necessarily be equal to what others were receiving. It could be more or different. Equity is an ideal and a goal, not a process. It insures that everyone has the resources they need to succeed. (Definition found here.)
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Euro-Centric (n.)
The inclination to consider European culture as normative. While the term does not imply an attitude of superiority (since all cultural groups have the initial right to understand their own culture as normative), most use the term with a clear awareness of the historic oppressiveness of Eurocentric tendencies in U.S and European society. (Definition found here.)
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Feminism (n.)
The advocacy of women's rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes. (Definition found here.)
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Gaslighting (n.)
First popularized in the 1944 movie Gas Light, it means a deliberate attempt to undermine a victim’s sense of reality or sanity. In a work context, it usually means behaviors that undermine the success, self-confidence, self-esteem or wellbeing of the target. For people in underrepresented or less powerful groups, it is more likely to occur, with more severe and harmful cumulative effects. Tactics can include withholding (critical information, meeting invitations, silent treatment), isolation (exclusion, causing conflict with coworkers), and discrediting (consistently shooting down the target’s ideas, ignoring or taking credit for them). (Definition found here.)
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Gay (n.)
A person who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to members of the same gender. (Definition found here.)
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Gender (n.)
The socially constructed concepts of masculinity and femininity; the “appropriate” qualities accompanying biological sex. (Definition found here.)
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Gender Bending (n.)
Dressing or behaving in such a way as to question the traditional feminine or masculine qualities assigned to articles of clothing, jewelry, mannerisms, activities, etc. (Definition found here.)
54
Gender Dysphoria [Gender Identity Disorder] (n.)
Significant, clinical distress caused when a person’s assigned birth gender is not the same as the one with which they identify. The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) consider Gender Identity Disorder as “intended to better characterize the experiences of affected children, adolescents, and adults.” (Definition found here.)
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Gender Expression (n.)
External manifestations of gender, expressed through a person's name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, and/or body characteristics. (Definition found here.)
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Gender Fluid (n.)
A person who does not identify with a single fixed gender; of or relating to a person having or expressing a fluid or unfixed gender identity. (Definition found here.)
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Gender Identity (n.)
Your internal sense of self; how you relate to your gender(s). (Definition found here.)
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Gender Queer (n.)
Gender queer people typically reject notions of static categories of gender and embrace a fluidity of gender identity and often, though not always, sexual orientation. People who identify as “gender queer” may see themselves as both male or female aligned, neither male or female or as falling completely outside these categories. (Definition found here.)
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Hate Crime (n.)
Hate crime legislation often defines a hate crime as a crime motivated by the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person. (Definition found here.)
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Health Equity (n.)
Ensuring that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care (Braveman et al., 2017). (Definition found here.)
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Hetero-sexism (n.)
The presumption that everyone is, and should be, heterosexual. (Definition found here.)
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Heterosexuality (n.)
An enduring romantic, emotional and/or sexual attraction toward people of the other sex. The term “straight” is commonly used to refer to heterosexual people. (Definition found here.)
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Hispanic (adj.)
escribes people, descendants, and cultures of Spanish-speaking countries, including many Latin American countries and Spain. (Definition found here.)
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Homophobia (n.)
The fear or hatred of homosexuality (and other non‐heterosexual identities), and persons perceived to be gay or lesbian. (Definition found here.)
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Inclusion (n.)
Authentically bringing traditionally excluded individuals and/or groups into processes, activities, and decision/policy making in a way that shares power. (Definition found here.)
The APA describes inclusion as an environment that offers affirmation, celebration, and appreciation of different approaches, styles, perspectives, and experiences, thus allowing all individuals to bring in their whole selves (and all their identities) and to demonstrate their strengths and capacity (APA, 2021b).
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Inclusive Language
Refers to non-sexist language or language that “includes” all persons in its references. For example, “a writer needs to proofread his work” excludes females due to the masculine reference of the pronoun. Likewise, “a nurse must disinfect her hands” is exclusive of males and stereotypes nurses as females. (Definition found here.)
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Indigenous People
Individuals of specific cultural groups who live within (or are attached to) distinct traditional territories. (Definition found here.)
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Institutional Racism
It is widely accepted that racism is, by definition, institutional. Institutions have greater power to reward and penalize. They reward by providing career opportunities for some people and foreclosing them for others. They reward as well by the way social goods are distributed, by deciding who receives institutional benefits. (Definition found here.)
