Category: L

LGBTQIA+ is an acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual/Aromantic/Agender, plus additional subsets. It is an inclusive term used to unite a population of people who have a wide array of gender identities and sexual orientations that differ from heterosexual and cisgender.

The social development and inclusivity of what can be referred to as the ‘queer’ community has been a result of tackling years of discrimination and building a community of acceptance in response to that. The LGBTQIA+ community remains an ever-growing international community that symbolises support, pride, and solidarity.  

Other definitions/things to note:

​For many years, the umbrella term “gay” was used to describe the LGBTQIA+ community.

In the early days of the gay rights movement, the lesbian community often felt dismissed or rejected. This led to strong division within the community, with lesbians feeling like “second class” in the gay rights movement.

During the AIDS crisis in the 80s and 90s, thousands of gay men were disowned by their families after contracting AIDS. The lesbian community came together to care for men with this illness as members of their community.

As a gesture of gratitude for their support, the acronym was set in stone as “LGB”.

The LGBTQIA+ meaning is about being as inclusive as possible. The “T” was added to include transgender people in the early 2000s, and “LGBT” was the standard for many years after that.

The “Q” was officially added in 2016 (though many people had been using it for years prior). Pride month is celebrated in the UK in June as a month of solidarity and celebration amongst the LGBTQIA+ community. Pride emerged out of a riot against police brutality at a small dive bar in New York City called the Stonewall Inn.

At the time, there existed outdated “masquerade” or “cross-dressing” laws that suggested a “man” or a “woman” must wear a certain number of clothing items that matched the gender on their state-issued ID. The police took advantage of these laws and raided drinking establishments and arrested transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. Just after midnight on June 28, 1969, the police raided the Stonewall Inn, and the Stonewall patrons fought back.

Lesbian is a sexual orientation or romantic orientation most often defined as a woman who is attracted to women. Some non-binary people may also identify with this term (with many variations in definitions).

Although lesbians are frequently defined as women who are attracted to women exclusively/solely, they are also defined as women attracted to women primarily/mainly. Some may prefer to identify as “gay” or “gay woman”.

Other definitions/things to note:

Lesbians may be cisgender or transgender; since gender is a separate concept from sexual orientation, someone may be both trans and lesbian.

The distinction between “sapphic” and “lesbian” depends upon which definitions are used for each word. They are often thought to mean the same thing, as both refer to women who are attracted to other women. However, in contemporary usage, sapphic has become an umbrella term specifically inclusive of women with multisexual orientations (such as bisexual, pansexual, and other queer women) who may or may not be attracted to men. While “lesbian” is often – but not always – defined as a woman only attracted to other women, both terms are inclusive of non-binary and transgender identities.

​Lesbian Visibility Day is celebrated on April 26 and began in 2018 in the UK.