Diversity, equity, and inclusion is a wide-ranging and ever-expanding conversation. It's helpful to have a shared set of terms to make sure we're on the same page. The same word can mean different things to different people, especially based on their own experiences.
So, this glossary we've put together is to help everyone have clearer, more effective discussions about equity and inclusion. Keep in mind, this glossary isn't the final word on everything because the way we use language keeps changing and new terms are being added all the time.
What we're aiming for here is to give everyone a solid starting point to engage in important DE&I conversations.
A
AAPI: Stands for Asian American and Pacific Islander. It refers to a group of 23 million Americans from about 50 ethnic backgrounds who are originally from various Asian and Pacific Island regions.
Ableism: A belief or set of discriminatory actions against individuals with physical or intellectual disabilities or psychiatric disorders.
Acculturation: This is when someone learns and adopts the language, values, beliefs, and behaviors of a new culture, while still keeping their own cultural identity. It's different from assimilation, where a person might give up parts of their original culture.
ADA: An acronym that stands for the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA is a civil rights law signed in 1990 that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.
Ageism: Prejudiced thoughts and discriminatory actions based on differences in age; usually that of younger persons against older.
Ally: An individual who supports and stands up for the rights and dignity of others who are members of a disadvantaged group that the ally is not a part of themself.
Anti-Racism: The practice of identifying, challenging, and changing the values, structures, and behaviors that perpetuate systemic racism.
B
Belonging: A sense of feeling safe, valued, and fully included in a group or environment.
Bias: Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another. Biases can be conscious or unconscious.
Bigot: A person who is obstinately devoted to their own opinions and prejudices and is intolerant towards other social groups.
BIPOC: An acronym for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
Biphobia: Dislike or prejudice against bisexual people.
C
Cisgender: A term for people whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth.
Classism: Discrimination based on socioeconomic background.
Colorism: Prejudice or discrimination against individuals with darker skin tones.
Color-Blind Racial Ideology: The belief that treating people equally requires ignoring race or ethnicity, often overlooking the significance of cultural backgrounds and systemic racism.
Cultural Appropriation: The adoption of elements of one culture by members of another culture, typically while devaluing the culture as a whole and/or missing important nuances.
Cultural Competence and Humility: The abilities to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures.
Cultural Humility: Being open and respectful towards different cultures and their experiences, and continuously learning about them in relation to one's own culture.
Cultural Identity: The feeling of belonging to a group based on various factors like nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, etc.
Culture: A social system of customs, behaviors and norms that a group of people develop. It is also a system of values, habits, skills, ideologies and beliefs.
Critical Race Theory: A framework that looks at how laws and social structures impact racial inequality.
D
Damage Imagery: Images, stories, or information that show unfairness but don't give enough background or solutions.
Deadnaming: Referring to a transgender person by a birth name they do not use, instead of their chosen name. This term has loaded associations, and it may be best to use specifics instead, such as, “I think you just referred to [person] by the wrong name. Their name is [chosen name]”.
DEIB: An acronym for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
Discrimination: Treating people differently and unfairly because of their race, gender, wealth, who they like, their abilities, beliefs, language, age, country, or other traits, either on purpose or without realizing it.
Disability: Physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities.
Distributional Equity: Programs, policies and practices that result in a fair distribution of benefits and burdens across all segments of a community, prioritizing those with highest need.
Diversity: The presence of differences within a given setting.
Diverse Candidate Pipeline: The array of candidates from underrepresented groups considered for roles in an organization.
E
Equality: Ensuring every person has equal access to the same opportunities and resources, treating everyone fairly and the same.
Equity: Ensuring everyone has access to the same opportunities and resources, taking into account their unique needs and circumstances.
Ethnicity: A category of people who identify with each other based on common ancestral, social, cultural, or national experiences.
F
Feminism: The advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.
Fragility: Emotional discomfort or defensiveness on the part of a white person when confronted by information about racial inequality and injustice.
G
Gay: A person who is emotionally, romantically, or sexually attracted to members of the same gender.
Gender Expression: The manifestation of one's gender identity through clothing, hairstyle, voice, body shape, behaviors, etc.
Gender Identity: One's personal experience of one's own gender.
Gender Non-conforming: An individual whose gender expression is different from societal expectations related to gender.
Gender Pronouns: Pronouns a person chooses to be called by, reflecting their gender identity. These can be traditional (like he or she), gender-neutral (like they), or other inclusive forms.
H
Harassment: Unwanted conduct directed at an individual or group, which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual's dignity.
