The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2022 - 14

RESOURCES FOR TERMINOLOGY
Following these groups and checking out their
websites can be a great way to learn terminology
and about the different perspectives of people who
speak and write in our target languages.
Helem (Lebanon)
www.helem.net
Yaaj (Mexico)
www.yaajmexico.org
Russian LGBT Network
https://lgbtnet.org
HaengSeongIn (South Korea)
http://lgbtpride.or.kr/xe
Human Rights Campaign (U.S)
Glossary of Terms in English
www.hrc.org/resources/glossary-of-terms
National Immigrant Justice Center (U.S.)
List of Arabic LGBTQ Terminology
https://bit.ly/NIJC-Arabic-LGBTQ
Asian Health Services (U.S.)
LGBTQ Glossary
https://bit.ly/AHS-LGBTQ-Glossary
Rape, Sexual Harassment:
When we translate these
terms or concepts into
gendered languages, do we
default to a specific gender for
perpetrators and/or victims?
LGBTQ+ Persons
LGBTQ, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA2S+,
etc.: Even among persons
who identify as a part of
these communities, different
versions of the acronym
are used.
y LGBTQ: Lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, and
queer/questioning.
y LGBTQ+: Lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender and
queer/questioning with
a " + " sign to recognize
the limitless sexual
orientations and gender
identities used by members
of the community.
y LGBTQIA2S+: Lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender,
queer/questioning,
intersex, asexual, two
spirit, and other people
with non-conforming
sexualities and/or
gender identities.
Translators need to gain
a clear understanding of
each letter in the various
renderings and research
the acronyms in use among
people who speak the target
language and identify as
members of the community.
Straight, Queer, Gay: Many
languages simply use the
English words or their
transliterations. Translators
need to exercise great care
not to choose words in
14 The ATA Chronicle | May/June 2022
the target language with a
pejorative connotation when
the source text is using the
word in a neutral way or in
a way that expresses pride.
Pejorative equivalents are
appropriate only when the
source text is using one of
these words as a slur. In most
instances straight shouldn't
be translated to mean normal
or natural, nor should gay
or queer be translated with a
word that LGBTQ+ persons
would find offensive. Writing
in The Atlantic, Steve Clemons
shows how translations
into Arabic (for example, in
movie subtitles) sometimes
distort the meaning of gay by
using equivalents for pervert
or deviant when there are
words available that avoid
making negative judgments
and would more accurately
reflect the nuances of the
source language.11
Cisgender, Heteronormative,
Cishet12
: While cognates
may be a ready translation
solution in Romance
languages, these words can
pose a challenge in many
other languages that aren't
based in Latin or Greek.
If translators opt to use a
transliteration or simply to
employ the English word,
they should consider if the
reader will grasp the full
meaning of these words and
then perform the plausibility
check to ensure that the
translation solution is biasfree.
A short explanation
may be needed to alert the
reader to the meaning of
the transliterated or
English word.
Non-Binary: This is an
adjective used to describe a
person who doesn't identify
exclusively as a man or a
woman. Non-binary persons
may identify as being both
male and female, somewhere
in between, or as falling
completely outside these
categories. While many also
identify as transgender,
not all non-binary persons
do. Non-binary can also be
used as an umbrella term
encompassing identities
such as agender, bigender,
genderqueer, or gender-fluid.
Translators need
to deepen their
awareness of
the nuances of
words in the
source text.
Queer: While historically
pejorative, this word has
been reappropriated in recent
years to express inclusivity
and pride. Some LGBTQ+
persons find it helpful to
use this term to describe
persons who don't quite fit
with any of the other letters
and yet identify as other
than cisgender heterosexual.
Queer is used by some as an
umbrella term that includes
all the other letters (e.g.,
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, etc.)
Further Enrichment
The struggles for racial
equality, gender equity, and
LGBTQ+ rights are hardly
confined to the U.S. or other
Western democracies. Black
Lives Matter and the #MeToo
movement have had an impact
in various countries. There
are organizations around
the globe that represent
minority and marginalized
www.atanet.org
http://www.helem.net http://www.yaajmexico.org https://www.lgbtnet.org http://lgbtpride.or.kr/xe http://www.hrc.org/resources/glossary-of-terms https://www.bit.ly/NIJC-Arabic-LGBTQ https://www.bit.ly/AHS-LGBTQ-Glossary http://www.atanet.org
The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2022

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