To understand the LGBTQ+ community, it is essential to distinguish between identity, expression, and attraction.

: An umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

: This is the process some transgender people undergo to live as their true gender. It can include social transition (changing name/pronouns), legal transition (updating IDs), or medical transition (hormone therapy or surgery). Not every transgender person pursues all, or any, of these steps.

: Who a person is romantically or sexually attracted to (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual).

: Many cultures have long recognized "third genders" or gender-diverse roles that exist outside Western binary models, such as the Māhū in Native Hawaiian culture or Hijras in South Asia. 3. LGBTQ+ Culture and History

: These terms describe identities that do not fit exclusively into the categories of "man" or "woman".