What Do Each of the Letters in LGBTQIA+ Mean? - GoodRx

The LGBTQIA+ acronym is used to describe either a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. Sexual orientation refers to a person's ... HealthConditionsMedications&TreatmentsHealthcareWell-beingMoreGotoGoodRxHomechevron_rightHealthTopicchevron_rightLGBTQ+HealthWhatDoestheFullLGBTQIA+AcronymStandFor?WrittenbyKevinLe,PharmD,BCPS,BCPPS|ReviewedbyAlyssaBillingsley,PharmDPublishedonJune23,2021Keytakeaways:LGBTandLGBTQIA+areacronymsusedtodescribethecommunityofpeoplewhodon’tidentifyasheterosexual,straight,orcisgender. Astheworldgainsabetterunderstandingofpeople’sdifferentsexualorientationsandgenderidentities,thewordsandlettersthatweusetodescribethecommunitywillcontinuetoevolve.Usingappropriateterminologyandnamingisimportantinensuringaccurateandinclusiverepresentationofpeople’sdiverseidentities.MarilynNieves/E+viaGettyImagesTheLGBTQIA+acronymisusedtodescribeeitheraperson’ssexualorientationorgenderidentity.Sexualorientationreferstoaperson’sphysical,emotional,andromanticattractiontoanotherperson—suchasbeingstraight,gay,lesbian,orbisexual.Genderidentitydescribesaperson’sinternalsenseofbeingfemale,male,orsomeoneoutsideofthatgenderbinary. It’simportanttonotethatgenderidentityisnotdeterminedbyone’ssexassignedatbirthandthatsexandgenderarenotthesame.Astheworldbecomesmoreinclusiveofpeople’ssexualorientationandgenderidentity,theletterswithinthisacronymhavesimilarlyevolved.Readontodiscoverthehistorybehindthiscolorfulacronym. Theoriginalinitialism:LGBTBeforetheoriginof“LGBT,”thelanguageusedtodescribethiscommunitywasactuallyquitelimiting.Duringthe1950sand1960s,peopleinthisgroupwereoftenreferredtoasthe“gaycommunity.” However,theseyearsalsoprovedtobeamonumentaltimeforadvancementswithintheLGBTQIA+community.Theyear1969isoftenseenasaturningpointinAmericanhistoryinshiftingattitudesandpoliticsregardingsexuality.PoliticalmovementssuchastheStonewallRiotsbroughtattentionthroughouttheUnitedStatesandaroundtheworldregardingtheinjusticeexperiencedwithinthiscommunity—itwasapivotaltimeforthe“gayrightsmovement.”Asthesemovementsprogressed,peoplerecognizedthattheterm“gay”didn’tencompassallsexualorientationsandgenderidentities.Inthe1980s,theLGBTacronymgainedpopularityandwasadoptedbymanyactivistorganizationsbythe1990s.Let’sreviewthemeaningbehindtheseoriginalletters.“L”standsforlesbian:awomanwhoisphysically,emotionally,orromanticallyattractedtootherwomen“G”standsforgay:apersonwhoisphysically,emotionally,orromanticallyattractedtopeoplewithinthesamegender “B”standsforbisexual:apersonwhoisphysically,emotionally,orromanticallyattractedtopeoplewithinmorethanonesex,gender,orgenderidentity  “T”standsfortransgender:atermforapersonwhosegenderidentityorexpressionisdifferentthantheirsexassignedatbirth.Transgendershouldbeusedasanadjective—notasanounoraverb. Whywas‘LGBT’incomplete?AlthoughtheLGBTacronymwasmuchmoreinclusivethantermsusedinthepast,itstillleftoutpeoplewhodon’tidentifywithbeinglesbian,gay,bisexual,ortransgender.Andthat’swherethe“Q”camein.