Hinsegin dagar í Reykjavík - 01.08.2021, Qupperneq 11

Queer is an umbrella term for people whose sexual
orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics and/or
gender expression does not conform to societal norms
and expectations.
The queer umbrella includes (but is not limited to)
trans people, gay men, lesbians, bisexual, pansexual,
asexual and intersex people.
Sexual orientation describes who a person is attracted to or
falls in love with. Sexual orientation is unique to each individual.
It can be static or change over time. People can be attracted to
individuals of the same gender, of another gender, more than one
gender and for some people gender is not a factor in their attraction.
Some people experience little or no attraction to other people. Some people
choose to name or label their sexual orientation, but others do not.
Heterosexual: attraction to people of a different gender (straight)
Homosexual: attraction to people of the same gender (gay/lesbian)
Bisexual: attraction to people of more than one gender
Pansexual: attraction to people regardless of their gender
Asexual: experiencing little or no sexual attraction
towards other people
BDSM orientation: attraction to people that share a need for
consensual and negotiated power exchange
Sex characteristics are about biology. Sex characteristics are e.g. our
hormones, chromosomes and reproductive organs, both internal and
external. Most people are born with sex characteristics that align with
typical male or female bodies. However, some people are born with sex
characteristics that do not fit these norms. Some people who have atypical
sex characteristics use the term intersex to describe themselves.
Endosex: people born with sex characteristics that align with
typical male or female bodies
Intersex: people born with sex characteristics that do not fit the
typical definition of male and female bodies
Gender identity is about one’s own sense and feelings of gender. Gender
identity is not about genitals, biology or appearance, but rather about how we
experience our gender. Some people’s gender identity aligns with the gender
they were assigned at birth (i.e. the gender which is assumed based on their
genitalia); in other words, they are cisgender. Other people’s gender identity
does not align with the gender they were assigned at birth; in other words,
they are trans (sometimes referred to as transgender).
Cisgender: a person whose gender identity aligns with the gender
they were assigned at birth
Transgender: an umbrella term for people whose gender identity
does not match the gender they were assigned at birth
Trans woman: a woman who was assigned male at birth
Trans man: a man who was assigned female at birth
Non-binary: someone who does not identify as either a man
or a woman, but perhaps in between, as both or
neither. Some prefer genderqueer or another term
Gender confirmation / transitioning:
a medical process some trans people go through
e.g. taking hormones or having surgery
For more information and support:
Samtökin ’78 – The National Queer Organisation of Iceland
www.samtokin78.is
skrifstofa@samtokin78.is tel. 552 7878
The office is open every weekday from 1pm to 4pm
For further information on queer terminology, stories
of personal experience and queer theory, please visit
Samtökin ‘78’s information website www.otila.is
WHAT IS
Gender expression is how people communicate their gender through body
language, clothing and hairstyle, behaviour and so on. Gender expression is
often viewed on a spectrum between masculinity and femininity and is
imprinted in people from an early age. Ideas about gender and gender
expression are culturally informed and often based on stereotypes.
Masculine gender expression: aligns with societal expectations for men
Feminine gender expression : aligns with societal expectations for women
Androgynous gender expression:
can be a combination or interplay of masculinity
and femininity into an ambiguous form
Atypical/gender non-conforming gender expression:
does not conform to stereotypical or societal
expectations of gender
WHAT IS SEXUAL ORIENTATION? WHAT IS GENDER IDENTITY
WHAT ARE SEX CHARACTERISTICS
Illustration: The Q
ueer Youth center
WHAT IS GENDER EXPRESSION?