Hate Crime: A criminal act against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, or other protected class.
Hispanic: Refers to people and cultures linked to Spanish-speaking countries.
Homophobia: Dislike of or prejudice against LGBTQIA+ people.
I
IFL: Identity First Language is a way of speaking where a person's disability is mentioned first, emphasizing it as an important part of who they are. For example, saying "autistic person" or "Deaf individual."
Inclusion: The practice or policy of making sure everyone feels welcome, valued, and involved, regardless of who they are or their background.
Inclusive Language: Words and phrases that recognize and respect everyone's differences, and support fairness and equal opportunities for all.
Indigenous People: Ethnic groups originally living in an area before others arrived. Examples include Native Americans in the U.S. and First Nations in Canada.
Individual Racism: Personal beliefs or actions that support or continue racism, whether done knowingly or unknowingly. This can include avoiding people of color or laughing at racist jokes.
Institutional Racism: Racism that is part of the systems and rules of organizations or institutions.
Internalized Racism: When a person from a racial minority starts to believe and act in ways that reflect racist attitudes against their own race, often influenced by the dominant society's negative stereotypes.
Intersectionality: The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.
Implicit Bias: Also known as unconscious bias, these are attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner.
“-isms”: Refer to various forms of discrimination or prejudice against people based on characteristics like race, gender, economic status, age, religion, sexual orientation, and language or immigrant status. Examples include racism, sexism, classism, ageism, anti-Semitism, and heterosexism.
J
Justice: The principle of fairness; where everyone has equal access to opportunities, rights, and treatment.
Juneteenth: A holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, marked each year on June 19.
K
Kinship: Social bonds and constructs that form relationships within a community or culture.
L
LGBTQ+: An acronym for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning", used to describe a community of people marginalized because of their sexuality or gender identity.
LGBTQQIAP: An acronym for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual/aromantic, and/or pansexual”.
M
Marginalization: When a powerful group in society pushes a less powerful group to the sidelines, limiting their voice and access to important resources like education and healthcare.
Microaggression: Small, often unintended actions or words that are hurtful or insulting to people, particularly those from less powerful groups, whether done on purpose or not.
Misgender: Using the wrong words or pronouns for someone's gender identity, often because of assumptions made about their gender.
Minority Group: A group of people who are treated differently and unfairly because of their physical, mental, or cultural characteristics. It's not about being fewer in number, but about having less power in society.
Misogyny: Disliking, hating, or being biased against women, shown in different ways like treating women unfairly, disrespecting them, or violence against them.
Misogynoir: A specific kind of hatred or bias against Black women, combining racism and sexism. It involves stereotypes and prejudice unique to Black women's experiences.
Multiculturalism: The coexistence and acceptance of many different cultures in a society.
Multicultural Competency: The ability to understand, respect, and learn from people of different cultures, valuing how they live and see the world.
N
Non-Binary: A spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine—identities that are outside the gender binary.
Neurodiversity: The range of differences in individual brain function and behavioral traits, regarded as part of normal variation in the human population. For example, dyslexia.
Non-Discrimination: The act or policy of not discriminating against individuals based on certain characteristics such as race, age, gender, sexuality, etc.
O
Oppression: Prolonged, cruel or unjust treatment and control.
Othering: Viewing or treating a person or group of people as intrinsically different from and alien to oneself.
Outgroup: A group of people who do not belong to a specific sociological group, often perceived as different or apart from one's ingroup.
Outreach: Efforts to reach underrepresented groups in society, often to provide them with services or benefits, or to intentionally include them in a group, such as a hiring pipeline.
Ownership: Accepting responsibility and accountability for one's actions or the actions of a group.
P
Pansexual: Refers to an attraction to all gender identities or to individuals irrespective of their gender identity.
Patriarchy: A system where men have more power and privilege in society and decision-making roles.
People of Color: A collective term for individuals of non-white backgrounds.
PFL: Person First Language is a way of speaking that emphasizes the person before their disability, like saying "person with a disability" instead of defining them by it.
Prejudice: A preconceived opinion not based on reason or actual experience; often directed towards people based on their membership in a particular group.
Privilege: A special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.
Procedural Equity: Making sure that processes are fair and involve everyone, especially in creating and applying rules or policies.
Psychological Safety: A belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.
PWIs: Predominantly White Institutions refers to colleges or universities where more than half of the students are white.
Q
Queer: An umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities who are not heterosexual or are not cisgender; originally a pejorative term, it has been reclaimed by some LGBTQIA+ people to describe themselves.
