This site offers transgender and gender non-conforming students a compository of resources and advice to ensure that all students have a productive and enjoyable experience at UNL, no matter their gender identity/expression.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEX AND GENDER?
Sex refers to the biological, chromosomal and anatomical features associated with maleness and femaleness in the human body. Gender, on the other hand, refers to social construction of masculinity and femininity in a specific culture. It involves gender assignment (the gender designation of someone at birth), gender roles (the expectations imposed on someone based on their gender), gender attribution (how others perceive someone’s gender) and gender identity (how someone defines their own gender).

WHAT IS TRANSGENDER?
Transgender is an umbrella term covering behaviors, expressions and identities that challenge the binary male/female gender system in a given culture. It is a self-identified term that can apply to anyone who transcends the conventional definitions of “man” and “woman” and whose self-identification or expression challenges traditional notions of “male” and “female” (including transsexuals, crossdressers, drag queens and kings, genderqueers, masculine-identified females, feminine-identified males, two-spirit people, male-to-females, female-to-males, bearded women, transmen, transwomen and others who cross or transgress traditional gender categories).

WHAT IS INTERSEX?
Intersex refers to a person who is born with sex chromosomes, external genitalia or an internal reproductive system that is not considered “standard” for either male or female. Approximately 1.7% of children are born with mixed sexual anatomy that makes it difficult to label them male or female. “Intersex” is the preferred term to hermaphrodite. Although many intersex people do not identify as transgender, many of the workplace issues relating to transgender people overlap with those that affect intersex people.

WHAT IS AN ALLY?
An ally is pro-LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning) and is actively committed to diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and personal safety for all people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expression. An ally is someone who confronts heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, heterosexual and genderstraight privilege in themselves and others and has a concern for the well being of transgender, intersex, queer and other LGBQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning) people and a belief that transphobia, heterosexism, homophobia and biphobia are social justice issues.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE?
For information on the transgender and intersex communities at UNL, check out the TransGuide, a handbook for transgender and intersex students at UNL.. For more definitions and other resources, please see the GenderQueer Coalition.

Definitions are based on the terms defined by the GenderQueer Coalition.