Language Guidance When Serving LGBTQ+ Populations

The Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity (CoE LGBTQ+ BHE) has created this language guidance related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE) as a resource for behavioral health practitioners to better understand the most recent language used in LGBTQ+ communities. This list is not exhaustive, and we encourage professionals to gain a broader foundation on this knowledge by watching our foundational webinars Sexual Orientation & Behavioral Health 101 and Gender Identity, Expression & Behavioral Health 101, available at: https://lgbtqequity.org/learn/. It should be noted that people use language in different ways, and the best practice is always to honor language an individual uses to identify themselves.