“Q”standsforQueer:anadjectiveusedbysomepeoplewhosesexualorientationisnotexclusivelyheterosexualorstraight.It’sanumbrellatermthatincludespeoplewhohavenon-binaryorgender-fluididentities. Non-binarydescribesapersonwhosegenderidentityfallsoutsideofstrictlymaleorstrictlyfemale. Genderfluiddescribesapersonwhosegenderidentityorexpressionchangesovertime. Genderqueerdescribesapersonwhodoesnotfollowstaticcategoriesofgender,embracingafluidityofgenderidentityand,oftentimes,sexualorientations. Gendernon-conformingdescribesapersonwhodoesnotabidebytraditionalorculturalexpectations—inregardstoappearanceorbehavior—oftheirgender. Ina2018HumanRightsCampaign(HRC)survey,over12%ofLGBTQyouthidentifiedasnon-binary,and9%identifiedasgenderqueerorgendernon-conforming. “Q”canalsostandforQuestioning:When“Q”comesattheendofLGBTQ,itcanalsomeanquestioning.Questioningisatermusedtodescribeapersonwhoisexploringtheirsexualorientationorgenderidentity.HowhasLGBTchangedtoLGBTQIA+overtheyears?HistoryhasshownthatLGBTcontinuestobeanevolvingabbreviationastheworldgainsabetterunderstandingofpeople’ssexualorientation,identity,gender,andexpression.LGBTQIA+hasbecomeaprevalentacronymadoptedbythecommunity.Let’sdiscusswhattheseadditionallettersmean. “I”standsforintersex:atermusedtodescribeapersonwhoisbornwithdifferencesintheirsextraitsorreproductiveanatomythatdon’tfittypicaldefinitionsoffemaleormale.Theremaybedifferencesinregardstogenitalia,chromosomes,hormones,internalsexorgans,and/orsecondarysexcharacteristics(e.g.,pubichair,breasts,facialhair,etc.).“A”standsforasexual:atermusedtodescribeapersonwholackssexualattractionordesireforotherpeople.It’sdifferentfromcelibacy,inwhichpeoplemakeachoicetoabstainfromsexualactivity.“+”standsforplus:The“+”signisasymbolthatrepresentsmembersofthecommunitywhoidentifywithasexualorientationorgenderidentitythatisn’tincludedwithintheLGBTQIAacronym.It’saninclusivewayofrepresentinggenderandsexualidentitiesthatlettersandwordscannotyetfullydescribe.HowwilltheLGBTQacronymcontinuetoevolve?AlthoughtheLGBTQacronymhasbeenadoptedbyboththeHRCandGLAAD,somepeoplemaysaythatitdoesn’tfullyrepresenttheentirecommunity. AssocietycontinuesmakingprogressinimprovinginclusivitywithintheLGBTQcommunity,ourunderstandingofdifferentsexualorientationsandgenderidentitieswillcontinueexpanding.Thegoalistocontinuefosteringaninclusiveandwelcomingcommunitywhereeveryonefeelsappropriatelyrepresented.UnderstandingLGBTQ2S+andotherexpandedacronymsSincetherearesomanydifferentidentities,it’sdifficulttofullycaptureeveryone’ssexualorientationandgender.Theacronymhascontinuedtochangeovertheyearsandnowincludesthefollowing:LGBTQ2S+Thisexpandedacronymstandsforlesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,queerorquestioning,andtwo-spirit. “2S”standsfortwo-spirit:atermthattraditionallyoriginatedfromNativeAmericanculturethatdescribespeoplewhoaremale,female,orintersexandhavebothamaleandfemalespiritwithinthem.It’ssometimesreferredtoasathirdgender.LGBTQQIP2SAAThetermstandsforlesbian,gay,bisexual,transgender,queer,questioning,intersex,pansexual,two-spirit,asexual,andally.“P”standsforpansexual:Atermthatdescribesapersonwhomayhaveaphysical,emotional,orromanticattractiontopeopleofanygender.Theymaynotexperiencethesefeelingsatthesametimeorinthesamewayorlevel. Thesecond“A”standsforally:AtermthatdescribesapersonwhoactivelysupportstheLGBTQcommunity.Itincludespeoplewhoarestraightorcisgender(atermusedtodescribeapersonwhosegenderidentityalignswiththeirsexassignedatbirth)andthosewithintheLGBTQcommunity.WhyareterminologyandnamingsoimportantintheLGBTQIA+community?Astheworldgainsabetterunderstandingofpeople’ssexualandgenderidentities,theacronymmaycontinueevolvingtoensurethateveryoneisseenandincluded.Additionally,theacronymcanhelpthosewithsimilarexperiencesconnectwithothers—andhelparticulatewhatthey’refeelingandexperiencingthroughtheterminology.Usingexclusionarytermssuchasthe“gaycommunity”shouldbeavoidedsinceitdoesn’taccuratelyrepresentthecommunity’svastdiversity.AcronymssuchasLGBTQorLGBTQIA+aremoreinclusiveofthesexualorientationsandgenderidentitiesthatexist. Thebottomline