Ging Cristobal posed a series of questions to a roomful of 50 people in Quezon City, Philippines, during a recent training session.

She asked about people's gender identities including, “How many here were born male and identify as female?” to which a transgender woman raised her hand and was met with a murmur of applause in the village hall.

By speaking in a mix of Tagalog and English, known as “Taglish,” and layering them in a manner of deductive reasoning, Ms. Cristobal explained the concepts of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE). These concepts are not always easy to understand, as some terms like “transgender” and “cisgender” do not have direct translations in the Filipino language. (Cisgender means someone whose gender identity corresponds with the sex they were identified with at birth.)

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