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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 persona and gender expression, transgender people, and nonbinary people are on hand in the Transgender Glossary. 

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*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 starting of a sentence.
 

LGBTQ
Acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, genderqueer, 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

Pride Month What undertake LGBTQ and LGBTQIA+ mean?

LGBTQ+ people have always existed, even if the language seems modern. Conversations around sexual orientation and gender are nuanced -- and the "alphabet," if you will, is expanding.

"L" stands for Lesbian: A woman emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to other women.

"G" stands for Gay: Used to outline men attracted to the same sex OR anyone attracted to the matching or similar genders.

"B" stands for Bisexual: People attracted to more than one gender.

"T" stands for Transgender: Those whose gender self and/or expression differs from cultural expectations. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Some non-binary people identify as gender non-conforming, while others complete not.

"Q" has two meanings. First, gender non-conforming, a catch-all to include those who do not recognize as exclusively unbent and/or folks who have non-binary or gender-fluid identities. Lgbtq+ was once used as a slur but has been reclaimed by some in the group. "Q" can al

What does LGBTQ stand for? Breaking down the interpretation of each letter in the acronym.

Pride Month is about more than parades and “rainbow capitalism.” It’s also a month for allies to educate themselves on the issues impacting the LGBTQ+ community. 

At a minimum, it's important to understand the identities within the community. Each self is different and experiences different marginalization because of their gender identity or sexuality

The LGBTQ acronym has gone through many makeovers in recent decades and holds important meaning that most are unaware of. For example, the reason the “L” comes first is an homage to lesbian health care workers who assisted gay men in the early days of the HIV/AIDS outbreak when many medical professionals refused to even be in the same room as patients with the disease.

What does LGBTQ stay for?

LGBTQ is an acronym that describes various identities in the queer collective. It stands for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer.” 

Some letters refer to sexual orientation while others signify gender identity. The “+” symbol is often added

People are often confused by the terms lesbian, queer , bisexual, transgender, queer and the related acronym LGBTQIA+.  The following definitions will help you to know these terms.

LGBTQIA+: The first four letters of this standard abbreviation are “Lesbian, same-sex attracted, bisexual and transgender.” The letter Q can position for “questioning” -- as in still exploring one’s sexuality -- or “queer,” or sometimes both. The I,A and + were added on later to stand for Intersex, Ally or Asexual, and the PLUS sign for everyone else that wasn't included in the first letters.

Lesbian: A woman whose enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction is to some other women. Some lesbians may prefer to identify as gay (adj.) or as gay women. Avoid detecting lesbians as “homosexuals,” a derogatory term (see Revolting Terms to Avoid).

Gay: The adjective used to describe people whose enduring physical, affectionate and/or emotional attractions are to people of the same sex (e.g., gay mangay people). I