When New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn in 1969, drag queens were on the front lines of the resistance, helping to launch the modern gay rights movement.
Today, drag is largely for artistic and entertainment purposes and shouldn’t be confused with other groups within the gender non-conforming community. Here’s a guide to terminology.
Transgender
The umbrella term for people who don’t conform to society’s prescribed gender roles. The term is separate from sexual orientation.
Drag
Dressing up as the opposite gender for performance or entertainment purposes.
Cross-dresser
A person who likes to wear clothing of the opposite sex, not for performance purposes but for personal enjoyment.
Transvestite
An old-school, clinical term for a cross-dresser. It’s considered derogatory.
Transsexual
A person who believes their gender identity does not match the sex that they were born with.
Gender queer
Identifying as neither male nor female, or both, or somewhere in between.
Intersex
Born with a reproductive anatomy that doesn’t fit the typical definition of male or female.
