18
Introduction to the Guide
Deprivation
of liberty
Any form of detention or imprisonment or the
placement of a person in a public or private custodial setting which that person is not
permitted to leave at will by order of any judicial, administrative or other authority (OPCAT,
Art. 4.2).
Gay
Mostly used to describe a man whose physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction is
to other men, although it may also be used to
describe both gay men and women (lesbians).
Gender identity
Refers to each person’s deeply felt internal
and individual experience of gender, which
may or may not correspond with the sex assigned at birth, including the personal sense of the body (which may involve, if freely
chosen, modification of bodily appearance or
function by medical, surgical or other means)
and other expressions of gender, including
dress, speech and mannerisms.
Gender
expression
Describes how an individual publicly expresses or presents their gender. This can include
behaviour and outward appearance such as
dress, hair, make-up, body language, and voice.
Heteronormativity
Presumes that heterosexuality is the normal
or preferred sexual orientation and that sexual and marital relations are only appropriate
between a man and a woman.
Homophobia
Describes an irrational fear of, hatred or aversion towards lesbian, gay or bisexual people.
Intersex
Refers to a condition in which an individual is
born with atypical sex characteristics, including genetic, hormonal and anatomical differences. Intersex is not about gender identity.
Just like non-intersex people, there are inter-