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Ally, cis, and other words you will see around us

Sep 1
2 min read

You will see words around Pride, clinics, and this Knowledge Center that are not the core of Unite Gay Network's brief. Here are short, careful definitions so the rest of the library can stay readable. We are still a network for gay and bisexual men. A glossary is not a conversion.

Ally

An ally is someone who is not the subject of the hostility and who still shows up: a straight colleague who shuts a joke down, a parent who comes to Pride, a nurse who does not flinch. The word gets abused as a costume. Useful allies do not need a flag in the bio as much as they need a habit of not making our lives harder.

Cis

Cisgender means your gender identity matches the sex you were assigned at birth. Most people on earth are cis. It is a descriptive partner to trans, not an insult. What does Transgender mean? is the short explainer. You do not have to use cis in the pub. You should not mock people who do.

A few more you will trip on

Out: other people know. Closeted: they do not. Passing: being read as straight or as cis, depending on context. Intersectionality: a clumsy word for the fact that race, class, and disability change how homophobia lands. Gay and bisexual men of colour.

You can stop here

This page exists so you are not lost. It is not an exam. The rest of the Knowledge Center is written in ordinary language on purpose. If you want the community, not the glossary, join and use the map. We would rather you had a clinic and a friend than a perfect vocabulary.

 
 

Disclaimer*

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This article was originally published in English. While we have translated it to make the content more accessible to our international members, slight variations may exist between the translated and original versions. For the most accurate and authoritative wording, please refer to the English edition. We appreciate your understanding as we continue to improve our multilingual support.

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