LGBTQIA+ is an acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, plus additional subsects. It is an inclusive term used to unite a population of people who have a wide array of gender identities and orientations that differ from heterosexual and cisgender.[1] LGBTQ, LGBT, and GLBT are also used for similar meanings. Although the "Q" usually means queer, it is sometimes used to mean "questioning".[2] QUILTBAG is an alternative with additional meanings for each letter.[3]
Meaning
L
- Main article: Lesbian
The L stands for lesbian. Lesbian is most often defined as a woman who is attracted to other women romantically, sexually, or both, among many other definitions.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] The term is generally used as a self-identification of sexual or romantic orientation.[13] Although lesbians are frequently defined as women who are exclusively attracted to women,[5] they have also been referred to as women primarily attracted to other women.[12] Some prefer to use or additionally use "gay" or "gay woman" as an identifier.[14]
Lesbians have debated who shares their identity and is part of the lesbian community for over a century.[15] They have variously been defined based on sexual behaviors, sexual attractions, or self-identifying with the label. For instance, women who self-identify as both bisexual and lesbian[note 1] would not be included in a definition that specifies lesbians are only oriented toward women, but would be in a broader definition that encompasses other labels.[17] Definitions also vary in whether or not they use expanded language regarding gender, such as a person who self-describes as a woman[12] or phrasing that explicitly includes people who do not identify only as women, such as woman-aligned[note 2][14] and some genderqueer and/or non-binary people who feel a connection to womanhood.[18]
Lesbians may be cisgender or transgender;[5][19][20] since gender is a separate concept from sexual orientation, someone may be both trans and lesbian.[note 3][5][19] Based upon their assigned gender at birth and attraction to women, and prior to realizing their gender identity and transitioning, some trans women (assigned male at birth) formerly identify as straight and some trans men (assigned female at birth) as lesbian. Trans women attracted to women may subsequently understand themselves as lesbian women. As lesbian communities tend to be more accepting of masculine and gender non-conforming people who were assigned female at birth than straight communities, trans men often initially identify as lesbians before transitioning; however, this does not mean that all butch or otherwise masculine lesbians are transgender. Depending on individual circumstances, some trans men maintain their lesbian identities and community involvement as men.[21]
Certain lesbians have used the label to describe their gender in addition to their attractions.[22] In the Gender Census, an annual online international survey of people who do not strictly identify with the gender binary, participants indicated their personal identifiers; the item "lesbian (partially or completely in relation to gender)" was selected by 12.9% of the participants in 2021[23] and 13.8% in 2022.[24]
G
- Main article: Gay
The G stands for gay. Gay is an adjective referring to those with an enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to people of the same gender.[25] This is most commonly associated with gay men,[26] as a gay woman may prefer to use the term "lesbian" instead.[27][28] Queer and bisexual are also among the terms used for those who are attracted to members of the same gender.[29] In a broader sense of the word, gay can also be used as an umbrella term to identify any LGBTQIA+ individual,[30] though some note that doing so excludes other sexual orientations and gender identities and should thus be avoided.[31]
"Gay" as an identity is defined by the attraction and self-identification as such rather than having had any sexual experience with people of the same gender.[32] Thus, having had sexual intercourse with someone of the same gender does not make anyone gay by definition. There is not just one way to experience same-sex attraction, nor is there a set period in life for a person to discover that they experience it. While some may know that they experience same-sex attraction from a young age, it can take others decades to figure it out or be comfortable enough with their identity to acknowledge it to themselves and others.[33]
Being gay is also referred to as "homosexuality" and thus forms the counterpart of "heterosexuality", the sexual attraction to individuals of the opposite gender.[34] However, controversy has arisen surrounding the use of the word "homosexuals" to refer to gay people, as it has been considered an outdated term that is derogatory and offensive to many lesbian and gay people due to its usage by anti-LGBTQIA+ individuals to imply that gay people are somehow diseased or psychologically/emotionally disordered.[2]
B
- Main article: Bisexual
The B stands for bisexual. Bisexual, also abbreviated as bi, is a sexual orientation encompassing sexual attraction to multiple genders and/or sexes,[35][36][37][38] with various definitions that include:
Some bisexual people experience different kinds of attractions to the genders or sexes they are attracted to, or may feel attracted to different sexes or genders over time.[35] Bisexuals may feel equally attracted[38] or may be primarily attracted or more strongly attracted to one or more of them compared to the other(s).[35][38] Bisexuality is also an umbrella term for multiple attractions, the definitions of which overlap. Individuals may have a preference in which specific label they use or draw distinctions between bisexuality and other labels, such as pansexual and omnisexual.[36]
T
- Main article: Transgender
The T stands for transgender. Transgender, often shortened to trans, is an umbrella term that describes an individual whose gender identity differs from their assigned gender at birth (AGAB).[39] Infants are assigned a sex[40] that is recorded on their birth certificate,[39] which is usually based only on the appearance of external genitalia. The birth assignment—generally defaulting to assigned male at birth (AMAB) or assigned female at birth (AFAB)—assumes that the individual's gender identity will correspond to their assigned sex.[40] A person's gender identity—their sense of gender—usually develops when they are very young. The realization that their gender is different from what they were assigned can occur as early as three years old or in childhood prior to the onset of puberty. It may also happen later in life.[41]
Transgender people can be binary[note 4] or non-binary[note 5]. Some transgender individuals may experience at least one form of gender dysphoria during their life, usually manifesting as an intense distress with their assigned gender. However, not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria. Conversely, some transgender individuals may experience what is known as gender euphoria, a term used to describe a "positive and exciting feeling of one's gendered self".[42] Transgender people might transition socially and/or physically from their assigned gender to their actual gender identity.[41]