AsMarshaP.Johnson,aprominentactivistintheStonewalluprising,wouldsayinresponsetopeoplequestioninghergender,“the‘P’stoodforPayitNoMind.”ManyadvanceshavebeenmadetowardachievingequalitywithintheLGBTQIA+community.Andparalleltothatprogressistheexpansionofthewordsandlettersusedtodescribepeoplewhoarepartofit.Theacronymcanhelpfosterinclusion,connection,andasenseofidentity.Wasthispagehelpful?thumb_up_outlinedthumb_down_outlinedSubscribeandsave.GetprescriptionsavingtipsandmorefromGoodRxHealth.Enteryouremailtosignup.EmailaddressSubscribeBysigningup,IagreetoGoodRx'sTermsandPrivacyPolicy,andtoreceivemarketingmessagesfromGoodRx.RelatedArticlesSeemoreaboutLGBTQ+HealthIsItSafetoHaveAnalSex?WrittenbySarahGupta,MD14ResourcestoHelpLGBTQ+PeopleWhoAreExperiencingHomelessnessWrittenbyKevinLe,PharmD,BCPS,BCPPSWhattoKnowAbouttheFirstCondomAuthorizedforAnalIntercourseWrittenbyJoshuaMurdock,PharmD5ThingstoKnowBeforeGettingTopSurgeryWrittenbyMaxRiganoLivingNonbinary:HowIdentity-AffirmingTopSurgeryBroughtJoyinLifeWrittenbySarahE.LaddWhattoKnowAboutBirthControlIfYouAren’tCisgenderWrittenbyNicoleE.Cieri-Hutcherson,PharmD,BCPS,NCMPWhatDoesItMeantoBeTransgender?access_time1:39TransgenderHealthcare:CervicalCancerScreeningGuidelineforTransMenaccess_time1:45ProstateCancer:WhattoKnowIfYou’reTransorNonbinaryWrittenbySarahGupta,MDWomeninMedicineSpotlight:Dr.NicoleThibeauWrittenbyKristinePisikianHowtoSupportSomeoneWhoComesOuttoYouAsLGBTQ+WrittenbyKevinLe,PharmD,BCPS,BCPPSWhatYouShouldKnowAboutGenderDysphoriaWrittenbySameerHassamal,MD5WaystoBeanLGBTQ+AllyWrittenbyMaxRiganoCreatinganLGBT-FriendlyMedicalPracticeWrittenbyWindyWatt,DNP,APRN,FNP-BCChestBinding:SafetyTipsandSelf-CarePracticesWrittenbyMaxRiganoTheBlackTransgenderCommunityIsDisproportionatelyImpactedbytheCOVID-19Pandemic,ResearchShowsWrittenbyMeganN.Freeland,PharmD,RPhTestosterone-BasedGender-AffirmingHormoneTherapy:MedicationsandWhattoExpectaccess_time1:36Estrogen-BasedGender-AffirmingHormoneTherapy:MedicationsandWhattoExpectWrittenbyJerricaKirkley,MDLINKEDINHowGenderAffirmationSurgeryImprovesMentalHealth:Emily’sStoryaccess_time5:365WaystoSupportYourLGBTQChildDuringtheComing-OutProcessaccess_time1:35AVeteranOpensUpAboutServingUnder“Don'tAsk,Don'tTell”access_time4:58HowOneVeteranIsChangingTheNarrativeofLGBTQHeroesintheMilitaryaccess_time4:20HowOneVeteranFoundaNewIdentityAfteraCareer-EndingInjuryaccess_time4:13HeartHealthAmongLGBTQAdults:TheUniqueLinkThat’sCausingConcernaccess_time1:13Prices&DiscountsInsuranceMobileAppsGoodRxPrescriptionDiscountCardDrugsA-ZDrugsbyHealthConditionsDrugClassesMostPrescribedDrugsGoodRxforPetsBrand-NameDrugsGoodRxGoldGoodRxCareTelehealthMarketplaceLabsMarketplaceTools&InfoHowGoodRxWorksFindaPharmacyNearMeHealthcareProfessionalsHealthLatestHealthNewsVideoCOVID-19VaccineCOVID-19SeasonalFluSupportHelp&FAQsAdvertisingNoticeAccessibilityCompanyAboutGoodRxPressResearchSocialImpactJobsInvestorsCorporateNewsPrices&DiscountsInsuranceMobileAppsGoodRxPrescriptionDiscountCardDrugsA-ZDrugsbyHealthConditionsDrugClassesMostPrescribedDrugsGoodRxforPetsBrand-NameDrugsGoodRxGoldGoodRxCareTelehealthMarketplaceLabsMarketplaceTools&InfoHowGoodRxWorksFindaPharmacyN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