According to National Geographic, the longer acronym, "LGBTQ+," that we know today started out smaller and has evolved with the growing community. In the 1990s, the acronym LGB (lesbian, gay, bisexual) came into popularity because of "the longstanding bonds" between those three groups within the community. But, of course, more members needed representation. All terms and labels that make up LGBTQ+ came about at different times, giving way to the interesting evolution of the term for the queer population. Even the reclamation of the word "queer" had an impact. Throughout history, the community has been called different things—gay, LGB, etc.—and today, the acronym LGBTQ+ is the most inclusive it's ever been.
What Does Each Letter in LGBTQ+ Mean?
Below, we go into what each letter of LGBTQ+ means, but we'll give you a quick rundown. LGBTQ+ is an acronym that is a way to reference the entire community inclusively without having to name every identity that exists within the queer population. LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (and more). Now, let's get into the specifics.
G: Gay
The term "homosexual" came right before the modern use of the term "lesbian." Austro-Hungarian journalist Karoly Maria Kertbeny coined the term in 1869 along with "heterosexual." "Gay" (as in sexuality, not as in "happy") came around later, and for decades, it was used as a slur. Unfortunately, that's still the case in some instances today—Hilary Duff would like to squash that practice, as we thank her for her work—but by the 1960s, queer people started to reclaim the word. Of course, gay did and still does refer to men who are attracted to other men. By the 1970s, gay was used as a sort of umbrella term for all members of the community, especially during the Gay Rights movement. And because of this, "gay" was also used to describe the community.
T: Transgender
In the beginning, there were a lot of terms and names for transgender individuals that are outdated or offensive today. The label "transgender" wasn't really used until 1965, according to National Geographic. Activists like Virginia Prince championed the use of "transgender" since sexuality and gender are two separate things. Transgender people's gender identity is different than the one they were assigned at birth. They can take medicine or have surgeries that help them transition, physically, to their correct gender. But transgender people don't have to physically transition either. Some also use the term non-binary, but not all non-binary people identify as trans. By the '90s, transgender people within the gay community wanted to be seen and respected (especially since the acronym LGB was being used, excluding other queer people). So, by the late '90s, the T was added to LGBT and "transgender" was more widely accepted by the 2000s. However, there is still a lot of misunderstanding and hate toward transgender people today. Related: 50 LGBTQ+ Quotes for Pride Month and Coming Out
Q: Queer
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Even though our common gay acronym is LGBTQ+, with just one "Q," there's another label that the letter stands for as well. A lot of people recognize that the Q also stands for "questioning," which stands for people who aren't sure where they fit in within the gay community or don't have a name for how they identify yet. Pride Month—and respect within the queer community—isn't contingent on how you identify, who you've slept with (or not slept with) or if you're out. It's all about personal discovery and defining who you are for yourself, so people who aren't sure what label they want to use are, of course, still a part of the community.
+: Plus
Intersex isn't as common a label as the others, but it's still a label that people have used for a while. As the Gay Center defines it, intersex describes someone who has one or more "innate sex characteristics," whether that be with reproductive organs, genitals or chromosomes. This would make them "outside of traditional concepts" of the physical gender binary that we know today. This is different than transgender because intersex people are assigned a gender at birth despite not fitting quite into that criteria, physically, and doctors and parents make this decision even if it's not accurate to what the child actually is. The "I" was added in the 2010s and is still used in the longer version of LGBTQ+, which is LGBTQIA+.
A: Asexual
Taken together, these letters stand for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning. LGBTQIA+ adds both Intersex and Asexual. The "+" is used in both versions and represents other identities that exist in the community.
What Does LGBTQIA2+ Mean?
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