Quotas: A set number or percentage of a particular group of people allowed into a place or activity, often used in the context of diversity targets.
R
Race: A way society groups people based on their looks, ancestry, and history. It often influences people's status and treatment in society.
Racial Anxiety: Worry that arises in interactions between different races. People of color may worry about being treated unfairly, while white people may worry about being seen as racist.
Racial Disparity: Differences in how racial groups are treated, affecting things like money, housing, and safety. These differences are often due to past and present discrimination.
Racial Equity: When a person's race doesn't predict their life outcomes. It's about fair policies and attitudes so that benefits and burdens in society aren't divided by race.
Racial Justice: Fair treatment for all races, leading to equal chances and results. This involves active efforts to create and maintain fairness for everyone.
Racially Coded Language: Words that seem neutral but actually hint at racial stereotypes, without being openly racist.
Racism: Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.
Representation: The action of speaking or acting on behalf of someone or the state of being so represented.
S
Safe Space: Refers to an environment in which everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves and participating fully, without fear of attack, ridicule or denial of experience.
Sexual Orientation: An individual’s enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction to another person, such as gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, asexual / aromantic, etc Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same. Transgender people may be any sexual orientation.
Social Equity: Treating everyone fairly and justly, especially when it comes to providing public services and making policies.
Social Justice: Justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.
Social Self-View: How a person sees themselves in terms of their social group, like their race, gender, or culture.
SOGIE: Stands for Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression, recognizing the variety and changing nature of how people identify themselves in terms of whom they're attracted to, their gender, and how they express it.
Structural Equity: It’s about identifying and removing obstacles in institutions that prevent equal opportunities for everyone. It recognizes that some groups have historically had advantages while others face ongoing disadvantages.
Structural Inequality: This is when one social group is consistently at a disadvantage compared to others. This unfair situation is maintained through various forms of discrimination that are built into the systems and practices of society, like laws and cultural norms.
Structural Racism: This refers to a widespread form of racial discrimination that is embedded in the everyday operations of society's institutions, such as laws, policies, and cultural norms. This system favors people identified as white and disadvantages those of other racial or ethnic backgrounds, affecting various aspects of life like wealth, education, and housing.
Systemic Bias: Ingrained or institutionalized prejudice towards or against particular groups, especially in a way that seems natural or normal.
Systemic Racism: A form of racism that exists at different levels in society - personal interactions, within institutions like workplaces or schools, and in broader societal structures. It's a connected system where racism is present in everyday life, rules, and social norms, affecting people's opportunities and treatment based on race.
System of Oppression: Conscious and unconscious, non-random and organized harassment, discrimination, exploitation, discrimination, prejudice and other forms of unequal treatment that impact different groups. Sometimes used to refer to systemic racism.
T
Transgender: A term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex that they were assigned at birth.
Trans-Misogyny: Prejudice or dislike specifically against transgender women or people with a feminine gender identity, combining transphobia (bias against transgender people) and misogyny (hatred towards women).
Transphobia: Fear or dislike of transgender people, shown through actions like violence, harassment, and discrimination. This can happen in both LGBTQIA+ and straight communities.
Tokenism: The practice of making only a perfunctory or symbolic effort to do a particular thing, especially by recruiting a small number of people from underrepresented groups in order to give the appearance of gender or racial equality within a workforce.
U
Unconscious Bias: Also known as implicit bias, these are attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner.
Underrepresented: Not adequately represented within a particular area or field, especially in relation to gender, race, or ethnicity.
Upstander: An individual who sees wrong and acts; a person who takes a stand against an act of injustice or intolerance.
V
Value Diversity: The recognition and respect of diverse backgrounds and perspectives within the community or organization.
W
White Fragility: When white people become very uncomfortable and defensive in response to small challenges or changes related to race, often reacting with emotions like anger or guilt, and behaviors like arguing or withdrawing.
White Privilege: The societal privilege that benefits white people over non-white people in some societies, particularly if they are otherwise under the same social, political, or economic circumstances.
White Supremacy: The belief that white people, and their thoughts and actions, are better than those of People of Color. This problematic belief is deeply rooted in society, often leading to the unfair treatment and devaluing of People of Color.
Workforce Diversity: The range of workers' differences in characteristics such as gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and abilities.
X
Xenophobia: Dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries.
This glossary includes terms that we've gathered from the following resources:
- SHIFT HR Compliance Training
- Rio Salado College
- Diversity for Social Impact
- University of Washington
- Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging at the University of Kansas
- Senior Executive
- WORK180
- National Association of Counties
