Resources for Gender, Romantic and Sexual Minority People

by @LeftistTwink on Twitter

If you have anything to add, feel something in this carrd doesn't belong/is worded incorrectly or have any thoughts or constructive criticism at all, please DM me on Twitter!

lesbians and wlw
gay men and mlm
mspec
aspec
trans and gnc
intersex
polyamorous
community-wide
grsm people of colour
disabled grsm

Lesbians and WLW (Women-Loving-Women)

lesbian pride flag

sapphic/wlw pride flag

Lesbians are women (including people who identify only partially as women) who are exclusively attracted to women, romantically (homoromantic) and/or sexually (homosexual).
The word 'lesbian' is derived from the name of the Greek island of Lesbos, which was home to the 6th-century BCE poet Sappho, who expressed love for women in her poetry.

Sapphic and Women-Loving-Women (WLW) are terms that refer to women who are attracted to women, romantically and/or sexually, regardless of whether such attraction is exclusive or not; these labels are umbrella terms which unify all women who love women, such as lesbians, bisexual women, pansexual women, etc.
"Sapphic" is derived from Sappho. Since these are umbrella terms, they are typically not used as identities on their own, but they can be if desired.

Sappho and Alcaeus by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema

Resources for lesbians, WLW and WSW (women who have sex with women)

Gay Men and MLM (Men-Loving-Men)

gay man pride flag

achillean/mlm pride flag

Gay men are men (including people who identify only partially as men) who are exclusively attracted to men, romantically (homoromantic) and/or sexually (homosexual).
The term "vincian" is sometimes used as a masculine equivalent to the term lesbian. The term was coined in honor of Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci, who is widely rumored to have been involved in multiple MLM relationships.

Achillean and Men-Loving-Men (MLM) are terms that refer to men who are attracted to men, romantically and/or sexually, regardless of whether such attraction is exclusive or not; these labels are umbrella terms which unify all men who love men, such as gay men, bisexual men, pansexual men, etc.
The word achillean comes from the name of the hero in the Iliad, Achilles, who was romantically involved with another man, Patroclus. Since they are umbrella terms, they are typically not used as identities on their own, but they can be if desired.

Achilles tending Patroclus' wounds, c. 500 BCE

Resources for gay men, MLM and MSM (men who have sex with men):

Sexual resources:

Health resources:

Community resources:

Mspecs
(multiromantic and multisexual spectrums)

bisex. and birom. pride flag

polysex. and polyrom. pride flag

omnisexual and omniromantic pride flag

pansex. and panrom. pride flag

The Multiromantic spectrum encompasses a range of identities which describe experiences of romantic attraction to people of more than one gender. The Multisexual spectrum encompasses a range of identities which describe experiences of sexual attraction to people of more than one gender. Together, these spectrums and the people who are on them are referred to as mspec.

People who are not mspec are either aspec or they are monoromantic and/or monosexual- experiencing attraction to people of only one gender (heteroromantics/heterosexuals and homoromantics/homosexuals). These individuals experience monosexual/monoromantic privilege, as mspecs face a secondary level of challenges (such as discrimination and prejudice) within both allocishet (non-queer) and queer/GRSM spaces. Discrimination and prejudice towards mspecs is called multiphobia/mspecphobia or biphobia.

Bisexual and biromantic are the most well known mspec identities. People who are biromantic and/or bisexual are attracted to people of two or more genders, often (but by no means always) men and women.

Polysexual and polyromantic people are attracted to people of three or more genders. Some people also define this orientation as being attracted to "multiple but not all" genders.

Omnisexual and omniromantic people are attracted to people of all genders, where gender is a factor in attraction. This orientation is very similar to pansexual/panromantic in that omniromantic/omnisexual people are attracted to people of all genders, however the factor of gender in attraction is an important nuance for people who identify this way.

Pansexual and panromantic people are attracted to people of all genders, where gender is not a factor in attraction. This orientation is sometimes described as being "gender-blind" as gender does not matter at all to people who identify this way.

Resources for mspec people
Unfortunately most of these resources only use the term bisexual, however mspecs of all identities will find them useful, and many acknowledge other mspec identities

Aspecs
(aromantic and asexual spectrums)

aromantic pride flag

asexual pride flag

Aromanticism is a romantic orientation, which describes people whose experience of romance is disconnected from normative societal expectations, generally due to experiencing little to no romantic attraction, but also due to feeling repulsed by romance, or being uninterested in romantic relationships.

Asexuality is a sexual orientation, which describes people whose experience of sexuality is disconnected from normative societal expectations, generally due to experiencing little to no sexual attraction, but also due to feeling repulsed by sexuality, or being uninterested in sexual relationships.

Asexuality and aromanticism are both spectrums, in that they are not uniform experiences and contain many sub-identities. For this reason, these orientations are often described as the asexual spectrum and the aromantic spectrum. Together, both spectrums and the people who fall on them are called "aspec".

People who are not aspec (those who experience typical romantic and sexual attraction) are called allosexual and/or alloromantic (this includes mpsecs, heteroromantics/heterosexuals and homoromantics/homosexuals). These individuals experience allosexual/alloromantic or allo privilege, as aspecs face a secondary level of challenges (such as discrimination and prejudice) within both allocishet (non-queer) and queer/GRSM spaces. Discrimination and prejudice towards aspecs is called aphobia.

by maria-artz on tumblr

Resources for aromantics/aro-specs:

Resources for asexuals/ace-specs:

Resources for the aspec community:

TGNC People / Gender Minorities
(TGNC = Trans and Gender-Non-Conforming)

transgender pride flag

non-binary pride flag

genderqueer pride flag

A transgender or trans person is someone who does not identify, partially or entirely, with the gender they were assigned at birth. Non-binary people fall under the trans umbrella (although not every non-binary individual is comfortable being referred to as transgender/trans) and are people whose gender lies outside the binary of man/boy and woman/girl, partially or entirely.

People who are not transgender/trans (people who fully and exclusively identify with the gender they were assigned at birth) are called cisgender or cis. These individuals experience cisgender privilege, as trans people face a secondary level of challenges (such as discrimination and prejudice) within both allocishet (non-queer) and queer/GRSM spaces. Discrimination and prejudice towards trans people is called transphobia.

Gender-non-conforming (GNC) people are people of any gender or gender experience (cisgender/transgender) whose gender expression does not conform to traditional expectations. Although non-binary and gender-non-conforming are umbrella terms and describe large groups of people with varying identities and labels, some people use these terms, sometimes interchangeably, as their sole identity.

Resources for TGNC people:

Resources specifically for non-binary people:

Intersex People

intersex pride flag

Intersex people are individuals born with any of several variations in physiological sex characteristics including chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones or genitals that do not fit the typical definitions for "male" or "female" bodies.

from UN Free & Equal

Resources for intersex people:

Polyamorous People

polyamory pride flag

Polyamory (from Greek πολύ poly, "many, several", and Latin amor, "love") is the practice of, or desire for, intimate relationships with more than one partner, with the informed consent of all partners involved. Polyamory has come to be an umbrella term for various forms of non-monogamous, multi-partner relationships, or non-exclusive sexual or romantic relationships.

Resources for polyamorous people: