QUEER YOUTH
These questions and answers will give you some basic information about important issues in your life as a queer youth. All of these answers are about youth that live in California. If you live in another state, your rights may be different. If you have other questions about your rights, or do not live in California, you can call Legal Services for Children for more information.
What Does Queer Mean?
There are lots of words that people use to describe their sexuality and gender, and you do not have to fit into any box, name, or label! Here are of some of the words used on this webpage.
The terms sexual orientation, or sexuality, describe the sexual or romantic thoughts and feelings that you have about other people. These feelings can involve boys, girls, boys and girls, or neither, and they can change.
“LGBTQ” stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (or Questioning).
Your gender identity is your understanding of your gender, whether that is male, female, both, or neither. Your gender identity might not be the same as your biological sex. For example, you might have been born with “girl parts” but consider yourself a boy.
Biological sex refers to what your body looked like on the outside when you were born. People often identify as transgender or genderqueer when their gender identity is different from their biological sex.
The word queer is used to describe many different identities or sexual orientations, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or genderqueer. Queer may be used to describe anyone that does not fit into a straight, girl or boy label or identity.
“Questioning” refers to people who are still figuring out their sexual orientation or gender identity.
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