LGBTQ: Meaning, Letters, Identities, and Respectful Use

• L — lesbian
• G — gay
• B — bisexual
• T — transgender
• Q — queer or questioning

The abbreviation is often used when discussing people, communities, rights, health, relationships, discrimination, culture, or inclusion.

For example:

The organization provides services for LGBTQ youth.

The survey asked about LGBTQ representation in media.

Not every person represented by the abbreviation uses the term LGBTQ for themselves. Individual identity language should be respected.

Lesbian

A lesbian is commonly a woman who experiences romantic or sexual attraction to women.

Some nonbinary people may also identify as lesbians, depending on how they understand their gender and relationships.

The term describes orientation, not appearance, clothing, behavior, or sexual history.

Gay

Gay commonly describes a person who experiences romantic or sexual attraction to people of the same gender.

It is frequently used for men attracted to men, but people of other genders may also use it.

A person does not have to be in a relationship or sexually active to identify as gay.

Bisexual

Bisexual generally describes attraction to more than one gender.

It does not necessarily mean equal attraction to every gender, attraction to only women and men, or attraction that remains constant over time.

Bisexuality is an orientation, not proof of indecision, promiscuity, or a desire for multiple partners.

Transgender

Transgender describes people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

A transgender person may be heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, asexual, or have another orientation.

Being transgender concerns gender identity, while lesbian, gay, and bisexual primarily concern sexual orientation.

Not every transgender person changes their name, uses hormones, has surgery, or follows the same transition path.

Queer

Queer is an umbrella term used by some people whose sexual orientation or gender identity does not fit conventional heterosexual or cisgender categories.

Some people value it because it is broad and flexible. Others avoid it because the word has historically been used as an insult.

It should not be applied to an individual who has not chosen it.

Questioning

A questioning person is exploring, reconsidering, or uncertain about their sexual orientation, gender identity, or both.

Questioning does not require a final label or a fixed timetable. A person may later adopt an identity, continue exploring, or choose not to use a label.

These may include:

• asexual;
• aromantic;
• intersex;
• pansexual;
• nonbinary;
• genderqueer;
• Two-Spirit;
• other sexual and gender identities.

The plus sign does not mean that all these identities are identical. It signals that the broader community includes more experiences than one abbreviation can list.

LGBT

LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.

It remains widely used, particularly in established organization names, historical discussions, and shorter forms of writing.

LGBTQIA+

LGBTQIA+ commonly adds:

• I — intersex;
• A — asexual, aromantic, or agender;
• + — additional identities.

Different organizations may define or arrange the letters differently.

A longer abbreviation is not always automatically more respectful. The best form depends on the audience, purpose, community preference, and available space.

Sexual orientation concerns patterns of romantic or sexual attraction.

Gender identity concerns a person’s internal understanding of their gender.

For example, someone may be:

• a transgender lesbian;
• a bisexual man;
• a gay transgender man;
• a nonbinary asexual person;
• a cisgender queer woman.

One identity does not automatically reveal another.

They may differ in:

• relationships;
• family structures;
• culture;
• religion;
• politics;
• occupations;
• sexual behavior;
• gender expression;
• medical choices;
• personal values.

A more accurate phrase may be LGBTQ people, LGBTQ communities, LGBTQ identities, or LGBTQ experiences, depending on context.

A person may:

• experience same-gender attraction without using an LGBTQ label;
• identify as bisexual while dating one person;
• identify as gay without having had sex;
• question their orientation while remaining in a relationship;
• be transgender without identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual.

Sexual history alone does not determine identity, and identity does not reveal every past or present behavior.

Different groups may have different histories, needs, terminology, and concerns.

For example:

• lesbian health issues may differ from transgender healthcare needs;
• bisexual people may face erasure from both heterosexual and gay communities;
• transgender people may face identity-related barriers unrelated to sexual orientation;
• LGBTQ people may experience additional differences based on race, disability, religion, age, class, or nationality.

Using the plural recognizes this diversity.

• using the identity terms people choose;
• avoiding assumptions based on appearance;
• distinguishing orientation from gender identity;
• protecting private information;
• not demanding personal explanations;
• avoiding stereotypes;
• using specific terms when they are relevant;
• recognizing differences within LGBTQ communities.

When discussing one group, use the specific term rather than LGBTQ if greater precision is possible.

For example, a report specifically about transgender healthcare should name transgender people rather than treating the issue as identical for every LGBTQ group.

Someone should not be pressured to reveal:

• sexual orientation;
• gender identity;
• transgender status;
• relationship history;
• former names;
• medical information;
• sexual behavior.

Revealing another person’s identity without permission is often called outing.

Outing may expose someone to family rejection, workplace discrimination, harassment, housing problems, or violence.

LGBTQ Identities Are Not One Category

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning do not mean the same thing.

The abbreviation brings related communities together without erasing their differences.

Transgender Is Not a Sexual Orientation

Transgender describes gender identity.

A transgender person can have any sexual or romantic orientation.

Bisexuality Is Not Confusion

Bisexual people do not have to prove their orientation through equal attraction, multiple relationships, or a particular dating history.

Appearance Does Not Reveal Identity

Clothing, hairstyle, voice, mannerisms, or body shape do not reliably establish whether someone is LGBTQ.

LGBTQ Identity Does Not Determine Sexual Behavior

An LGBTQ person may be sexually active, abstinent, monogamous, nonmonogamous, single, partnered, or uninterested in sex.

• mutual respect;
• honest communication;
• privacy;
• boundaries;
• freely given consent;
• freedom from coercion;
• equal dignity.

LGBTQ identity does not determine who is dominant, submissive, masculine, feminine, sexually experienced, or responsible for initiating intimacy.

A person’s orientation, gender identity, relationship status, clothing, arousal, or previous sexual activity never establishes present consent.

• LGBTQ community
• LGBTQ people
• LGBTQ identities
• LGBTQ rights
• LGBTQ youth
• LGBTQ inclusion
• LGBTQ representation
• LGBTQ health
• LGBTQ relationships
• LGBTQ support services

1. The center provides confidential support for LGBTQ youth.
2. LGBTQ includes both sexual orientations and gender identities.
3. The report discussed differences among several LGBTQ communities.
4. She identifies as bisexual and is active in an LGBTQ organization.
5. Being transgender does not determine a person’s sexual orientation.
6. The journalist protected the source’s private LGBTQ identity.
7. The school revised its policy to address anti-LGBTQ harassment.
8. An LGBTQ identity never reveals a person’s anatomy, sexual behavior, boundaries, or consent.

The abbreviation supports shared visibility and advocacy while representing people with different bodies, identities, orientations, relationships, and life experiences.

No LGBTQ label alone determines anatomy, sexual behavior, relationship structure, level of desire, gender expression, boundaries, or consent.