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Intergenerational Trauma
the transmission of trauma or its legacy, in the form of a psychological consequence of an injury or attack, poverty, and so forth, from the generation experiencing the trauma to subsequent generations. The transference of this effect is believed to be epigenetic—that is, the transmission affects the chemical marker for a gene rather than the gene itself. The trauma experienced by the older generation is translated into a genetic adaptation that can be passed on to successive generations (Akbar, 2017; APA, 2017a; Menakem, 2017; Whitbeck et al., 2004 - Definition found here).
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Internalized Homophobia
Among lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals, internalized sexual stigma (also called internalized homophobia) refers to the personal acceptance and endorsement of sexual stigma as part of the individual's value system and self-concept. It is the counterpart to sexual prejudice among heterosexuals. (Definition found here.)
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Internalized Oppression
The process whereby individuals in the target group make oppression internal and personal by coming to believe that the lies, prejudices, and stereotypes about them are true. Members of target groups exhibit internalized oppression when they alter their attitudes, behaviors, speech, and self-confidence to reflect the stereotypes and norms of the dominant group. Internalized oppression can create low self-esteem, self-doubt, and even self-loathing. It can also be projected outward as fear, criticism, and distrust of members of one’s target group. (Definition found here.)
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Internalized Racism
When individuals from targeted racial groups internalize racist beliefs about themselves or members of their racial group. Examples include using creams to lighten one’s skin, believing that white leaders are inherently more competent, asserting that individuals of color are not as intelligent as white individuals, believing that racial inequality is the result of individuals of color not raising themselves up “by their bootstraps”. (Jackson & Hardiman, 1997) (Definition found here.)
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Intersectionality (n.)
The complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect, and their multiple effects on the same individuals or groups. Also refers to the view that overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination and inequality can more effectively be addressed together. (Definition found here.)
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Intersex (adj.)
An umbrella term describing people born with reproductive or sexual anatomy and/or chromosome pattern that can't be classified as typically male or female. (Definition found here.)
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Latinx/o/a/e (adj.)
Used to describe people and cultural of Latin American descent. (Definition found here.)
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Lesbian (n.)
A woman who is attracted to other women. Also used as an adjective describing such women. (Definition found here.)
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LGBTQIA+
Acronym encompassing the diverse groups of lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and asexual and/or corresponding queer alliances/associations. It is a common misconception that the "A" stands for allies/ally. The full acronym is "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, with all other queer identities that are not encompassed by the letters themselves being represented by the "+". (Definition found here.)
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Marginalized (adj.)
Excluded, ignored, or relegated to the outer edge of a group/society/community. (Definition found here.)
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Microaggression (n.)
A comment or action that unconsciously or unintentionally expresses or reveals a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group, such as a racial minority. These small, common occurrences include insults, slights, stereotyping, undermining, devaluing, delegitimizing, overlooking or excluding someone. Over time, microaggressions can isolate and alienate those on the receiving end, and affect their health and wellbeing. (Definition found here.)
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Multi-Ethnic (adj.)
An individual that comes from more than one ethnicity. An individual whose parents are born with more than one ethnicity. (Definition found here.)
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Multiplicity (n.)
The quality of having multiple, simultaneous social identities (e.g., being male and Buddhist and working-class). (Definition found here.)
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Neurodiversity (n.)
When neurological differences are recognized and respected as are any other kind of human differences or variations. These differences can include Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dyscalculia, Autistic Spectrum, and Tourette Syndrome. (Definition found here.)
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Non-Binary (adj.)
Terms used by some people who experience their gender identity and/or gender expression as falling outside the categories of man and woman. (Definition found here.)
Other Terms Include: Gender Queer, Gender Variant
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Oppression (n.)
When an agent group, whether knowingly or unknowingly, abuses a target group. This pervasive system is rooted historically and maintained through individual and institutional/systematic discrimination, personal bias, bigotry, and social prejudice, resulting in a condition of privilege for the agent group at the expense of the target group; reinforced by law, policy and cultural norms that allow for differential treatment on the basis of identity. Only people groups that do not have social power can experience oppression.
(Discrimination + Social Power = Oppression)
(Definition found here.)
Other Terms Include: Gender Queer, Gender Variant
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Pan-sexual (adj.)
A term referring to the potential for sexual attractions or romantic love toward people of all gender identities and biological sexes. The concept of pan-sexuality deliberately rejects the gender binary and derives its origin from the transgender movement. (Definition found here.)
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Polyamory (n.)
