Sexual orientation refers to a person’s sexual attractions, whether heterosexual (opposite sex), homosexual (including gay or lesbian), bisexual, pansexual or otherwise. Gender identity refers to the way a person self-identifies as male or female (or nonconforming).
A person can experience sexual orientation and/or gender identity discrimination regardless of whether or not their identity has been disclosed, and may experience adversity simply because their peers think they belong to the queer community.