Serious Legal Problems faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Other Sexual-Minority People in Western Canada: A Qualitative Study

Glossary

*This glossary is not exhaustive and pertains only to terms found in this report. Most of the definitions are based on the Gender and Sexual Diversity Glossary found on this Canadian government website (Termium).

Cisgender:
Refers to people whose gender identity aligns with the sex assigned at their birth.
Cishetero-
sexism:
A complex set of structures, institutions, relations, and actions that promote and produce being cisgender and heterosexual as natural, self-evident, desirable, privileged, and necessary.
Decarceration:
The practice or policy – often tied to community campaigns – of reducing the number of people subject to imprisonment. Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decarceration.
Gender Identity:
A profound feeling or sense of being a man, woman, or any space within the gender spectrum.
Heterosexual:
Refers to any person who is sexually attracted to people of the opposite or different sex.
Homophobia:
Fear, hatred, or hostility towards sexual-minority people.
LGBTQ2+:
An acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (or Questioning), and Two-Spirit.
Microaggres-
sion:
The everyday, subtle, intentional — and oftentimes unintentional — interactions or behaviors that communicate some sort of bias toward historically marginalized groups. Source: https://www.npr.org/2020/06/08/872371063/microaggressions-are-a-big-deal-how-to-talk-them-out-and-when-to-walk-away.
Misgender:
Attributing a gender to a person that does not agree with their stated gender identity. This can include incorrect pronouns, titles, or words that differ from the person’s actual gender.
Queer:
A previously derogatory term for sexual minorities that has been reclaimed by some individuals in the LGBTQ2+ community to empower and establish identity.
Restorative Justice:
An approach to justice that focuses on addressing the harm caused by crime while holding the offender responsible for their actions, by providing an opportunity for the parties directly affected by the crime – victims, offenders, and communities – to identify and address their needs in the aftermath of a crime. Source: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/rj-jr/index.html.
Settler Colonialism:
An ongoing system of power that perpetuates the genocide and repression of Indigenous peoples and cultures. Settler colonialism normalizes continuous settler occupation and presumes the superiority of white European values over Indigenous forms of knowing and being. Source: https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780190221911/obo-9780190221911-0029.xml.
Transphobia:
The fear, hatred, disbelief, or mistrust of people who are transgender, thought to be transgender, or whose gender expression doesn’t conform to traditional gender roles.Source: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/gender-identity/transgender/whats-transphobia.