Sexuality in men and women goes along a gradient. Same with gender.
Heterosexual - attracted to members of the opposite sex
Homosexual - attracted to members of the same sex
Bisexual - attracted to members of both sexes
Asexual - not sexually attracted to either sex (still capable of being romantically attracted to people)
Aromantic - can be sexually attracted to someone but not romantically attracted to someone
Pansexual - sexually or romantically attracted to anyone as long as phsyicality fits 'type'
Omnisexual - sexually or romantically attracted to a person's personality regardless of physical appearance
There are more on the gradient scale, and I'll add those as I properly research them.
And the best part? You can slide along the gradient scale between these AT ANY TIME. It's completely natural. This is why you might have that ONE FRIEND that everyone thinks you're in a sexual relationship with. Or why you might have that one friend who makes you question your sexuality. This is a natural thing and nothing to be ashamed of.
Gender is as fluid as sexuality. People try to rigidly control what 'masculine' and 'feminine' mean, but that's a societal pressure. The truth is that there are many, many types of personalities, and sometimes the meat suit we wear does not match the mind inside.
Cis- the physical body of this person matches the gender that is internally expressed.
A wonderful person gave me this link to help explain the differences between transgender and transsexual: www.diffen.com/difference/Transgender_vs_Transsexual
MTF- Male to female is someone who was born into a male body but internally expresses themselves as female. This individual is a she to society because that's her preference.
FTM- Female to male is someone who was born into a female body but internally expresses themselves as male. This individual is a he to society because that's his preference.
Gender Fluid- this person expresses themselves as male or female as the urge strikes and will often respond to both he or she, but that is up to the individual. A genderless term that will not offend is Ze, Zer, Zis. Can also use they and their if unsure. (another useful website on genderless pronouns is http://genderneutralpronoun.wordpress.com/tag/ze-and-zir / )
Genderless - this person identifies with neither male nor female gender identity. The appropriate terms for this individual are ze, zer, zis, or they and their.
Like sexuality, there are more than just these 'types'. It is not a rigid construct, but something that can adapt and change over time. Some people know right away when their body doesn't match their internal gender, others struggle to realize this. Still others think they're settled in one and someday realize that it doesn't fit. These are all natural.