Q
- Main article: Queer
The Q stands for queer. Queer is an identifier for individuals and/or the community of people who are not cisgender and/or heterosexual.[2][32] It can be used instead of, or in addition to, other identifiers of sexual orientation, such as lesbian, bisexual, or gay. Queer can also refer to gender identity or gender expression,[2] whether as a standalone term or part of another like genderqueer.[43] The "Q" in LGBTQIA+ and similar acronyms commonly means Queer.[2] As a reclaimed word, it has been used in fights for LGBTQIA+ rights and liberation[44] as an inclusive and sometimes defiant term. PFLAG[32] and GLAAD[2] are two of the organizations that recommend only using it for people who self-identify as queer because it has varying meanings and is not universally accepted.[2][32] In addition, the term may be used in preference to other identifiers by members, for a variety of reasons.[45]
I
- Main article: Intersex
The I stands for intersex. Intersex is an umbrella term for people who are born with or develop sex characteristics that differ from the binary notions of a "male" or "female" body. The dissimilarities between individuals in terms of their hormones, chromosomes, external and internal reproductive organs, or secondary sex characteristics are commonly referred to as variations. An individual's intersex traits may include variations in one or multiple of the aforementioned types. These variations can be noticed at birth or later in life.[46][47]
A
- Main article: Asexual
The A stands for asexual. Asexual refers to people who do not experience sexual attraction toward others,[48] as well as people who experience limited or conditional sexual attraction[49] and relate to the label asexual more than other sexual identity terms.[48] They may experience other forms of attraction, such as romantic, sensual, or aesthetic attraction. Asexuality is a sexual orientation,[50] not a behavior, choice, or medical condition. Some asexual people choose to engage in sexual activities for various reasons despite not experiencing sexual feelings and desire toward any particular person.[48][49] Asexuality is part of the asexual spectrum (abbreviated "ace spectrum"), an umbrella term and a broad community of identities that are closely related to asexuality when placed on a spectrum ranging from asexual to allosexual.[48]
Plus
The + stands for all other members of the community, including those who are questioning.
Community
A wide range of things can be mentioned here, this section is for general impacts that people who identify as this term have on society. For example, this section can mention miscellaneous things that people of this group have achieved and contributed to that do not fall into the other sections, or be left blank.
History
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Document the community's most important history, including facts such as key events, breakthroughs in improving the community's wellbeing and rights, or historical figures known to belong to the community.
Flag
An eight-stripe pride flag by Baker
The original pride flag was designed by Gilbert Baker for the 1978 San Francisco Gay Freedom Day celebration. It had eight colurs, pink stood for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit.[51][52][53]
A seven-stripe pride flag without pink
Due to a lack of fabric when the demand for pride flags soared after the assassination of gay San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk on November 27, 1978, the pink color was removed and in years 1978 and 1979 a seven-stripe version of Baker's flag was used. This started with the Paramount Flag Company using fabric with seven stripes: red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, and violet; soon afterwards Gilbert Baker himself removed the pink colour as well from his flag.[54]
A six-stripe pride flag without pink and turquoise
In 1979, Baker intended to decorate street lamps with rainbow banners. To make the process easier, he decided to remove the turquoise color from the flag, so he could have a design with an even number of stripes flanking each lamp pole along the streets. His third and most famous version of the pride flag has six colours and is a widely used pride flag to this day. It has six stripes: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.[54]
An eight-stripe pride flag with black and brown stripes at the top
In 2017, the Philadelphia's Office of LGBT Affairs led by civil rights activist Amber Hikes redesigned the flag to include two new stripes: black and brown. Those stripes were added to include and honor queer people of color. This flag is known as the Philadelphia Pride Flag or Philly Pride Flag.[55]
A six-stripe pride flag with a triangle to the left comprising of white, pink, blue, brown and black colors
In 2018, Daniel Quasar modified the Philadelphia Pride Flag and included the colors of the transgender pride flag, as well as expanded the meaning of the black stripe to represent those who are living with HIV and AIDS. The arrow-shaped hoist is meant to symbolize a progressive community that continues to evolve and move forward, and those colors are separated from the rest to emphasize what is currently important in the LGBTQIA+ climate and to recognize that those experiences must be put to the forefront by the wider community as we work towards progress. This flag is known as the Progress Pride Flag.[1][56][57]
A six-stripe pride flag with a triangle to the left comprising of white, pink, blue, brown and black colors and a red umbrella placed at the top of the triangle
In 2020, Jason Domino, a sex-worker rights advocate, modified the Progress Pride Flag by adding the red umbrella symbol which is used by sex-workers to include them and honor those LGBTQIA+ rights activists who were also sex workers.[58]
A six-stripe pride flag with a triangle to the left comprising of yellow with a purple circle, white, pink, blue, brown and black colors
In 2021, Valentino Vecchietti of Intersex Equality Rights UK adapted the Pride Progress flag design to incorporate the intersex flag, creating this Intersex-Inclusive Pride flag 2021.[59]
Controversy
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If there has been a specific variety of this identity-phobic discourse that has led to discrediting it please detail that here. If there have been similar -phobic discourses around popular flags, it can also be documented in this section.
Perceptions and discrimination
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This section focuses more on the specific kinds of discrimination and oppression that these people may face. Examples would be mentioning systematic transphobia and non-binary erasure on the page for agender, mentioning rates of mental health issues in this group, etc.
Media
This section should be used to elaborate on the portrayal and representation of this identity in various forms of media, which can include a listing or links to various artists or movies, series, etc.
Resources
Here you can place useful resources relevant for the described topic.
References
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