Polyamory is the desire, practice, or acceptance of having more than one loving, intimate relationship at a time, with the full knowledge and consent of everyone involved. Unlike cheating and adultery, all polyamorous relationships are characterized by honesty, open and frequent communication, and mutually agreed-upon boundaries. While some people briefly experiment with polyamorous relationships, many people identify as polyamorous for most of their lives. (UC Berkley, 2021) (Definition found here.)
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Positionality (n.)
Our social position or place in a given society in relation to race, ethnicity, and other statuses (e.g., social class, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, ability, religion) within systems of power and oppression. Positionality refers to our individual identities and the intersection of those identities and statuses with systems of privilege and oppression. Positionality shapes our psychological experiences, worldview, perceptions others have of us, social relationships, and access to resources (Muhammad et al., 2015). Positionality therefore means actively understanding and negotiating the systemic processes and hierarchy of power and the ways that our statuses affect our relationships because of power dynamics related to privilege and oppression (APA, 2019b - Definition found here.)
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Prejudice (n.)
A prejudgment or preconceived opinion, feeling, or belief, usually negative, often based on stereotypes, that includes feelings such as dislike or contempt and is often enacted as discrimination or other negative behavior; OR, a set of negative personal beliefs about a social group that leads individuals to prejudge individuals from that group or the group in general, regardless of individual differences among members of that group. (Definition found here).
The APA defines prejudice as a negative attitude toward another person or group formed in advance of any experience with that person or group. Prejudices can include an affective component (e.g., nervousness, anger, contempt, pity, hatred) and a cognitive component (assumptions and beliefs about groups, including stereotypes). Prejudice is typically manifested behaviorally through discriminatory behavior. Prejudicial attitudes tend to be resistant to change because they distort our perception of information about the target group. Prejudice based on racial grouping is racism; prejudice based on perceived sexual orientation is homophobia and biphobia; prejudice based on sex or gender (including transphobia) is sexism; prejudice based on chronological age is ageism; and prejudice based on disability is ableism (APA, 2021b).
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Privilege (n.)
An unearned, sustained advantage that comes from race, gender, sexuality, ability, socioeconomic status, age, and other differences. (Definition found here.)
A person has privilege not because they desire to have privilege or promote inequity but because they exist within a system where biased values, attitudes, and behaviors have become integrated and normalized (APA, 2019b).
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Pronouns
Words to refer to a person after initially using their name. Gendered pronouns include she and he, her and him, hers and his, and herself and himself. "Preferred gender pronouns" (or PGPs) are the pronouns that people ask others to use in reference to themselves. They may be plural genderneutral pronouns such as they, them, their(s). Or, they may be ze (rather than she or he) or hir (rather 3 than her(s) and him/his). Some people state their pronoun preferences as a form of allyship. (Definition found here.)
Learn more about pronouns here.
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Queer (n.)
An umbrella term that can refer to anyone who transgresses society's view of gender or sexuality. The definition indeterminacy of the word Queer, its elasticity, is one of its constituent characteristics: "A zone of possibilities." (Definition found here.)
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Race (n.)
A social construct that artificially divides individuals into distinct groups based on characteristics such as physical appearance (particularly skin color), ancestral heritage, cultural affiliation or history, ethnic classification, and/or the social, economic, and political needs of a society at a given period of time. Scientists agree that there is no biological or genetic basis for racial categories. (Definition found here.)
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Racial Equity
Racial equity is the condition that would be achieved if one's racial identity is no longer predicted, in a statistical sense, how one fares. When this term is used, the term may imply that racial equity is one part of racial justice, and thus also includes work to address the root causes of inequities, not just their manifestations. This includes the elimination of policies, practices, attitudes and cultural messages that reinforce differential outcomes by race or fail to eliminate them. (Definition found here.)
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Racial Profiling
The use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed an offense. (Definition found here.)
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Racial Trauma
Racial Trauma or race-based stress, comes from dealing with racial harassment, racial violence, or institutional racism (see Instiutional Racism). Can result from major experiences of racism such as workplace discrimination or hate crimes, or it can be the result of accumulation of many small occurences, such as microaggressions. (Definition found here.)
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Racism (n.)
A belief that racial differences produce or are associated with inherent superiority or inferiority. Racially-based prejudice, discrimination, hostility or hatred. Institutionalized racism, also known as systemic racism, refers to forms of racism that are engrained in society or organizations. It is when entire racial groups are discriminated against, or consistently disadvantaged, by larger social systems, practices, choices or policies. (Definition found here.)
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Sex (n.)
