HNY Inclusive Language Guidance > ‘Inclusive language: sexual orientation and gender identity’ – video transcript

‘Inclusive language: sexual orientation and gender identity’ – video transcript

[ON SCREEN: Inclusive language: sexual orientation and gender identity]

We all have a sexual orientation and gender identity.

Sexual orientation is a person’s romantic, emotional, and / or sexual attraction or lack of attraction to another person.

People use a range of different terms to describe their sexual orientation. There are important distinctions between each.

The language we use is very personal, but some sexual orientations you might have heard of include…

• Straight or heterosexual: attraction towards people of the opposite gender.
• Gay: attraction towards people of the same gender.
• Lesbian: a woman who experiences attraction towards other women (although some prefer the term gay.)
• Bisexual: attraction towards more than one gender.
• Asexual or ace: a lack of, varying or occasional sexual attraction to others. Just as an aromantic person has regarding romantic attraction.

Sex and gender identity

Sex is a term – male, female, intersex / differences in sex development (or DSD) – assigned to a person at birth.

Our gender identity reflects our internal sense of who we are and how we see and describe ourselves.

As well as man and woman, someone may identify as non-binary – an umbrella term for where someone’s gender identity doesn’t sit comfortably within just these two options or gender fluid – not having a single, unchanging gender.

The word transgender or trans is an umbrella term to describe people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Top tips…

• Use gender inclusive language, for example, ‘chairperson’ or ‘partner’, where appropriate.
• Avoid making assumptions about a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Only ask about a person’s sex if it is biologically relevant to their health and care. Use gender instead.
• Actively share your pronouns and respect those of others.
• Always use the language a person uses to describe themselves.

NEVER share a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity without their explicit consent.

You can find out more in the Humber and North Yorkshire Inclusive Language Guidance.

[ENDS]

This page was last updated on Monday 7 April 2025.