There are many variations of the acronym. A common question is “why are there so many letters, and what do they all mean?” Often the grouping is confused to be about sexuality only. Indeed, there are those that want to only be grouped into LGB and believe the rest don’t fit. Presently there is a campaign in the UK to “get the T out”. When inclusively grouped together, a unifying characteristic is that it covers people that fall outside of what are assumed to be the ‘default’ models of humanity. Another unifying factor is that all are discriminated against for being different. And now, a more granular breakdown of what they all mean:

Lesbian: A feminine identifying individual that is sexually attracted to other feminine identified people.

Gay: May refer to either men that are sexually attracted to other men, or as an umbrella term that covers everyone in the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. 

Bisexual: A person of any gender that is sexually attracted to two or more genders.

Transgender: A person that identifies as a gender other than the one matching the sex they were assigned at birth (male or female).

Queer / Questioning: The ‘Q’ often pulls double duty. Queer literally means “not straight”, and it was used as a derogatory term in the past. Now it has been reclaimed and is used to refer to anyone that differs from the norm. Questioning covers those that feel like they may differ but are unsure, or unsure of where they fall.

Intersex: An individual that differs biologically or physically from the binary classifications. Frequently intersex babies are surgically modified to fit within the binary, often leaving them infertile. 

Asexual / Ally: The ‘A’ is another character with double meaning. Someone who is asexual (often shortened to ‘ace’) does not feel sexual attraction. An asexual person may or may not engage in sexual activities, depending on preference. An ally is someone that has an identity which conforms to the binary norms (by being heterosexual and identifying with the gender they were assigned at birth) and also wants to help promote the rights of those that do not.

+ Plus: The plus is pulling the most weight of any character. It is inclusive of so many different identifications, and a show of solidarity by remaining open-ended.