Biological classification of male or female (based on genetic or physiological features); as opposed to gender. (Definition found here.)
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Sexism (n.)
Prejudiced thoughts and discriminatory actions based on a difference in sex/gender; usually by men against women. (Definition found here.)
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Sexual Orientation
One's natural preference in sexual partners; examples include homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality. Sexual orientation is not a choice, it is determined by a complex interaction of biological, genetic, and environmental factors. (Definition found here.)
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Social Justice
A broad term for action intended to create genuine equality, fairness, and respect among peoples. (Definition found here.)
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Social Oppression
This condition exists when one social group, whether knowingly or unconsciously, exploits another group for its own benefit. (Definition found here.)
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Stereotype (n.)
Blanket beliefs and expectations about members of certain groups that present an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment. They go beyond necessary and useful categorizations and generalizations in that they are typically negative, are based on little information and are highly generalized. (Definition found here.)
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System of Oppression
Conscious and unconscious, non‐random, and organized harassment, discrimination, exploitation, discrimination, prejudice and other forms of unequal treatment that impact different groups. (Definition found here.)
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Systemic Racism
Complex interactions of culture, policy, and institutions that create and maintain racial inequality in nearly every facet of life for people of color. (Definition found here.)
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Tolerance (n.)
Acceptance, and open‐mindedness to different practices, attitudes, and cultures; does not necessarily mean agreement with the differences. (Definition found here.)
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Token-ism (n.)
Hiring or seeking to have representation such as a few women and/or racial or ethnic minority persons so as to appear inclusive while remaining mono-cultural. (Definition found here.)
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Transgender (adj.)
An umbrella term used to describe a person whose gender identity is something other than their Sex Assigned at Birth (SAAB). The SAAB is a person’s first association with gender, typically based on physical sex characteristics. (Definition found here.)
Notes from The Trevor Project: The term “transgender” should only be used as an adjective and never as a noun. Also, the term “Transgendered” is grammatically incorrect and should never be used. Other offensive words include: tranny, transvestite, she-male, he/she, lady man, shim, “it,” or transsexual (although some individuals prefer it).
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Transphobia (n.)
Fear or hatred of transgender people; transphobia is manifested in a number of ways, including violence, harassment, and discrimination. This phobia can exist in LGB and straight communities.(Definition found here.)
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Unconscious Bias (Implicit Bias)
Social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness. Everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups, and these biases stem from one’s tendency to organize social worlds by categorizing. (Definition found here.)
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Underrepresented Minorities [URM]
Fear or hatred of transgender people; transphobia is manifested in a number of ways, including violence, harassment, and discrimination. This phobia can exist in LGB and straight communities. (Definition found here.)
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Undocumented (adj.)
A foreign-born person living in the United States without legal citizenship status. (Definition found here.)
Terms to Avoid: "Alien", "illegal" (Learn more...)
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Whiteness (n.)
A broad social construction that embraces the white culture, history, ideology, racialization, expressions, and economic, experiences, epistemology, and emotions and behaviors and nonetheless reaps material, political, economic, and structural benefits for those socially deemed white. (Definition found here.)
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White Fragility
Coined by Robin D’Angelo in this article, it is used to describe the privilege that accrues to white people living in a society that protects and insulates them from race-based stress. D’Angelo argues that this builds an expectation of always feeling comfortable and safe, which in turn lowers the ability to tolerate racial stress and triggers a range of defensive reactions. (Definition found here.)
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White Privilege
White Privilege is the spillover effect of racial prejudice and White institutional power. It means, for example, that a White person in the United States has privilege, simply because one is White. It means that as a member of the dominant group a White person has greater access or availability to resources because of being White. It means that White ways of thinking and living are seen as the norm against which all people of color are compared. Life is structured around those norms for the benefit of White people. White privilege is the ability to grow up thinking that race doesn’t matter. It is not having to daily think about skin color and the questions, looks, and hurdles that need to be overcome because of one’s color. White Privilege may be less recognizable to some White people because of gender, age, sexual orientation, economic class or physical or mental ability, but it remains a reality because of one’s membership in the White dominant group. (Definition found here.)
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White Supremacy
White supremacy is a historically based, institutionally perpetuated system of exploitation and oppression of continents, nations and individuals of color by white individuals and nations of the European continent for the purpose of maintaining and defending a system of wealth, power and privilege. (Definition found here.)
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Xenophobia (n.)
Hatred or fear of foreigners/strangers or of their politics or culture. (Definition found here.)