LGBT

' is an initialism that stands for

lesbian

, gay, bisexual, and

transgender

. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.

It may refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual or non-cisgender, instead of exclusively to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. To recognize this inclusion, a popular variant, ', adds the letter ''Q'' for those who identify as

queer

or are questioning their sexual or gender identity.

History of the term

The first widely used term, ''

homosexual

'', now carries negative connotations in the United States.Media Reference Guide
(citing AP,

Washington Post

style guides),

GLAAD

. Retrieved 23 December 2019. ''

Gay

'' became a popular term in the 1970s.

As lesbians forged more public identities, the phrase "gay and lesbian" became more common. A dispute as to whether the primary focus of their political aims should be

feminism

or gay rights led to the dissolution of some lesbian organizations, including the Daughters of Bilitis, which disbanded in 1970 following disputes over which goal should take precedence. As equality was a priority for lesbian feminists, disparity of roles between men and women or butch and femme were viewed as

patriarchal

. Lesbian feminists eschewed gender role play that had been pervasive in bars as well as the perceived

chauvinism

of gay men; many lesbian feminists refused to work with gay men, or take up their causes.

Lesbians who held the essentialist view, that they had been born homosexual and used the descriptor "lesbian" to define sexual attraction, often considered the separatist opinions of lesbian-feminists to be detrimental to the cause of gay rights. Bisexual and transgender people also sought recognition as legitimate categories within the larger minority community.

After the elation of change following group action in the 1969 Stonewall riots in

New York City

, in the late 1970s and the early 1980s, some gays and lesbians became less accepting of bisexual or

transgender

people. Critics said that transgender people were acting out

stereotypes

and bisexuals were simply gay men or lesbian women who were afraid to come out and be honest about their identity. Each community has struggled to develop its own identity including whether, and how, to align with other

gender

and sexuality-based communities, at times excluding other subgroups; these conflicts continue to this day. LGBTQ activists and artists have created posters to raise consciousness about the issue since the movement began.

From about 1988, activists began to use the initialism ''LGBT'' in the United States. Not until the 1990s within the movement did gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people gain equal respect. This spurred some organizations to adopt new names, as the GLBT Historical Society did in 1999. Although the LGBT community has seen much controversy regarding universal acceptance of different member groups (bisexual and transgender individuals, in particular, have sometimes been marginalized by the larger LGBT community), the term ''LGBT'' has been a positive symbol of inclusion.

Despite the fact that ''LGBT'' does not nominally encompass all individuals in smaller communities (see Variants below), the term is generally accepted to include those not specifically identified in the four-letter initialism. Overall, the use of the term ''LGBT'' has, over time, largely aided in bringing otherwise marginalized individuals into the general community. Transgender actress

Candis Cayne

in 2009 described the LGBT community as "the last great minority", noting that "We can still be harassed openly" and be "called out on television".

In 2016,

GLAAD

's Media Reference Guide states that ''LGBTQ'' is the preferred initialism, being more inclusive of younger members of the communities who embrace ''

queer

'' as a self-descriptor. However, some people consider ''queer'' to be a derogatory term originating in hate speech and reject it, especially among older members of the community.

Variants

Many variants exist including variations that change the order of the letters, including ' to encompass spectrums of sexuality and gender. Other common variants also exist, such as ''LGBTQIA+'', with the ''A'' standing for "

asexual

", "aromantic" or " agender". Longer acronyms have prompted criticism for their length, and the implication that the acronym refers to a single community is also controversial.

Although identical in meaning, ''LGBT'' may have a more

feminist

connotation than ' as it places the "L" (for "lesbian") first. ''LGBT'' may also include additional Qs for "

queer

" or " questioning" (sometimes abbreviated with a question mark and sometimes used to mean anybody not literally L, G, B or T) producing the variants ''LGBTQ'' and '.

The order of the letters has not been standardized; in addition to the variations between the positions of the initial "L" or "G", the mentioned, less common letters, if used, may appear in almost any order. In Spain, ''LGTB'' is used, that is, reversing the letters "B" and "T".
Longer initialisms based on ''LGBT'' are sometimes referred to as " alphabet soup". Variant terms do not typically represent political differences within the community, but arise simply from the preferences of individuals and groups.

The terms ''pansexual'', ''omnisexual'', ''fluid'' and ''queer-identified'' are regarded as falling under the umbrella term ''bisexual'' (and therefore are considered a part of the bisexual community).

Some use ''LGBT+'' to mean "LGBT and related communities". ' is sometimes used and adds "queer, intersex, and

asexual

" to the basic term. Other variants may have a "U" for "unsure"; a "C" for "curious"; another "T" for "

transvestite

"; a "TS", or "2" for "two-spirit" persons; or an "SA" for "straight allies". The inclusion of straight allies in the LGBT acronym has proven controversial as many straight allies have been accused of using LGBT advocacy to gain popularity and status in recent years, and various LGBT activists have criticised the heteronormative worldview of certain straight allies. Some may also add a "P" for " polyamorous", an "H" for "

HIV-affected

", or an "O" for "other". The initialism ' has seen use in

India

to encompass the hijra third gender identity and the related subculture.

Adding the term ''allies'' to the initialism has sparked controversy, with some seeing the inclusion of "ally" in place of "asexual" as a form of asexual erasure. There is also the acronym ' (queer and questioning, unsure, intersex, lesbian, transgender and two-spirit, bisexual, asexual and aromantic, and gay and genderqueer).

Similarly ' stands for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual and many other terms (such as non-binary and pansexual)". The ''+'' after the "A" may denote a second "A" representing "allies".

In Canada, the community is sometimes identified as LGBTQ2 (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Two Spirit). Depending on the which organization is using the acronym the choice of acronym changes. Businesses and the CBC

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