LGBT

A six-band rainbow flag representing the LGBT community

LGBT is an initialism that stands for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender".[1][2][3][4] It may refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual, non-heteroromantic, or non-cisgender, instead of exclusively to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.[5] [6][7] A variant, LGBTQ, adds the letter Q for those who identify as queer (which can be synonymous with LGBT)[8] or are questioning their sexual or gender identity.[9] Another variation, LGBTQ+, adds a plus sign "represents those who are part of the community, but for whom LGBTQ does not accurately capture or reflect their identity".[10][11] Many further variations of the acronym exist, such as LGBT+ (simplified to encompass the Q concept within the plus sign),[12] LGBTQIA+ (adding intersex, and asexual/aromantic),[13] and 2SLGBTQ+ (adding two-spirit for a term specific to Indigenous North Americans). The LGBT label is not universally agreed to by everyone that it is generally intended to include.[14] The variations GLBT and GLBTQ rearrange the letters in the acronym.[15][16] In use since the late 1980s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for marginalized sexualities and gender identities.[17]

LGBT is an adaptation of LGB, which in the mid-to-late 1980s began to replace the term gay (or gay and lesbian) in reference to the broader LGBT community.[18] When not inclusive of transgender people, the shorter LGB is still used.[19][20]

  1. ^ "Definition of LGBT". Collins Dictionary. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Definition of LGBT". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  3. ^ "LGBT", The Free Dictionary, retrieved 4 March 2024
  4. ^ Publishers, HarperCollins. "The American Heritage Dictionary entry: LGBT". www.ahdictionary.com. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference The Handbook of Lesb was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Miller, Sam J.; Szpara, K. M.; Kalaw, R. K.; Sjunneson-Henry, Elsa; Rustad, A. Merc; Bolander, Brooke; Hvide, Brit E. B.; Bledsoe, Alex; Kowal, Mary Robinette (3 July 2018). Uncanny Magazine Issue 23: July/August 2018. Uncanny Magazine.
  7. ^ "Definition of LGBT". Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  8. ^ "APA Dictionary of Psychology". dictionary.apa.org. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Civilities, What does the acronym LGBTQ stand for?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference UNCW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "APA Dictionary of Psychology". dictionary.apa.org. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Definition of LGBTQIA". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Counseling Lesbian, G was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ "Definition of GLBT". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  16. ^ "Definition of GLBTQ". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  17. ^ Parent, Mike C.; DeBlaere, Cirleen; Moradi, Bonnie (June 2013). "Approaches to Research on Intersectionality: Perspectives on Gender, LGBT, and Racial/Ethnic Identities". Sex Roles. 68 (11–12): 639–645. doi:10.1007/s11199-013-0283-2. S2CID 144285021.
  18. ^ Acronyms, Initialisms & Abbreviations Dictionary, Volume 1, Part 1. Gale Research Co., 1985, ISBN 978-0-8103-0683-7. Factsheet five, Issues 32–36, Mike Gunderloy, 1989 Archived 6 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bisexuality and Transgend was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ Bohan, Janis S. (1996). Psychology and Sexual Orientation: Coming to Terms. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-91514-4. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.