Language Guide
“Help! I can’t be this specific about biology!”
Even if you’re in a place where you cannot say anything from this document, try showing examples in the spirit of the excerpt below. You know what is right for your students.
“I want everyone to get used to using accurate language for body parts and functions without assuming that there are only two sexes and that everyone within a particular sex is the same. It’s important to be able to communicate about our bodies in accurate ways.”
Language Guide - Short
Language Guide - Long
Non-English Languages
See also Communicating - terminology, strategies, and printables to help students & teachers talk with, write to, or inform teachers, guardians, parents, and families (including español/Spanish, 中文/Chinese, and more languages to come)
ESPAÑOL/SPANISH
Terms
e (pronounced: ess/iz) - Latines, Elles, Les, nines
-@ (pronounced: ao/oa) - Latin@s, Ell@s, L@s, nin@s
-x (pronounced: eks/ex) - Latinx, Ellx, Lxs, ninxs
Articles
Why ‘LatinX’ Is Succeeding While Other Gender-Neutral Terms Fail to Catch On (Time ) (pdf)
This Young Girl Explains Why “Les” Is an Important Gender Neutral Pronoun In Spanish (Remezcla) (pdf)
Muxes, Mexico’s Ancient Third Gender (Slate) (video & article)
VIETNAMESE
asexual: vô tính
crossdresser: mặc quần áo người khác phái
FTM: chuyển giới nam
gay: đồng tính luyến ái nam (men)/nữ (women)
gender: giới tính
gender identity: bản sắc giới tính
genderqueer: đồng giới tính
hormone therapy: liệu pháp hormone
intersex: lưỡng tính
MTF: chuyển giới nữ
sexual orientation: khuynh hướng tình dục
transgender: chuyển đổi giới tính
transitioning: tái phát, trở thành ác tính
unsure/questioning: không chắc chắn/ thắc mắc
Source: Asian Health Services
CHINESE
asexual: 無性戀 (wúxìngliàn)
crossdresser: 變裝者 biànzhuāngzhě
FTM: 女性變男性 nǚxìngbiànnánxìng
gay/lesbian: (男/女)同性戀 (nán/men; nǚ/women) tòngxìnglìan
gender: 性別 xìngbié
gender identity: 性別認同 xìngbié rèntóng
genderqueer: 性別酷兒 xìngbié kù er
hormone therapy: 激素治療 jīsù zhìliáo
intersex: 雌雄同體 cíxióngtóngtǐ
MTF: 男性變女性 nánxìngbiànnǚxìng
sexual orientation: 性取向 xìngqǔxiàng
transgender: 跨性別 kuàxìngbié
transitioning: 變性過渡 biànxìngguòdù
unsure/questioning: 不確定 bùquèdìng
Source: Asian Health Services
Trans/Nonbinary educators
We are 3 NGSS biology teachers curating
a free centralized biology curriculum resource for all educators supporting staff and students along the gender spectrum.
If you have a resource to add to the list,
please contact us so we can update our collection.