I: Intersex people are born with reproductive or sexual anatomy and/or a chromosome pattern that isn’t firmly male or female. Meanwhile ‘questioning’ people are those still exploring their gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation. Some find it abusive while others feel empowered by it, so use with caution. Q: The letter Q stands for both ‘queer’ and ‘questioning’. T: Trans and transgender are both umbrella terms for people who don’t feel they are the gender they were assigned at birth. But ‘gay woman’ is also common.ī: Bisexual people are physically or emotionally attracted to both men and women or to people regardless of gender. G: Gay most often refers to men attracted to other men. L: Lesbians are women primarily attracted romantically or sexually to other women. What do all the letters mean?įirstly, here’s a simple guide to what all the letters mean. There is no single answer about which initialism is ‘best’ but this article should help you think about the options and make an informed decision. But people worry that using the wrong one may make them look out of touch or not truly inclusive. Using the right term can push forward acceptance.
But when you are choosing a name for a community charity, a group, a product or service targeting LGBT+ people or similar, it is a bigger decision.īy having a consistent term, you can help everyone in our company or organisation understands what to say and how to say it. Of course, in day-to-day conversation you can use all the terms interchangeably. It’s a question GSN gets asked often, particularly by organisations and brands who are anxious to get it right with our community.
Is it better to say LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ, LGBTI, LGBTQIA or another term?