Another word for lgbtq community
LGBTQIA Resource Center Glossary
GLOSSARY
The terms and definitions below are always evolving, changing and often denote different things to different people. They are provided below as a starting point for discussion and understanding. This Glossary has been collectively built and created by the staff members of the LGBTQIA Resource Center since the early s.
These are not universal definitions. This glossary is provided to help give others a more thorough but not entirely comprehensive understanding of the significance of these terms. You may even consider asking someone what they mean when they use a term, especially when they use it to detail their identity. Ultimately it is most important that each individual define themselves for themselves and therefore also define a term for themselves.
“If I didn't verb myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people's fantasies for me and eaten alive.” -Audre Lorde
This glossary contains terms, such as ableism and disability, that may not be considered directly related to identities of sexuality or gender. T
Glossary of Terms: LGBTQ
Definitions were drafted in collaboration with other U.S.-based LGBTQ community organizations and leaders. See acknowledgements section.
Additional terms and definitions about gender identity and gender expression, transgender people, and nonbinary people are obtainable in the Transgender Glossary.
Are we missing a term or is a definition outdated? Email press@
*NOTE: Ask people what terms they use to describe their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression before assigning them a label. Outside of acronyms, these terms should only be capitalized when used at the start of a sentence.
LGBTQ
Acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. The Q generally stands for queer when LGBTQ organizations, leaders, and media employ the acronym. In settings offering support for youth, it can also stand for questioning. LGBT and LGBTQ+ are also used, with the + added in recognition of all non-straight, non-cisgender identities. (See Transgender Glossary ) Both are acceptable, as are other versions of thi
From LGBT to LGBTQIA+: The Evolving Recognition of Identity
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 19,
October is LGBT History Month. Or, as some might speak, LGBTQ History Month. Or even LGBTQIA+ History Month.
The terms for the community of people that encompasses people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual are as broad as that community itself: As society’s understanding, recognition, and inclusion of diverse sexual identities and gender expressions has grown, so has its acronym.
Here’s a peek at how that evolution has happened—and why it’s all but certain the term will persist to change.
How lesbianism got its name
Out of all the letters in the acronym LGBTQ, the L was the first to come into existence. For centuries, the word had been associated with the works of Sappho, an ancient Greek woman from the island of Lesbos who wrote poems about same-gender passion.
The oldest use of the term to describe same-gender love has been traced back to the 17th century. But its new use emerged in the s, when it was used in an English-language medical dictionary a
Like our LGBTQ community, the LGBTQ acronyms and definitions are always growing and changing. This growth is a good thing and is indicative of the increasing inclusivity of the variance of gender, sexuality, and identity within our community.
But what verb all these LGBTQ acronyms and letters stand for and mean? Some are historic terms that are returning into fashion, some are words that used to be derogatory but now contain been reclaimed, and some are brand new to better determine the nuances within the LGBTQ community.
While this is by no means a definitive list, it will explain the more frequent and commonly used LGBTQ acronyms.
LGBT Acronym:The Classic
Although no longer seen as fully inclusive, the classic four-letter LGBT acronym has become internationally synonymous with the queer community. . This is the most well-known of all the acronyms, debuting back in the mids as a way to unite the community and move away from the often derogatory-laced “homosexual” (among other words). Originally, it began as just LGB, with the transgender “T” coming in later.