Pageboy: A Memoir

The LGBTQ community is a historical and contemporary alliance of shared culture and solidarity among people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning their identities. “Lesbian” is a term for women who are exclusively attracted to other women; “gay” is a term for men who are exclusively attracted to other men, though it is also sometimes used to refer to lesbians or as an umbrella term. “Bisexual” refers to people of any gender who are attracted to multiple genders (for example, a woman who is attracted to men and women, or a man who is attracted to people regardless of gender).

“Transgender” refers to people whose gender identity does not match the gender they were assigned at birth; for instance, a person who was assigned female at birth but who had a strong inner sense that they were a man would be a transgender man, or trans man. “Transgender” can also encompass nonbinary identities, meaning gender identities that exist beyond the man/woman binary. Transgender and nonbinary people may change their names and the pronouns they use to better reflect how they would like other people to address them. They may also pursue gender-affirming medical care such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), vocal training, or surgery.